Quick Backcountry Breakfast Ideas While on the Trail
Breakfast should never be skipped, especially while on the trail. To keep you feeling fuller for longer and to give you enough energy to sustain a couple hours of strenuous hiking, use these breakfast ideas that are sure to be lightweight in your pack, full of calories, and quick and easy.
The recipes below are catered toward the backpacker so not much cooking outside of boiling water will be required (because cooking and cleaning can get annoying when all you want to do is hike!). There are also recipes for those of you that choose to not carry a stove (but check out our Ultimate List of Backpacking Stoves if you are in the market for a new stove!).
Note: Before you even start eating breakfast, drink water. When your breakfast is done, you should have had at least 0.75-1 liter of water before hitting the trail.
1. Instant Oatmeal / Cream of Wheat (Plus Other Goodies!)
During my thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, my fiancee and I ate oatmeal nearly every single morning. Instant oatmeal packets (or cream of wheat or instant rice packets) are a great lightweight option. Different foods can be added to oatmeal / cream of wheat to make this breakfast more appetizing and filling.
If you don’t have a stove, you can still eat oatmeal dry. This is not completely appetizing but I’ve known hikers to do it. Additionally, cool water could simply be added, just let sit until softened.
Things to consider adding to your oatmeal breakfast:
- Dried fruit
- Nuts
- Chia seeds
- Quinoa
- Cookie crumbles (we recommend Oreos!)
- Maple Syrup or honey
- Granola
- Cereal
- Instant coffee or hot cocoa mix
- Protein Powder
- Muesli
- Chocolate Chips
- Dried Milk
- Butter Flakes
- Coconut Flakes
- Milled Flax Seed
- Pancake Mix
2. Granola / Cereal
For my stove-less hikers, munch on granola (or cereal), nuts, and dried fruit for the morning to fill your belly up. If you do have a stove, some hikers even love adding hot water to their granola for a hot breakfast on those chilly mornings. You can even carry dried milk to have some cereal and milk in the mornings (just add water!). Just like oatmeal, granola and cereal can be catered to your specific tastes. Feel free to add whatever you desire to your granola to make it not only delicious but also worthy of hiking fuel.
3. Bars
Ditch the loose granola and head for granola bars, protein bars, or even candy bars to get your morning boost. Before heading out on the trail, purchase granola bars that are filling, well-balanced, and have enough calories to sustain you for a couple hours. Snickers, a candy bar commonly seen among backpackers, can become an easy and quick breakfast too. Although, candy bars might not be the healthiest option.
Check out our DIY Granola Bar recipe!
4. Peanut Butter
Peanut butter, although a bit heavy in weight, is a great trail food that provides good fats to keep you hustling up that mountain. Eat peanut butter on a tortilla, slice of bread, or even alone! Dunk your granola bar into your peanut butter jar and scoop out a healthy portion with every bite.
Concerned about pack weight but still want to carry peanut butter? Powdered peanut butter can be a great alternative for minimalists.
5. Freeze Dried Meals
There are a few freeze dried meal packets on the market. The most popular brands are Backpacker’s Pantry and Mountain House. Some freeze dried meal brands have concocted delicious breakfasts that only include the addition of cold or boiling water. Breakfasts typically seen in freeze dried meal packets are biscuits and gravy, granola cereal, and scrambled eggs. Do be aware though. Some of these meals can be pricey and could require simmering (cooking). So, depending on your stove, this might not be feasible for you. Furthermore, some of these meals are notorious for being high in sodium so always check the label before purchasing!
6. Pastries
Although definitely not the healthiest option on this list, pastries still pack a punch of sugar and calories. Prepackaged items like Poptarts, honey buns, cinnamon buns, and donuts are lightweight and calorie dense. Although not recommended, pastries still hold their place as a quick and easy backpacking breakfast food.
What are your favorite quick and easy breakfasts while on the trail?
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