40+ Healthy Hiking Snacks

Now that the weather is getting warmer and the snow is melting, I find myself searching All Trails for local hikes. Since I love food and go hiking with young children, today we’re chatting about healthy hiking snacks.

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Today I’m sharing your everyday healthy snacks that are easily found in your local grocery store to take on a day hike.

I’m not sharing long hike overnight camping with meal ideas.

This is for those of us who go out for a few hours with the family or friends enjoying the outdoors and getting exercise while taking in the views.

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How to Pack Snacks on a Hike

Depending on if you bring a backpack or not, here are some containers and snack packing ideas for your day hike.

Here are some snack containers for hikes:

You’ll want to keep it lightweight, so collapsable silicone containers are a great idea for packing berries, trail mix, etc.

If you’re going on a short hike and only packing a fanny pack or belt back you can squeeze in little sandwich baggies with hard-boiled eggs, vegetables, crackers, or trail mix. You can also buy reusable silicone bags.

This portable snack container can hold granola, salads, and even oatmeal.

Healthy Hiking Snacks

Below are some easy and healthy hiking snack ideas for you a short day trip hike (also great ideas for kids).

Water

While not technically a snack, it’s important to bring water with you on your hike. You will want to stay hydrated as you get in your exercise.

Pack a water bottle and find one that’s easy to carry, the ones with handles are best (I like these ones).

You can also boost your water with flavor enhancers and electrolytes. I personally buy these Built Boosts (use code RANDA for a discount) as I find they taste the best.

Hiking with your dog?

Don’t forget to bring fido their own food and water dish. I have this set and it’s great because it holds the water and comes with two collapsible dishes.

Fresh Fruit

One of the easiest healthy snacks to pack, fruit can be packed whole (like an apple or a banana) or cut up and put into lightweight containers.

Here are some of my favorite fruits to bring on the hiking trails:

• Apple
• Oranges (I prefer mandarin oranges or cuties as they take up less space)
• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Blueberries
• Bananas
• Peaches
• Nectarines
• Plums
• Grapes

Tip: if you cut up fruit, serve it with a little peanut butter or almond butter for a source of healthy fats to keep your energy levels up.

Vegetables

If we’re going with fruit, we may as well add in veggies, right?

I suggest vegetables that are easy to carry like the following:

• Carrot sticks
• Celery
• Sliced bell peppers (you could also pack mini bell peppers and eat them that way)
• Sugar and/or snow peas
• Pieces of broccoli
• Cauliflower (broken apart)

Depending on if you’re bringing a backpack or not, you could also pack a small container of hummus, tzatziki, or guacamole to balance it out a little more and add a few extra grams of protein to your snack.

Protein Bars

This is my personal go-to. I’m usually out for a few hours at a time and like to pack protein bars or energy bars to not only keep me fuelled for longer but to help me reach my daily protein intake.

I’ll pack a Built Bar (use discount code RANDA) and some carrots with hummus and be good for the afternoon.

Protein bars are a great hiking snack because they don’t need to be refrigerated, and they are portable.

Granola Bars

Granola bars are my kid’s favorite hiking snacks.

Here are a few of our go tos:

• We pack chocolate chip granola bars (we usually buy ours from Costco)
• Made Good Granola Minis,
• Made Good Vanilla Crispy Squares
• You can also make these delicious protein rice krispie treats.
• Clif Bars
• RXBar

Nuts and Seeds

Nuts are one of the best hiking snacks because they’re a powerhouse.

A small handful of nuts provides a ton of energy to keep you going through your hike and the fats and protein to keep those levels sustained.

Seeds are also a powerhouse. You can bring them on their own or have them seasoned (I love a good dill pickle sunflower seed or roasted pumpkin seeds.

Beef Jerky

Another one of my favorite healthy snacks for hiking (and for road trips) is beef jerky. It’s a great snack that’s high in protein and easy to pack around. If you’re looking for a leaner cut try turkey jerky or chicken jerky.

You can make your own, buy a bag from the store, or pack jerky sticks.

Trail Mix

Ah yes, a classic hiking snack. You can buy it or make homemade trail mix, whatever floats your boat. Either way, it’s a good option as you can add nuts (health fat), carbs (granola), fat (the nuts again). The natural sugar (and the pieces of delicious candy and chocolate) helps give you a boost of energy where the granola and healthy fats keep it sustained.

What’s in trail mix:

Trail mix can be made however you want but if you want to make your own trail mix, here are some common ingredients:

• granola
• nuts (almonds, peanuts, cashews, etc)
• raisins
• dried fruit (apricots, apples, etc)
• candy (like M&Ms are common)
• chocolate chips
• pretzels
• sunflower seeds
• pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• dark chocolate

You can season the trail snacks with a little cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and even some cayenne pepper.

Cheese and Crackers

I’m not saying you have to pack a fancy charcuterie board for your hike, but if you are going on a shorter hike or have a backpack where you can have an ice pack, it’s a great option.

Pack your favorite crackers, some string cheese (or cube some from your fridge), some pickles, and maybe some slices of turkey.

It will take you back to your Lunchable days, and kids love it.

Hard Boiled Eggs

Hard boiled eggs are a good hiking snack. You can toss a few peeled eggs in a little baggie and go. The snack is ready to eat when you are.

Muffins

Muffins are great snacks that everyone loves. Here are a few recipe ideas:

• Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins Recipe (Gluten Free)
• Raspberry Protein Oatmeal Muffins Recipe
• Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Muffins Recipe with Yogurt Icing
• Gluten Free Apple Muffins Recipe
• High Protein Blueberry Muffins

Also this Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookie Recipe is also worth a mention. It’s made with monk fruit, so it’s low in sugar.

Whatever you choose to pack whether it’s for short hikes or hikes with the kids, try a few of these healthy hiking snacks for your next adventure. Ensure you drink plenty of water and pack food that has nutritional value to keep your energy levels up.