Sometimes I home-dehydrate my backpacking meals. And sometimes I save some money by putting together my own meals from grocery store ingredients. But, I don’t always have the time, so I end up bringing pre-packaged commercial backpacking meals on some of my trips.

I’ll update this post every time I try a new meal so you can read through my reviews and see which ones you should pack for your trips.

This post includes:

• How I choose backpacking meals – what I like and don’t like
• My favourite meals – the ones I buy again and again
• More meals I recommend – these are also good but aren’t my absolute favourite
• Meals that are just okay – these meals weren’t bad, but I didn’t love them a lot
• Meals I don’t recommend – these meals were gross, and you should avoid them

Hey there: I bought most of the meals in this post with my own money, but a few of them where gifts from brands. As you can read below, I am pretty honest with my reviews and don’t hesitate to say when I don’t like something. As well, some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support. -Taryn

How I Choose Backpacking Meals (My Biases)

Taste is subjective. Not everyone has the same favourite foods or the same foods that gross them out.

To help you understand if my meal reviews are helpful for you, I thought it would start by explaining what I like and don’t like, so you can see if my tastes align with yours.

To start with, I’m an omnivore. I eat and enjoy pretty much everything. I’m ok with meat, dairy, and gluten. I also have no problem eating vegetarian or vegan/plant-based meals. (As long as they are delicious.)

While I’m not a picky eater, I do have preferences:

• I like a little bit of spice… but not too much. Super-spicy food can upset my stomach, which isn’t something I want in the backcountry. But I don’t want bland food either.

• I like pasta more than rice. Most backpacking meals use rice or pasta as their base carb. I tend to like pasta dishes more than rice – that’s just a bias I’m going to have.
• I tend to choose Italian or Western backpacking meals more than Asian meals. That isn’t because I don’t like Asian food – in my everyday life, I actually cook and eat tons of East and South Asian food. However, I find that so-called “ethnic” flavours in backpacking meals are inconsistent and often poorly executed, so I’m always nervous to try them in case they are bad.
• I don’t like beans very much. I grew up in a vegetarian household and had hit my lifetime quota of bean consumption by middle school. I will eat beans, I just don’t choose them often. As well, beans are tricky in backpacking meals – if they don’t rehydrate fully, they can give you an upset stomach, which makes me nervous.

My Favourite Meals

West Coast Kitchen The West Coaster

My rating: 9/10

Calories per serving: 760

Protein per serving: 33 g

Servings per package: 1

Rehydration time: 10 minutes

Price: $18.99 CAD

Diet: Omnivore – contains pork, wheat, and dairy

This was the best new-to-me meal I tried last summer. West Coast Kitchen is a small company from Vancouver Island.

The West Coaster is their signature meal – it’s a creamy pasta dish that includes bacon, mushrooms, onions, and capers. The flavour profile is a bit like alfredo, a bit like carbonara, and a bit like stroganoff. And the sauce is made with cream cheese (as well as parmesan), which gives it a bit of a tang.

This is a freeze-dried meal, and all of the components are fairly small, so it rehydrated completely in the relatively short recommended soak time of just 10 minutes.

The stats above are for their single-serving package (they also make a plus package that purports to serve two people). Honestly, this is a decently filling meal for one person – a rarity among backpacking meals when you eat the suggested serving size.

The only downside to this meal for me is that it calls for 1.2 cups of water (280 ml). That is not an easy measurement in the backcountry! Most of the ways I measure (pots or water bottles with gradations) have them measured in 50 or 100 ml increments, so I had to eyeball it.

In the end, I think I may have added too much water since my meal ended up a little bit too soupy. I also expected the sauce to look creamy, but it looks more like veggie soup broth. Still tasty though.

Where to buy:

Peak Refuel Beef Stroganoff

My rating: 9/10

Calories per serving: 400

Protein per serving: 20 g

Servings per package: 2

Rehydration time: 10 minutes

Price: $19.95 CAD/$14.99 USD

Diet: Omnivore (Contains beef, wheat, and dairy.)

I discovered Peak Refuel meals a few years ago, and I think their Beef Stroganoff is the best meal they make. All of their meals are fairly good because they are freeze-dried, so they are full of flavour. They also use chunks of beef rather than ground beef, which has a better texture when it rehydrates. (Ground beef can be a bit like gravel.)

If you measure your water properly, the sauce on this meal ends up nice and thick, which I love since some backpacking meals can feel very runny. However, the sauce tends to separate a bit, which visually isn’t that appealing. (Food science is wild, so the fact that you can go from powdered meal to beef stroganoff in 10 minutes is pretty incredible.)

I don’t know anyone who would be satisfied with the suggested serving size of half a package for this meal. I easily eat the whole thing.

Mountain House Kung Pao Chicken

My rating: 9/10

Calories per serving: 290

Protein per serving: 16g

Servings per package: 2

Rehydration time: 15 minutes

Price: $18.95CAD/$11.99 USD

Diet: Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Omnivore (Contains chicken.)

The Mountain House Kung Pao Chicken reminds me of North American-style Chinese take-out or mall food court Chinese food. It’s sweet with a hint of spice, but definitely not too spicy. It gave me real nostalgia vibes for the Chinese food I ate as a teenager in the 90s.

This rehydrated really well, including the rice. (Sometimes rice can be chewy if it doesn’t rehydrate properly or mushy if it sits too long – this was perfect.)

Texture-wise, it’s definitely a gloopy stew with rice in it, rather than rice with chunks of chicken and veggies, but I didn’t mind. Like other Mountain House meals, the freeze-dried chicken chunks are kind of bland, but the sauce makes up for it.

The portion size on this package is hilarious. I don’t know any adults who can hike all day, eat a 290-calorie dinner, and feel full. I easily ate the whole package on my own and still had room for dessert.

More Meals I Recommend

Alpine Aire Tuscan Style Pasta Roma

My rating: 8/10

Calories per serving: 300

Protein per serving: 17g

Servings per package: 2

Rehydration time: 10-12 minutes

Price: $15.95 CAD/$11.95 USD

Diet: Vegetarian (Contains wheat and dairy)

The Alpine Aire Tuscan-Style Pasta Roma pleasantly surprised me. It’s a rose-style creamy tomato sauce with a cheesy flavour that I really enjoyed.

It’s a vegetarian meal, but it has so much cheese in it, that the protein per serving is pretty good. Although that might also be because it contains soy-based textured vegetable protein. Honestly, I didn’t taste the soy protein in this at all – the cheese really hid it and I had no idea it was in there until I looked at the ingredients after I was done.

I do wish this meal had a few veggies in it, but overall, it’s pretty good for a basic vegetarian pasta.

Mountain House Stroganoff Beef With Noodles

My rating: 7/10

Calories per serving: 280

Protein per serving: 12g

Servings per package: 2

Rehydration time: 9 minutes

Price: $18.95 CAD/$11.99 USD

Diet: Omnivore (Contains beef, wheat, eggs, and dairy)

I’ve eaten the Mountain House Beef Stroganoff with noodles more times than I can count. It was one of my go-to meals for years before I discovered the superior Peak Refuel beef stroganoff.

It’s got a good creamy sauce that rehydrates well and doesn’t feel too runny. The bits of ground beef add a bit of protein and texture, but are kinda bland. While lots of the meals I’ve tried aren’t great to look at, this one is particularly beige.

While lots of backpacking meals have a fair amount of sodium, this one has a ton: If you eat the whole pouch, you are consuming 1540 mg of salt (about 67% of your recommended daily intake). I actually like the salty taste of this meal. And I often plan to eat this meal after a hot day where I’m sweating a lot and need to replenish my electrolytes.

And of course, I eat the whole package. I don’t care what it says – this is not two servings.

SLY Pad Thai

My rating: 7/10

Calories per serving: 1030

Protein per serving: 30g

Servings per package: 1

Rehydration time: 12 minutes

Price: $17.95 CAD

Diet: Vegan, Gluten-free, Dairy-free

I was excited to try a meal from SLY because they are a small plant-based freeze-dried meal company from Quebec. The SLY pad thai wasn’t very traditional, but it is pretty good. I would describe it more as a rice noodle stir fry with a tangy peanut flavour. It’s not pad thai, but it is tasty.

Many plant-based meals don’t have a ton of protein. This one has a decent amount (but still not a ton) thanks to the big pieces of soy protein. I actually found the soy protein in this meal to be pretty flavourful and kind of meaty, thanks to the sauce it’s served in.

However, the biggest issue with this meal is rehydration. I let it sit for the recommended 12 minutes, and the big pieces of soy protein were still quite crunchy and powdery. After another 5 minutes, they were a bit better, but still not fully rehydrated.

I ate the meal anyway, since I didn’t mind the crunch, but I can see that being a turn-off for some people. (It’s worth noting that I did make this meal in temperatures that were slightly below freezing, so rehydration time could be a bit slow because of that. But I did try to keep the pouch warm in my jacket.

The calories on this meal are insane – 1030 for the whole pouch. It honestly isn’t that much food by volume, so I had no problem finishing this on my own.

Meals That are Just Okay

Mountain House Chicken and Mashed Potatoes

My rating: 6.5/10

Calories per serving: 230

Protein per serving: 22g

Servings per package: 2

Rehydration time: 7 minutes

Price: $18.95 CAD/$11.99 USD

Diet: Gluten-Free, Omnivore (Contains chicken and dairy.)

If you’re backpacking with someone who is a picky eater, the Mountain House Mashed Potatoes with Chicken is the meal for them. It’s tasty, but fairly boring – perhaps a bit bland. It’s also very beige. I would have loved to have some gravy to go with this, or even some hot sauce.

However, this is a solid and reliable meal. It’s definitely filling, and the freeze-dried chicken adds protein. I also love how quickly it rehydrates – the potatoes rehydrate almost instantly. The additional waiting time is mostly so the chicken isn’t crunchy.

I recommend this meal if you want something you can just pick up off the shelf and go. However, you can replicate this meal at a lower price by combining a package of Idahoan instant mashed potatoes with a handful of Mountain House freeze-dried chicken.

Like the other Mountain House meals, you need to eat the whole package to get full. It does NOT serve two.

Mountain House Beef Lasagna

My rating: 6/10

Calories per serving: 220

Protein per serving: 11g

Servings per package: 2

Rehydration time: 9 minutes

Price: $18.95 CAD/$11.99 USD

Diet: (Omnivore: Contains beef, dairy, and wheat.)

The Mountain House Lasagna is a good meal for kids or picky eaters. It’s a very cheesy pasta with tomato sauce and ground beef.

This is another meal I’ve eaten tons of times because I really love the cheese in it. You can actually get a bit of a cheese pull going, which helps it feel more like real food and less like slop in a bag.

The meal rehydrates well, although the beef can be a bit gravelly. I do find the tomato sauce a bit on the sweet side, kind of like kids’ pasta, but there isn’t sugar in their ingredients list, so I’m not sure where I’m getting that from.

And of course, I eat the whole package since it’s not enough food for two servings.

Meals I Do NOT Recommend

Thankfully, there’s nothing on this list yet! I don’t know if I’ve just been lucky, or if I’m not a picky eater. Time will tell!

Final Thoughts

I’ve probably tried dozens of backpacking meals over the years. I wish I had started reviewing them sooner so I had a record I could refer back to when buying new meals. Sometimes I just stare at the packages at the outdoor store and guess!

I’ll keep this post updated each time I try a new meal, so stay tuned for more backpacking meal reviews.

READ NEXT:

• Grocery Store Backpacking Meals for Cheap
• Dehydrating Food For Backpacking: A Beginner’s Guide
• 16 Backpacking Breakfast Ideas

The post The Best (and Worst) Backpacking Meals Reviewed appeared first on Dawn Outdoors.

I’ve been on hundreds of backpacking trips over the years (I’m a hiking guidebook author) and I’ve tried tons of different breakfasts in the backcountry. In general, I prefer backpacking breakfasts that:

• are fast and easy to prepare
• are lightweight and compact in my pack
• use little or no fuel
• require minimal clean-up
• I can shop for at the grocery store (check out my tips for grocery store backpacking meals)

In this post I’ve got 16 ideas for both hot and cold backpacking breakfasts. Most of them meet the above criteria, but I’ve got a few on the list that take a little longer for those days when you can linger in the mornings.

Hey there: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support. -Taryn

Hot Backpacking Breakfast Ideas

Oatmeal

Also known as porridge, instant oatmeal is a no-brainer for backpacking breakfast. It’s fast and easy to make with just boiling water. It’s filling. You can get instant oatmeal in tons of flavors. And it comes pre-portioned in little packets, so it’s ready for the trail.

Instant oatmeal is really easy to customize: You can add nuts, dried fruit, coconut, milk powder… the list goes on and on. But you won’t get any backpacking oatmeal recipes from me! I hate the stuff.

Instant Noodles

Instant noodles, Cup Noodles or ramen aren’t a typical breakfast food, but who says you have to eat typical food! They are lightweight, tasty, and fast to cook.

At the store look for noodles that you can just add boiling water to instead of ones that require simmering on the stove – that way you’ll save fuel too. The quickest cooking instant noodles are ones sold in a cup or rice noodles.

I repackage the noodles and seasoning packet a single ziplock bag at home so I don’t have to bring the bulky cup into the backcountry. At camp, I pour boiling water over the noodles in my bowl or mug, wait a few minutes, then eat.

Since they are often fairly low calorie, I bulk them up by adding pieces of jerky, shelf-stable bacon bits, or dehydrated veggies. You can also stir in a couple tablespoons of nut buttter. This is by far my favourite trail breakfast

Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are another savoury option for a hot backpacking breakfast. I buy powdered mashed potatoes at the supermarket and then package it in a ziplock with some add-ins like bacon bits or Parmesan cheese.

The Idahoan brand is my favourite. They have lots of good flavours like garlic or cheddar cheese. You can also combine them with a just-add-water gravy mix packet.

Cream of Wheat

If you don’t like oatmeal, you might not like cream of wheat either as they have a similar texture. It’s basically a wheat porridge.

You can find it near the oatmeal in your grocery store. The original flavour is the most common, but it’s also possible to find it in sweet flavours like bananas and cream and Cinnabon. (No, I haven’t tried them.)

You can add the same sort of things to your cream of wheat as you would to your granola: dried fruit, nuts, powdered milk, cinnamon, sugar, etc.

Grits

In same family as oatmeal and cream of wheat you’ll find grits: it’s basically corn porridge. In America it’s easy to find instant grits in most grocery stores, but they are far less common in Canada. Be sure to get the “instant” or “quick-cooking” kind. Otherwise they take a long time to simmer.

But unlike oatmeal and cream of wheat, grits are usually served as a savoury dish. Package your grits with bacon bits, butter powder, and salt and pepper. And of course you can always add cheese.

Quinoa Porridge

Quinoa has a delicious nutty flavour. Plus it has a bit more protein and calories than oatmeal. You can whip up an easy quinoa porridge with quinoa flakes because they cook quickly. Don’t get regular quinoa – it takes about 15 minutes to cook, which wastes fuel and time.

You can add the same types of things to quinoa porridge as you would to oatmeal: dried fruit, nuts, cinnamon, coconut milk powder, etc.

Dehydrated and Freeze-Dried Eggs

Lots of backpacking food companies dehydrated and freeze-dried eggs that you can buy at your local outdoor store. And some of them are TERRIBLE. I know. I’ve eaten them.

But there are a few gems out there. In particular, I recommend the freeze-dried egg meals from Mountain House as they actually look, feel, and taste like eggs… provided you don’t add too much water when you rehydrate them. The breakfast skillet and bacon and eggs meals are the best ones. But they’re not cheap!

If you want to save a little money, you can buy Ova Easy egg powder at grocery stores and outdoor stores. You mix it with water, then scramble it in a pan on the stove.

If you want to get fancy, you can bring some fresh or dehydrated veggies to mix into your eggs. Or bring tortillas and some hot sauce to make breakfast burritos with your eggs.

Pancakes

This is a good special occasion backpacking breakfast (maybe for a birthday?) or for days when you have time in camp and room in your pack. Making pancakes in the backcountry is doable, but it takes a bit more time.

Bring a ziploc bag of boxed pancake mix. You’ll also need a little bit of oil or butter to keep them from sticking to the pan. And speaking of a pan, you’ll probably need a lightweight frying pan (I have this GSI frying pan) – it’s really hard to make pancakes in a backpacking pot!

Don’t forget to bring a tiny container of maple syrup or jam to serve on top. Or mix chocolate chips into the pancake mix.

Bannock

Also known as fry bread, Indigenous groups all across North America make bannock. My husband wowed me by making bannock on one of our first backpacking trips together.

It’s really simple to make the dough – it’s just a mix of flour and sugar with a little bit of baking soda and salt. (There are lots of recipes online.) We package the dry mix in a ziploc, then add water in camp and knead it inside the bag.

Then you fry the dough in a little bit of oil, then serve with jam. You can also add dried fruit (my husband uses currants) into the dough.

No-Cook Backpacking Breakfast Ideas

Bars

Energy bars, granola bars, and protein bars are some of the easiest things you can eat for breakfast when backpacking. They require no cooking or prep (besides unwrapping) and they are generally fairly filling. The only downside – they’re a little boring.

Granola or Cereal

Granola or cereal with milk is an easy backpacking breakfast. Just bring a ziploc bag of your favourite granola or breakfast cereal and some powdered milk.

If you do dairy, bring powdered whole milk – powdered skim is disgusting. If you’re dairy-free, powdered coconut milk is the easiest to find, but you can also get powdered oat milk and soy milk.

At camp, mix the powdered milk with water before adding to the granola – otherwise it can be a gritty. On cold days, I use warm water to make my milk.

Freeze Dried Yogurt

I recently found out that you can buy freeze dried yogurt at the grocery store. It turns out it’s hiding in the baby food aisle! Look for Gerber yogurt melts – they come in lots of flavors.

If you grind up the yogurt melts into a powder at home in your food processor, you can rehydrate it with cold water on the trail. Mix in dried fruit, nuts, or granola to make it a full meal.

PB&J

Classic peanut butter and jelly tastes great on the trail – plus it’s packed with protein. Or mix it up and go with almond butter, tahini, or even nutella.

Instead of regular sandwich bread, bring bread that won’t get squished. Bagels are great. Or use tortillas if you want to save space. Or skip the bread altogether and just eat peanut butter off a spoon.

Smoothies and Shakes

Why bother with chewing when you can drink your breakfast? Powdered smoothie and shake mixes (like Carnation Breakfast Essentials) come in all kinds of flavours. Or you can make your own with protein powder, powdered milk, freeze-dried fruit powders and more. There are lots of recipes online.

Pop Tarts

My friends’ kids love going backpacking because their parents let them eat all kinds of things they don’t normally get at home. And some mornings in camp, that means Pop Tarts for breakfast. Of course there are no toasters in the backcountry, so they just eat them cold. But they don’t seem to mind.

Pop Tarts are high calorie, portable, and arguably, pretty tasty – all factors that make them a great backpacking breakfast idea.

Baked Goods

Sometimes I’ll pick up a muffin or a scone at a bakery on my way to the trailhead. I carefully nestle it inside my cooking pot to protect it from getting squished, then savour it for breakfast in camp the next morning.

If you’re looking for something a little more shelf stable but still gourmet, you can buy packaged shelf-stable Belgian Liege-style waffles (not the frozen kind).

Or go cheap and buy Little Debbie or Hostess cakes, twinkie, donuts, etc. They last forever and they’re fairly high calorie. You just have to be careful not to squish them.

So what’s your favourite non-oatmeal backpacking breakfast? (Instant noodles are always my choice.) Give me your suggestions in the comments.

READ NEXT:

• The Best (and Worst) Backpacking Meals Reviewed
• Grocery Store Backpacking Meals for Cheap
• Dehydrating Food For Backpacking: A Beginner’s Guide
• How to Choose the Best Backpacking Meals
• Backcountry Chocolate Fondue Recipe

The post 16 Backpacking Breakfast Ideas appeared first on Dawn Outdoors.

It’s a pretty simple recipe, but it’s got tons of flavour thanks to the mushrooms. I also like to add chicken for protein. And of course, I sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top!

This dehydrated mushroom risotto recipe dispatches most of the cooking at home so you don’t have to fuss at the campsite. And it makes four servings so you can prep multiple backcountry dinners at once. Or do what I do: eat one of the servings right away. You can make tonight’s dinner and a backpacking meal at the same time!

In this post, I’ve got everything you need to know to make dehydrated mushroom risotto. It includes:

• How to adapt risotto for backpacking
• Equipment needed
• Ingredients
• Cooking instructions
• Dehydrating and packing instructions
• Rehydrating instructions

Hey there: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support. -Taryn

How to Adapt Risotto for Backpacking

At first glance, this might look like a pretty standard risotto recipe. But I’ve made a few changes to make this recipe work for backpacking.

It’s dehydrated. Risotto has a fairly long cooking time (up to about 40 minutes), involving lots of stirring and simmering. That uses lots of fuel! So this recipe does all that cooking at home. Then the risotto goes into the dehydrator. At camp, you can just add water and simmer for a few minutes and it’s ready. (Psst: If you’re new to dehydrating, check out my beginners guide to dehydrating backpacking food.)

It’s low-fat. Risotto is usually creamy with lots of butter, cheese, and rich broth. You can’t dehydrate fats and they go rancid, so backpacking meals have to be low-fat. My recipe uses just one tablespoon of oil and a fat-free veggie broth.

But it still has cheese! Traditional risotto has the cheese mixed right in. But that won’t dehydrate well. Instead, I recommend packaging Parmesan cheese separately and stirring it in just before eating. Parmesan travels quite well, especially if it is vacuum-sealed. But if you’re out for a long time or in hot weather, you can also use shelf-stable Parmesan (e.g. Kraft Parmesan).

It uses canned chicken. The chicken is optional, so you can leave it out if you’re a vegetarian (or sub in some pine nuts). But I love it for added protein. The reason I used canned chicken is that it dehydrates really well. If you’ve read my guide to dehydrating backpacking food, you’ll know that canned chicken is pressure-cooked and very low fat – perfect for dehydrating.

It uses dried mushrooms. It might seem weird to buy dried mushrooms, rehydrate them, put them into the risotto, and dehydrate them again. But what you are really getting from that process is delicious mushroom liquid. When you add this liquid to the risotto, it soaks into the rice and chicken, giving the whole dish a wonderful umami flavour.

You can use any dried mushrooms you like. I used a mix of local wild mushrooms I found at my grocery store. But dried porcini mushrooms are the most traditional. If your mushrooms don’t come sliced (for example, many Asian mushrooms are dried whole), slice them thinly after you rehydrate them in hot water. They will dehydrate much better that way.

Equipment

• Deep skillet (a Dutch oven or high-sided pot will also work)
• Dehydrator – I use the Nesco Snackmaster. (Or read my tips for dehydrating in your oven.)
• Dehydrator tray liners or parchment paper.
• Backpacking stove that simmers
• Backpacking pot that holds at least 0.75 L (for one portion)
• Ziploc freezer bags, canning jars or a vacuum sealer (I use this simple Nesco one)

Ingredients

Makes four servings. Approx. 600 calories per serving.

• 1 1/2 cups of hot water
• 1 ounce/28g dried sliced mushrooms (porcini or any other variety)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 to 4 cloves of garlic, minced (depending on how much you like garlic)
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice, rinsed
• 2/3 cup dry white wine
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• salt to taste
• 2 5 oz/142g cans of chicken, drained (optional)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cooking Instructions

1. Add the mushrooms to a heat-proof bowl along with 1 1/2 cups of hot water. Soak until softened, about 30 minutes. Drain the mushrooms in a sieve, but save that tasty mushroom liquid – you’ll use it later in the recipe.
2. Combine the mushroom liquid and vegetable broth in a pot. Warm it up on low heat.
3. In a deep skillet, saute the onion over medium heat with the oil until it browns and softens (about 6 or 7 minutes).
4. Stir in the garlic, thyme, mushrooms, chicken (if using), and rice. Cook for 1 minute.
5. Add the wine and stir until the wine cooks down (about 1 to 3 minutes).
6. Add 3/4 cup of the broth/mushroom liquid mixture and stir until all liquid is absorbed. Repeat with the remaining broth/mushroom liquid mixture, adding 3/4 cup at a time and stirring until you’ve used it all.
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste. I recommend going heavy on the seasoning because the dehydrating process can mellow out the flavours.

Dehydrating and Packing Instructions

1. Line dehydrator trays with parchment or use dehydrator tray inserts for liquids. (You can skip this step if you have fine mesh trays.) Spread risotto on dehydrator trays in an even layer.
2. Dehydrate at 145F for 5 to 9 hours. Check the risotto periodically to break up any clumps. Flip it over about halfway through to speed up drying. When it is done it should be crispy and brittle with no soft spots.
3. Allow to cool, then store in a sealed, airtight container until ready to use. (I recommend vacuum sealing or using a canning jar. You can also store it in a Ziploc bag in your freezer.)
4. Pack the risotto for the trail in a Ziploc freezer bag or a vacuum-sealed bag. This recipe makes 4 portions, so divide the dehydrated risotto into portions before you pack it. Pack the Parmesan cheese in its own bag. (Use 1 tablespoon of Parmesan for each portion.)

Rehydrating Instructions

1. At camp, put the risotto in a cooking pot with enough water to cover – about 1 cup per serving.
2. Let the risotto soak as long as you can – ideally at least 30 minutes. (Soaking is optional, but the longer you soak, the less fuel you will use and the faster it will cook.)
3. Bring to a boil, then simmer and stir until the risotto is rehydrated. If it seems too dry, add water a splash at a time.
4. Stir in Parmesan cheese and eat!

This is one of my favourite homemade backpacking meals and I hope it becomes one of your faves too. If you make it, tell me about it in the comments.

READ NEXT:

• Dehydrating Food For Backpacking: A Beginner’s Guide
• The Best (and Worst) Backpacking Meals Reviewed
• Grocery Store Backpacking Meals for Cheap
• How to Choose the Best Backpacking Meals
• Backcountry Chocolate Fondue Recipe

The post Dehydrated Mushroom Risotto For Backpacking appeared first on Dawn Outdoors.

It takes a little bit of planning to put together your own hiking dinners, but I think it’s worth it. You save money, you get to choose what goes into your food, and often, they taste better.

I’ve been backpacking for nearly 20 years (I even wrote a backpacking guidebook) and at this point, I’ve eaten literally hundreds of backpacking meals. Psst! If you’ve got more time, I definitely recommend learning how to dehydrate your own backpacking meals.

Here’s my guide to making grocery store backpacking meals. It includes:

• How to choose grocery store food for backpacking – What to look for when you’re shopping
• Where to shop – Which stores have the best options
• Breakfast ideas – Both savoury and sweet options
• Dinner ideas – Broken down into meal bases, proteins, and sauces/seasonings
• Dinner recipes – My go-to recipes that use only 3 or 4 ingredients
• Dessert ideas – Because sometimes you want something besides chocolate
• How to pack food for backpacking – Tips for reducing bulk and mess

Hey there: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support. -Taryn

How to Choose Grocery Store Food for Backpacking

Unlike buying a packaged freeze-dried dinner, if you put together your own backpacking meals from the grocery store, you will need to evaluate each ingredient and figure out if it is worth adding to your food.

If you’re new to backpacking, check out my post about how to choose backpacking food. It’s got lots of tips for food planning.

Here are the “rules” I use when grocery shopping for backpacking:

Non-perishable/Shelf-stable

In general, I look for food that is non-perishable and shelf-stable. That means that it doesn’t require refrigeration and can handle being in my pack for a few days without going bad. I mostly stick to the aisles in the center of the store instead of the produce, dairy, and meat sections around the outside.

Lightweight

It can be easy to end up carrying a lot of heavy food since it often is pretty tasty. I try to reign myself in and choose mostly lightweight foods. In general, try to avoid foods that contain liquid since water is heavy and you can always add water at camp.

Easy to Pack

Look for things that are compact rather than bulky. Avoid fragile foods that can get squished or crumbled. I also skip foods that are messy to pack or prepare.

Easy to Cook

Ideally, the foods you choose should just require boiling water or heating something up. I try to stick to things that only require one pot.

Quick to Cook

Some foods have long boiling or simmering times and will use up your fuel. Look for meals that you just have to add boiling water or where you have to boil or simmer something for just a few minutes. My personal limit for cook time is 10 minutes – I won’t bring anything that takes longer than that.

Calorie-Dense

Read the labels to understand how many calories you are bringing. You want to make sure you have enough. You also want to make sure you are choosing calorie-dense food – it should provide a lot of calories for its weight. Look for foods that provide at least 100 calories per ounce (25 g).

READ NEXT: How to Choose the Best Backpacking Meals

Where to Shop

If you don’t have a lot of time, it’s easy to put together a backpacking menu from your local grocery store. But it can be fun to venture to a few different stores to find more interesting ingredients. Since most items are shelf stable, you can stock up on things to keep in your pantry for upcoming trips.

Here are a few suggestions on where to shop:

• Health Food Stores: Look for freeze-dried and dehydrated fruits and veggies, meat alternatives like TVP and soy curls, vegan jerky, and nut butter.
• Ethnic Stores: I love shopping at Asian markets. They have an incredible selection of ramen and other noodles, miso soup, dried fish and jerky, shelf-stable tofu and soy products, dried mushrooms, and great snacks.
• Trader Joe’s: I make a special trip to get jerky, nuts, snacks, and dried fruit. I love their dried mango!
• Costco: I don’t have a membership anymore, but they are great for bulk-size boxes of granola bars, oatmeal, instant rice, pasta, and more.

Backpacking Breakfast Ideas

Breakfast is one of the easiest backpacking meals to buy at the grocery store. Here are a few ideas:

• Oatmeal: Available as instant oatmeal in packets or as quick-cook rolled oats.
• Cereal or Granola With Powdered Milk: If possible, buy full-fat milk as powdered skim is disgusting. You can also buy powdered plant-based milks. In my experience, powdered coconut milk is the easiest to find.
• Quinoa Porridge With Dried Fruit or Nuts: Make it with quinoa flakes, which just require adding hot water.
• Instant Grits: I like to add cheese and bacon bits.
• Pop Tarts: My friend’s kids love these on the trail.
• Bagels or Tortillas With Nut Butter: Nutella and honey are also great.
• Carnation Instant Breakfast: Remember to bring powdered milk to add to it.
• Granola Bars or Energy Bars: These are kind of a no-brainer.

READ NEXT: Beyond Oatmeal: 6 Hot Backpacking Breakfasts

Backpacking Dinner Ideas

When it comes to backpacking dinners, I think about what the base of a meal is (pasta, rice, etc.) and then what I’m going to add to it (protein, sides, sauce, and seasoning). That way you can mix and match different ingredients to suit your tastes.

Dinner Bases

This is the heart of the meal and is usually carbohydrates. Here are some grocery store dinner base ideas:

• Ramen or Cup of Noodles: I like the ones that you just add hot water to rather than the ones that have to cook for a few minutes. You can also find some really great options at Asian grocery stores. My favourite is Malaysian laksa.
• Pasta: Choose thin/small pasta like angel hair (capellini) or spaghetti. Skip thick or big shapes since they take longer to cook.
• Gnocchi: These shelf-stable potato noodle balls cook really quickly and are pretty filling. They are a bit heavy though.
• Asian Noodles: Many Asian noodles cook just by adding boiling water – no simmering required. Read package directions to be sure. Rice noodles generally cook the fastest.
• Boxed Mac and Cheese: The regular Kraft version cooks pretty quickly, but to save fuel, buy the microwavable Easy Mac version which just needs to be heated up with boiling water rather than simmered for 8 minutes.
• Hamburger Helper: Add your own protein to these pasta and sauce mixes. Heads up: some of them require up to 12 minutes of cooking time.
• Stove Top Stuffing: This is one of my favourite backpacking meals since it is delicious and you just have to add boiling water.
• Instant Mashed Potatoes: I often pair these with Stove Top Stuffing and a packet of gravy for backcountry Thanksgiving vibes. I love the Idahoan brand since they have garlic, cheese, and other flavours.
• Instant Polenta: This Italian-style cornmeal cooks in just a few minutes and is great with cheese and herbs.
• Powdered Soup Mix: Soup mixes from Knorr, Lipton, and others can be a good base for a meal, especially on a cold day. But read calorie counts carefully as they often aren’t very filling so you have to add in lots of other stuff.
• Knorr Sides: These are a favourite for backpackers on a budget since they cost less than $2. They are marketed as side dishes, but with some protein added in, can easily be a meal for one. Read the package as some require milk and/or butter (which you can bring in powdered form) and many require 7-10 minutes of cooking.
• Couscous: It cooks super quickly (just let it sit with boiling water). I like Casbah brand couscous since you can get flavoured versions like garlic and olive oil.
• Instant Rice: Just add boiling water – no cooking required.
• Microwavable Rice Packets: Ben’s and Zatarain’s make microwavable flavoured rice packets that you can heat up in a camping pot in a couple of minutes. They taste pretty good, but they are fairly heavy.
• Flat Bread (Tortillas, Pitas, Wraps, Naan Bread): These travel well and are great for wrapping around all kinds of fillings. You can also fry them to make quesadillas or pizza.
• Ready to Eat Curry: These Indian meals are cheap and super tasty. Some of them are designed so you immerse the package in boiling water while others need to be dumped out and heated in a pot. They are pretty heavy, so I only take them for the first night of a trip.

Proteins

Make sure your backpacking meals have protein as it will help you feel full. It also helps repair tired muscles. Carbs give you fast energy, but you’ll crash quickly without protein.

• Jerky: There are tons of delicious jerky options on the market so you don’t have to settle for the leathery stuff from the gas station. Pro-tip: you can cut or tear it into small pieces and mix it with your pasta or rice while it cooks. It rehydrates a little bit and tastes more like meat.
• Vegan or Tofu Jerky: I’m not a vegan, but some of this stuff is delicious. I also love the spicy tofu jerky you can buy at Asian supermarkets.
• Shelf-Stable Bacon: You can buy precooked shelf-stable bacon in a box. I’ve used it lots of times to make a very high-calorie backcountry carbonara.
• Bacon Bits: These are an easy add-in to lots of meals. I even add them to ramen.
• Salami, Pepperoni or Cured Meats: These are shelf-stable so they don’t need to be refrigerated.
• Tuna or Chicken Pouches: A much lighter-weight option than cans. You can also get flavoured versions.
• Canned Meats and Fish: These are bulkier and heavier, but there are tons of options available. They can be worth it if you are ok crushing and packing out the cans.
• Powdered Eggs: You can buy OvaEasy and other powdered egg brands at some grocery stores. Mix with water, scramble, then add to your meal.
• Cheese: Hard cheeses can last a few days in your backpack in mild weather. You can also pack sealed wax wheels of cheese like Babybels. Unopened Velveeta is also shelf-stable.
• TVP: Textured vegetable protein is made from soy and is a great meat substitute. It also looks a bit like ground beef once it is rehydrated.
• Soy Curls: These dried soy strips just need to soak in water to rehydrate. Then you can use them in lots of recipes where they mimic chicken.
• Bean Curd: Also called tofu skin, you can find bean curd in strips, sheets, knots, and more at Asian grocery stores. They need to be soaked before eating to rehydrate. I love them in soups.
• Instant Hummus Mix: Sold as a powder, this is a bit hard to find, but it rehydrates with cold water and is super filling.
• Nuts or Nut Butter: I like to add nuts to my meals for some added protein. Pine nuts, cashews, peanuts, walnuts, and almonds are tasty in couscous, pasta, and curries. A few spoonfuls of peanut butter are great in Asian dishes.

Sauces, Seasonings and Sides

If you spend some time in the seasoning aisle at the grocery store you will be surprised at all the good stuff you can find. It’s also worth looking in the soup, ethnic food, and produce sections to find other sauces, seasonings, and sides.

If you are buying a mix, read the directions carefully as some require milk, butter or oil. But you can always bring powdered milk and butter or a small container of oil. Some sauces will also work with just water but they may not taste as rich.

Here are a few ideas for sauces, seasonings, and sides:

• Pasta Sauce Mix: You can find powdered bases to make lots of cream-based pasta sauces. However, most require you to add milk.
• Pesto Sauce: It’s not that light, but it’s very high calorie and a little bit goes a long way.
• Gravy Mix: Great for mashed potatoes.
• Mexican Spice Mix: Taco seasoning or burrito seasoning packets add a kick to rice.
• Asian Spice Mix: Packets of stir-fry seasoning or chow mein seasoning are great in rice or noodles. Most require you to add soy sauce so save the ones you get with take-out Chinese food or sushi.
• Curry Paste: You don’t need much to make a flavourful Thai meal. You can sometimes find it in small pouches or use a reusable container to pack a few tablespoons from a larger jar.
• Bouillon Cubes or Powder: These add lots of flavour to otherwise bland dishes. Just be careful as some are very salty.
• Butter Powder: Butter makes it better! Great for adding to meals that call for butter like Knorr sides or mac and cheese.
• Fast Food Sauce Packets: Collect soy sauce, hot sauce, ketchup, vinegar, and more from fast food restaurants, then bring them along to add to backpacking meals.
• Freeze-Dried Herbs: You can find little jars of freeze-dried herbs (chives, garlic, etc.) in the produce section. They rehydrate well and taste better than the dried versions in your spice cabinet.
• Dried Mushrooms: These add an incredible amount of umami to your meal. Great in Asian dishes, pasta, and couscous. Some need a lot of rehydration time, so you may need to soak them for an hour before dinner.
• Sundried Tomatoes: Buy the dry ones, not the messy oil-packed ones. Great in pastas and couscous. My tip – cut them into smaller pieces for faster rehydration.
• Dehydrated Veggies: You can sometimes find dried vegetables at the grocery store and they make great add-ins for all kinds of dishes. But if you see them, buy them as can be hard to find! (They’re also easy to make at home if you learn how to dehydrate backpacking food.)

Grocery Store Backpacking Dinner Recipes

Here are a few of my go-to grocery backpacking dinner recipes. They each have four ingredients or less!

Backpacking Dessert Ideas

For me, dessert is usually chocolate or some durable high-calorie cookies like stroopwafels. But it can be nice to treat yourself to a more elaborate dessert sometimes. Here are a few of my favourite ideas:

• Instant Pudding: Easy to make since you just combine pudding mix, powdered milk, and water, then whisk. I like to eat it with Oreo cookies crumbled on top.
• Jello No-Bake Cheesecake: These mixes are fun to make individual cheesecakes in camping mugs. If it’s really hot out, put the cups in a shallow stream or lake to help them set faster.
• Mug Cake Mix: While these are designed to be made in the microwave, you can also make them on a camping stove set to its lowest temperature. If your pot is wide, make 2 or 3 mug cake mixes at once otherwise your cake will be really thin and burn quickly.
• Chocolate Fondue: You can melt chocolate, add a bit of liqueur, then dip in cookies, dried fruit, pretzels and whatever else you like. My backpacking chocolate fondue recipe has the details.

How to Pack Food for Backpacking

I like to repackage food for the trail so that it is lightweight, compact, and doesn’t leak. It’s much easier to deal with than the packaging that grocery store food comes with. Here’s what I use:

Ziploc bags

I pack most of my backpacking in medium and large Ziploc freezer bags. They are more durable than the regular kind. I bring them home from my trip, wash them, then use them again to avoid creating waste.

If you want to save money and reduce waste, you can also reuse resealable bags that grocery store items come in – just give them a wash first. I also own a few reusable silicone Stasher bags. They are a bit heavier and bulkier than Ziplocs, but they last a long time and are dishwasher-safe.

Vacuum Sealer

I also own a vacuum sealer, which I bought to keep my home dehydrated food fresh for as long as possible. But you can also use it to repackage grocery store food for backpacking.

Using a vacuum sealer is a great way to compress your food as small as possible. That feature is really helpful when you’re trying to pack your food into a bear canister or heading out on a long trip.

Unfortunately, the bags are not reusable, so using a vacuum sealer can be a bit wasteful. I have a basic Nesco VS-12 Vacuum Sealer which came with bags. The version I have is pretty affordable and I don’t feel the need to upgrade to a fancy one.

Resealable Containers

If I’m carrying liquids, I pack them inside small resealable containers. My favourites are the humangear Gotoob+ silicone bottles. They’re mini squeeze bottles with a locking cap and they come in a few different sizes.

I also like the Nalgene mini containers and jars. They have secure screw-on lids and also come in lots of sizes. You can also find tons of small containers on Amazon. Read reviews carefully as some don’t seal very well!

No matter what kind of container I use, I always bag it inside a Ziploc for extra protection. I’ve had leaks, and they aren’t fun!

Bring Cooking Instructions

Don’t forget to include cooking instructions for the food you bring. It’s important to know how much water to add! I sometimes write the instructions on the outside of a Ziploc bag using a Sharpie marker. But that method makes it harder to reuse the bags.

Instead, I cut out the part of the package that has the instructions and pack it along with my food. You can also take a photo of the packaging and store it on your phone.

What’s your favourite grocery store backpacking meal? Leave your recipes in the comments as I’m always looking for new things to try.

READ NEXT:

• The Best (and Worst) Backpacking Meals Reviewed
• How to Choose the Best Backpacking Meals
• Dehydrating Food For Backpacking: A Beginner’s Guide
• Dehydrated Mushroom Risotto For Backpacking
• Beyond Oatmeal: 6 Hot Backpacking Breakfasts
• Backcountry Chocolate Fondue Recipe

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