Breakfast
Smoothies
These are super easy. Both to make ahead of time and on the trail. They pack a punch of flavor as well as protein and calories to get you started in the morning. The best part is that all you need for the morning to get it started is cold (or air temperature) water.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup (of the powder) Freeze-dried fruit; usually two of your choice; blended until pulverized into a fine powder. (Some of my favorites are peaches or a combination of berries or strawberry and banana)
-2 tbsp vanilla protein powder (whatever is your powder of choice)
-2 tbsp milk powder
-1 tbsp yogurt powder
At home directions:
Combine all ingredients in a liquid proof bag - freezer zip lock works well. Shake to combine
On Trail directions:
-Combine with water so that the bag is about 1/2 full; roughly 1/2 litre of water (texture is a personal preference) Shake and massage the bag until thoroughly combined. You can also use a container like a water bottle if you prefer.
*Expect a few pieces of the fruit to not be fully combined. Some of the fruit doesn't always get completed powderized. This is normal.
Granola & Milk
The wonderful about this recipe is that it is completely customizable! It is all about the kind of granola that you like the most. I prefer to make my own granola, add a few pieces of yogurt chips, some dried fruit and some nuts. You can also buy your favorite granola if you so desire. This is another easy morning recipe for those mornings when you need to hit the trail. Just add water, stir and you're ready to go. No cooking required. Evan and I usually share one of these and one of the smoothies on those high mile, early morning kind of days.
Ingredients:
-1/2 - 3/4 cup of granola of your choice
-2 tbsp of milk powder
-1/4 scoop of vanilla protein powder of choice.
At home direction:
-Put everything in a liquid proof bag (like a freezer bag).
On trail directions:
-Add water, depending on how much you want. We fill it so that the powder is all absorbed and the granola is slightly covered. You can add as much or as little as you like your granola and milk to be.
- shake or stir to combine. Eat out of the bag
Super duper energy oatmeal
This is our go to breakfast. It gives us a good kick of energy, a good start to the calories for the day and it's easy. This does require a little bit of cooking (some water boiling), but most mornings we want hot coffee anyway (unless its super warm when we wake up or need to get on the trail asap), so we will be boiling water regardless.
Ingredients:
-2 Packets of quick oats, we usually pick one flavored, one plain (the flavored one adds a couple extra calories... every calorie counts when you're out there!)
-1/4 scoop of protein powder of choice, I prefer vanilla or strawberry
-2 tbsp of each following nuts: crushed walnuts, crushed pecans, shaved almonds
-1-2 tbsp of shredded unsweetend coconuts
-2 -3 tbsp of dried fruit of your choice (I like cranberried and blueberries
At home directions:
-Combine everything in a hot-liquid proof bag. Medium Zip Lock freezer bags work well
On Trail directions:
-Boil water
-Add boiling water to the oatmeal until covered, stir. Assess and add more water if needed
-Seal and let sit for 5-10 minutes
-Stir again and enjoy!
The best trail hashbrowns
One of my favourite things about being home on the weekends is cooking a big breakfast. These hashbrowns gives me that big breakfast while on the trail. It also helps that it gives you a good supply of energy to start your day!
Ingredients:
-1 package of the dried Golden Grill Hashbrown Potatoes (you can buy them at Costco)
-2 tbsp dried peppers
-1 tbsp dried onions
-1 tsp dried garlic flakes
-1/4 cup freeze dried sausage
- 2 tbsp freeze dried cheddar cheese (keep separate)
At home directions:
Combine all ingredients in a liquid proof bag (such as a medium freezer bag). Add salt and pepper. Keep the cheese separate in a different bag.
On Trail Directions:
Pour boiling water over the dried mixture until everything is just submerged. Stir and Let sit for 10 minutes. Add cheese after 10 minutes, stir and let sit for another 1-2 minutes.
Enjoy!
Lunch
Pizza Wraps
Easy. Also, Yum.
Ingredients:
-Shelf stable pepperoni stick
-Cheese string/stick
-Pizza Sauce
-Small tortilla
At Home Directions:
-In a snack bag, or in food wrap, set aside the amount of pepperonis that you want. I prefer one pepperoni per wrap
-In a squeeze bottle that seals, add pizza sauce. I recommend about 1/2 - 1 tbsp of sauce per wrap
-Set aside 1 cheese stick per wrap
-In a large zip lock bag include the amounts of wraps that you are wanting on the trail
Directions on trail:
-Add all ingredients onto the wrap. Wrap like a burrito and enjoy! Om nom nom.
Pasta Salad
This is a cold soak lunch, which is great for lunches on the trail, when you just want to eat and keep walking (or if you want to eat and don't want to have to worry about cooking. This one takes a little more time to make at home at some others, but this is one of our go-to lunches.
Ingredients
-Follow this crockpot recipe, or another chicken crockpot recipe, where the chicken shreds once cooked. http://hungrymom-ontherun.blogspot.com/2011/12/hustle-and-bustle.html?m=1
-2 cups cooked orzo or other small pasta
At Home Directions:
-Cook crockpot recipe as recipe follows
-Once recipe is cooked shred chicken and let cool.
-Once cooled place chicken concoction on a dehydrator tray in even amounts per tray
-Do the same for the cooked pasta
-Dry until ingredients are dry, the pasta is fully dry and the chicken mixture tears into pieces.
-Place about a 1/2 cup of dried chicken mixture and 1/4 cup of dried pasta in a freezer bag
On Trail Directions:
-About 3 hours prior to wanting to eat it add cold (or room temperature) water until the water just covering the mixture. Stir.
-After 3 hours stir again; taste. Add salt and pepper and hot sauce if needed
Dinners
Beef Stroganoff
This meal is great after a long day on the trail.This meal is hearty, warm and most importantly, calorie rich.
Ingredients:
-1lb Ground beef
-1/8 cup Onions diced
-2 cloves Garlic minced
-Salt and Pepper
- 1 packet Beef Gravy Powder
-Sour Cream Powder
-Dried assorted mushrooms, diced
-Dried Parsley
-1 package cooked egg noodles
At Home Directions:
-In light oil, cook onions and garlic. Add ground beef, salt and pepper. Cook until all of the pink is gone out of the meat. Drain meat from any excess oil and juices. Place meat on a paper towel.
-Once cooked, put meat on 4 separate dehydrator trays in even portions. Do the same with the egg noodles.
-Once dried put one dried tray of meat and one dried tray of noodles in a freezer bag. Add 1/4 of the mushrooms, tsp of the dried parsley and 1/4 of the beef gravy powder
-In a separate small bag, include a tbsp of sour cream powder. Place this baggy in the bag with the meat and noodles
On Trail directions:
-Remove bag of sour cream powder and set aside.
-Add boiling water to mixture until the water just covers the ingredients
-Stir and let sit for about 10 minutes.
-After 10 minutes, add the sour cream powder, stir again, and let sit for another 2 minutes
-Add salt and pepper if desired. Enjoy!
Lasagna
Hearty & Delicious, with a little taste of being at home.
Ingredients:
-1lb lean Ground beef
-1/8 cup Onions diced
-2 cloves Garlic minced
-2 Carrots, peeled and diced
-1 Red Pepper, diced
- 2 handfuls of spinach
- 1 jar of your choice of tomato sauce
- Salt and Pepper
- Hot sauce, add to taste
- Worchestershire sauce, add to taste
- Freeze dried mozza cheese
- Freeze dried cheddar cheese
- Powdered Parmesan Cheese, portioned into a small bag per serving
-1 package lasagna noodles, cooked and cut into a small pieces
At Home Directions:
-In light oil, cook onions and garlic. Add ground beef, salt and pepper. Cook until all of the pink is gone out of the meat. Drain meat from any excess oil and juices. Place meat on a paper towel.
-Return meat, onions and garlic to the pan. Add the remaining vegetables and sauce to the pan. Cook until the vegetables are soft. Add remaining seasonings and add any others that you prefer to your sauce.
- Once cooked and hot, add cooked noodles to the sauce and combine.
-Put the concoction on 4 separate dehydrator trays in even portions.
- Once dried, portion out to 4 to 5 different freezer bags or vacuum seal bags. Add 1-2 tbsp of mozza and cheddar cheese to each bag.
-In a separate small bag, include a tbsp of powdered parmesan cheese to add once hydrated.
On Trail directions:
-Remove bag of powdered parm cheese and set aside.
-Add boiling water to mixture until the water just covers the ingredients
-Stir and let sit for about 10 minutes.
-After 10 minutes, add the parm, stir again
-Add salt and pepper and hot sauce if desired. Enjoy!
Hamburger Wraps
This one is great if you have brought a lot of pre dinner snacks and want to have some yummy burger-inspired eats.
Ingredients:
-1lb Ground beef
-1/8 cup Onions diced
-2 cloves Garlic minced
-Salt and Pepper
- Freeze dried Cheddar cheese
- 4 small flour tortillas
- packets each of mustard, ketchup, relish, mayo and bbq sauce (to your discretion)
At Home Directions:
-In light oil, cook onions and garlic. Add ground beef, salt and pepper. Cook until all of the pink is gone out of the meat. Drain meat from any excess oil and juices. Place meat on a paper towel.
-Once cooked, put meat on 4 separate dehydrator trays in even portions.
-Once dried put one dried tray of meat in a freezer bag along with a 1-2 tbsp of cheddar cheese. Add 2 packets of each condiment.
-On the day ahead of your trip, put 4 small tortillas in a bag for the trail.
On Trail directions:
-Remove condiment packets and set aside.
-Add boiling water to mixture until the water just covers the ingredients, stir and let sit for 10 minutes
-Alternatively, you can cold soak this one for a lunch or non-cook dinner. Add cold water so that it just covers the meat. Seal and let sit for 2-3 hours until hydrated.
-Once hydrated, portion out meat onto tortilla and top with your condiments
You have the option of making this whatever you want. Like mushrooms on your burgers? Add some dried mushrooms to the dehydrated meat. Want some bacon? Add some self-stable bacon bits. Want different vegetables? Get your hands on freeze dried tomatoes or back in a little bag of shredded lettuce. The options are endless!
Shepherd's Pie
This is great for 2 people, its filling and warm and a little bit of veggies to get some healthy options back in there!
Ingredients:
-1lb lean Ground beef
-1/8 cup Onions diced
-2 cloves Garlic minced
-3 cups frozen mixed vegetables
-Salt and Pepper
-1 packet Beef Gravy Powder
- 2 -3 packs instant mashed potatoes (my favorite is the cheddar or garlic Idahoan potatoes)
- 2 tbsp freeze dried cheddar cheese
At Home Directions:
- heat a little bit of oil in a frying pan. Add onions and garlic and saute until fragrant
- Add beef, salt and pepper and cook until all of the pink is gone.
- Once cooked, remove any excess oil that has accumulated in the pan
- Add frozen veggies, and cook until warm; add more salt and pepper if needed
- Once cooked through, place evenly on 2 - 3 dehydrator trays and dehydrate until the beef is thoroughly hard
- In 2 or 3 freezer bags or vacuum sealer bags, divide the meat up evenly (depending on how big you want your portion sizes), in the same bags, divide the gravy powder evenly between them.
- Pack the potatoes separately to cook on the trail
- Include 1 tbsp of freeze dried cheese in each bag
On Trail Instructions:
I find this one easiest to cook in a pot than in a freezer bag
- Heat about 3/4 cup - 1 cup of water until boiling.
- Set aside potatoes and cheese for now, Add meat/veggie/gravy mixture to the water and simmer until rehydrated. You will have excess water, and will look a little like soup at this point, don't worry the potatoes will take care of that
- Add in the potatoes and the cheese, and mix thoroughly. Make sure all of the potato flakes are integrated into the mixture and no powder is left.
- Once the potatoes are mixed, remove from heat and cover. Let sit for a 3-5 minutes for any excess water to be absorbed.
- Add salt and pepper if you desire and enjoy :)
Chili Mac
Chili mac. Classic. One of my favorites and oh so delicious. All mixed together is best for 2 people. It's a lot of food.
You can also just use the mac as a dinner or lunch (or breakfast) if you don't want to include the chili
Ingredients
- 2 -3 Boxes of instant mac n' cheese. Kraft Dinner is my favorite, but I bet Annie's would be good too
- 1/2 lb lean ground beef
- 1/2 lb ground turkey
- 1 can black beans
- 1 can maple beans
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 jalepeno, chopped
- 1 can tomato paste
- tsp oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- Salt & Pepper
- butter powder
- milk powder
- Fritos
- Freeze dried cheese
At home directions:
- Cook pasta according to box, do not mix in the cheese sauce, set aside for the trail day
- In a medium size pot, heat a little bit of oil and add onion and garlic. Cook until fragrant. Add in turkey and beef, season with salt & pepper, cook until no more pink is left. Remove any excess oil from the pot
- Add in veggies, beans, tomato paste and herbs. Let simmer for 45 minutes - hour; Taste periodically and add any additional seasoning, spice or sweetness (I love maple syrup in my chili) that you think it needs
- Remove bay leaves from the mixture
- Spread evenly on dehydrator trays, do the same for the mac and cheese, but I would recommend doing one box per tray for easy portioning. Dry the chili and pasta on separate trays
- Once everything is dried evenly, divide the chili evenly between 4 freezer bags or vacuum seal bags, and top with about tbsp of freeze dried cheese. Add a small handful of fritos or corn chips in a separate bag as a topper for the trail.
-In a separate freezer bag or vacuum seal bag, add contents of one box of mac and cheese; dried pasta from one box and the cheese powder still in its pouch. Add about a tsp of butter powder and milk powder in 2 separate little baggies.
On the Trail:
-Make sure to bring both a chili mac and mac and cheese for your meal
-Boil about 2 cups of water
-Remove the fritos bag from the chili, and the cheese powder, milk powder and butter powder from the pasta bag.
-Once the water is boiling, pour water into both bags until the contents are just covered by the water. Let sit for about 10 minutes to rehydrate.
-Once rehydrated, mix the cheese, butter and milk powder in with the pasta, there should be enough water left in the bag to have everything mix together, if not feel free to add a little bit of cold water to the bag to mix it - it will be mixed with the chili so the temperature shouldn't be impacted to much.
- Mix the chili and the macaroni together, either in a bag, in the pot or in bowls - depending on how you like to roll. Add salt and pepper and hot sauce if you desire, Top with the fritos.
If you are just cooking the mac and cheese, do the same steps, but (obviously) without the chili. Add a little more water to the bag if you like your sauce a little more saucy. You can also cold soak this option, by adding cold water to the bag, until it just covers the pasta, and let sit for 2-3 hours; Add the powders at the time that you plan on eating the yummy eats.