Backpacking is a wonderful activity that allows you to see the beauty of Mother Nature. Whether your trip will last for a few hours, days, or weeks, you should know what to include in your backpack. Of course, we highly recommend including first-aid items, navigational tools, and shelter in your planning. But we want to focus on what vegans should include in a meal prep backpack. Hopefully, combing through this list will give you a great starting point for filling your bag with goodies.
Balanced Nutrients
Backpacking can take a physical toll on your body even if you consume essential nutrients. Every meal prep backpack should include plenty of foods that contain the necessary protein, vitamins, iron, calcium, and zinc to satisfy your needs. Balance is key; you need to ensure you cover all your nutritional bases before overloading on a specific food item.
Lightweight Options
As much as you may like to include a full pantry within the dimensions of your backpack, you must pick and choose wisely. The first foods you can leave behind are the ones that weigh the most. Keeping your backpack as light as possible is a primary goal during your hiking trip. Otherwise, it will begin to feel as though you’re carrying a boulder on your back.
Foods With Long Shelf Lives
You don’t want to include foods that will expire quickly. Food items such as canned beans and sunflower seeds have extended shelf lives and high protein, making them the perfect additions to any meal prep backpack. Furthermore, they’re convenient to store and carry.
Can You Gather More?
You might be able to pick up some things along your hike that you can eat after properly cleaning them. If that’s the case, you can leave some extra room in your backpack. Look for morel and chanterelle mushrooms to forage as well as wild blackberries and mulberries. It would be nice if your entire fruit and vegetable supply comes from handpicking.
Recommended Goodies
Start your meal prepping with the best protein sources. Seeds and legumes are musts because they contain several essential nutrients and are easy to transport. After all, what good is a backpacking venture without trail mix?
Nondairy milk will check off your calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin B-12 boxes, while freeze-dried fruit and some cereals are high in iron. Finally, you shouldn’t forget whole grains—they’ll provide you with the essential carbohydrates you need to press on. Quinoa, brown rice, and whole-wheat pastas are delicious and will give you a bolt of energy while satisfying a hungry stomach.
If your hike is short enough for an insulated bag to keep your snacks cool, consider bringing some tofu along, too. Tofu is famous for its versatility, but you can also add edamame and tempeh to give yourself some options.
Breaking down what vegans should include in a meal prep backpack will make any backpacking excursion rewarding and nutritious. The more well-versed you are in this area, the better your experience will be—when you have the proper food supply, the hangry won’t rear its ugly head as you explore the world’s most beautiful scenes.
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