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The best healthy hiking snacks

Spending several hours out on the trail can make you really hungry. I always come prepared with plenty of snacks. These are my go-to gluten-free, dairy-free hiking snacks.

By: Danielle Leroux + Save to a List

Protein bars and packaged snacks

  • Larabars
  • Quest Bars: be warned they will freeze in the winter and become really hard to bite into
  • Clif Bars: only in a pinch. I find them really high in sugar and not the best tasting, but they are always on sale and quite filling.
  • Vega Sport Protein Bars: they taste a little like a chocolate bar
  • Kind Bars
  • Bobo’s Oat Bars: so far I have only seen these in the US and the Cayman Islands
  • Nakd Bars: I also love eating these during long runs or rides
  • Whole Foods Orb Energy balls: I am addicted to these things
  • Single-serving nut butter packets

Homemade Snacks

  • Fruits: bananas (though they can get squished in your bag), apples, pears
  • Dried fruit: dates, mango, apple
  • Raw vegetables: carrots, sliced cucumber, celery, and peppers
  • Roasted chickpeas: this is my go-to recipe
  • Raw nuts and seeds: almonds, walnuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds
  • Homemade trail mix
  • Dark chocolate: a great pick me-up when you reach the top of a mountain. I also love dark chocolate-covered espresso beans! Hello caffeine.
  • Avocado: make sure to cut it in half before you leave
  • Roasted sweet potato slices
  • Homemade energy balls: there are tons of recipes out there but the Healthy Maven has a great round-up of recipes
  • Homemade protein or granola bars: try Joyous Health’s No-Bake Chocolate Chip Protein Squares, Run to the Finish’s Applesauce Energy Balls, or In It for the Long Run’s Vegan Cookie Dough Bars
  • Hard-boiled eggs
  • Nut butter and banana sandwich on gluten-free bread: I like the Silver Hills chia flax bread
  • Homemade gluten-free bread: try My New Roots Life-Changing Loaf of Bread, Oh She Glows Super Power Chia Bread, or Sondi Bruner’s Chickpea Socca.
  • Leftovers: I wouldn’t recommend bringing curry though! I got attacked by bugs eating curry on the top of Hollyburn Mountain. I recently made this simple Tomato Basil Turkey Meatloaf and it would make a great portable meal.

Don't forget: 

For more hiking tips and outdoor adventure inspiration visit: http://wildcoasttales.com/

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