Pack a combination of breakfasts that must be cooked and breakfasts that do not require cooking to give yourself options when you are backpacking.
No-cook breakfast ideas include granola, granola bars, energy bars, dried fruit and dry cereal. Ideas for breakfasts that must be cooked include whole-grain cereals like cream of wheat or oatmeal, pancakes and brown rice.
Measure out and pack each meal into individual serving-size sealed plastic bags. Label each bag, and write any preparation instructions on the bags with a permanent marker. Place all of the individual plastic bags together into one large "breakfast" bag. When you are on the trail, you will be able to select whichever breakfast food option you desire easily from the bag.
Lunches are often the most substantial meal of the day when on a backpacking trip. They should be filled with high-energy foods and they also should be meals that do not require cooking, because you will usually be breaking from hiking and will not have a camp set up.
No-cook lunch ideas include dried fruit, granola bars, bagels with peanut butter, pita pockets with cream cheese, tuna fish (in pouches), string cheese, lunch meats, crackers, chips, juices and candy bars.
Pack the lunches in the same fashion as the breakfasts--in a "lunch" bag.
Hikers typically eat dinner after finishing the day's hike and finding a place to camp. Pack dinners that are nutritious, satisfying and easy to prepare so that you can satisfy your hunger but also rest.
Dinner meal ideas include dehydrated soups, couscous, dehydrated potatoes, pastas, ramen noodles and rice. Pack small flavoring envelopes to flavor foods like taco seasoning, barbecue seasoning, and gravy seasonings.
Pack the dinners in the same fashion as the lunches and breakfasts--in a "dinner" bag.
Snacks should be high-calorie or high-protein items like granola bars, energy bars, crackers, string cheese, trail mixes, mixed nuts, dried fruits, crackers, candy bars, chips and dried cereal.
Beverages to pack include powdered drink mixes, instant coffee, instant tea, juice and hot cocoa mixes.
Pack small individual servings of items like syrup, peanut butter, cream cheese, jelly, sugar and butter into small sealed plastic bags so that you can use these items with the appropriate menu items with a minimum of effort and mess.
Pack these items in a separate bag in the same fashion as the other foods.
