If you are going on a long-distance hike, a one-day tour, or even a two-hour hike around your local mountain, you should always have something to eat in your backpack. A snack can help you feel better when you’re climbing or hiking hard, and something unexpected can happen on even the shortest tour that makes you have to extend the hike. We collected ideas for a sustainable packed lunch for your hike and also asked our partners what a sustainable packed lunch looks like for them.

What’s important when it comes to food on hikes?

No worries, we’re not making a science out of your packed lunch right now 🙂 If you are into long-distance hiking, you might have already thought about the ideal composition of your food anyway. It is important to get as much energy as possible with as little weight as possible.

When it comes to food, a look at the long-distance hiking forums can be very interesting for an occasional hiker or an ambitious day hiker. It doesn’t always have to be sandwiches: 😉

Are you interested in long-distance hiking in general? Then take a look at our blog article about long-distance hiking and discover tours that are also suitable for beginners.

Tips for your meal planning

Planning a good meal starts the night before.  You should fill up your carbohydrate reserves before you go on strenuous tours. Professionals believe in pasta with a tasty sauce.

Breakfast is all about recharging your batteries and, of course, replenishing your fluid reserves. That means drinking plenty of fluids. It’s better to postpone a hearty breakfast with rolls, scrambled eggs, and the like until a day off from hiking. For breakfast before a hike, muesli with (vegetable) yogurt or whole-grain bread with a spread is more suitable. Add some fruit and vegetables, and you are well-prepared for your tour!

On the road, snacks should not be missing. You could try a classic trail mix of nuts and dried fruit, muesli bars (watch out for sugar bombs!), or homemade energy balls. The quick energy kick works wonders for motivation and mood. In addition, you should always force yourself to take a break from drinking, especially in winter. At low temperatures, we feel thirsty less quickly and tend to get dehydrated.

For me, at least, the highlight of the trail is a snack at the peak. There is hardly anything better than being in a nice place, feeling the miles run in the legs, a and eating the treats you brought along. A snack at the summit should be filling, but not overflowing. Therefore, it is better to postpone a stop at a restaurant until the end of your tour. A large meal tends to make you sleepy and sluggish, especially when it is very fatty. And having several kilometers of hiking ahead of you is not a good idea. So, instead, opt for light meals and look forward to a hearty dinner at your destination.

Sustainable packed lunch for your hike – Do-it-yourself ideas

With all of our suggestions, make sure to shop locally and seasonally. Use the vegetables and fruits that are currently growing, or resort to pickled or dried. Organic is always a good choice, too, unless you can buy directly from your local small farm (which may simply not be able to afford the certifications).

1.   Couscous with stuff

Couscous is made of grains and can simply be infused with hot water. You can prepare the whole thing at home by mixing the couscous, spices, and a dash of olive oil or a flake of coconut oil in a container (long-distance hikers also like to use zip bags for this, which are simply washed out again afterward). On the road, all you have to do is infuse the entire thing with hot water from your thermos.

As a supplement, cut vegetables, such as cucumbers, carrots, peppers, etc. are suitable, which you may have anyway as a snack. Then sprinkle a few nuts from your trail mix on top, and you’re done. 🙂

By the way: It also works with cold water. It just needs to soak longer.

2.   Veggie “Brotzeit”

The fatty ham or salami sandwich is not necessary. Instead, you can get really creative with your snack! You can make some whole grain sandwiches for your veggie snack and go wild with the toppings: tomato spread with cheese, cream cheese with veggie cold cuts, hummus with pickles, … There’s no limit to your ideas.

Not in the mood for bread? Then how about some delicious veggie wraps? Or you can prepare summer rolls, like this one after a recipe from the Keemala in Thailand.

3.   Pasta Salad

With the leftover pasta from the night before, you can create a wonderful pasta salad for your tour. Simply cut some tomatoes and dried tomatoes, mix in some arugula if you like and garnish with pine nuts. For the dressing, use either a few spoonfuls of the pesto you have at home or a mixture of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

4.   Dessert

Of course, you can’t do without a dessert. Pack whatever you feel like: cookies, chocolate, dried fruit … Everything is allowed that lifts the mood. 😉

Top tip in winter: If you have a stove or thermos of hot water with you anyway, then fill yourself up with some drinking chocolate powder beforehand. Then, when you’re sitting at the top, you can sip hot chocolate and enjoy the view a little longer.

Sustainable packed lunch for your hike – Made by the hotel’s team

Many (sustainable) hotels, including the Green Pearls® partners, offer you the possibility to order a packed lunch. This way, you don’t have to worry about lunch during your hiking vacation and still know that you can eat something good and sustainable. A few of our partners have already allowed us to take a look at their packed lunches for you.

At Hotel Bella Vista in the Swiss town of Zermatt, you can sign up for a list the night before. The next day you will receive your packed lunch with a sandwich made of homemade bread and a homemade brownie. If you don’t have your water bottle, you can buy a Hydro Flask in the Bella Vista design at Bella Vista. Then you also have a souvenir. 😉

In the South Tyrolean Hotel Weihrerhof, there is the Jausenbox filled with South Tyrolean specialties such as Schüttelbrot. The whole thing is based on a South Tyrolean Brettljause, so you can dine in style during your hike.

The Black Forest is perfect for extended hikes. The sustainable SCHWARZWALD PANORAMA offers delicious lunch packages with seasonal fruit, sandwiches, muesli bars, and a drink. The team is also happy to cater to your intolerances or wishes.

Packed lunch from the breakfast buffet

At the HUBERTUS Mountain Refugio Allgäu, guests can stock up for the day on the mountain directly at the breakfast buffet. For this purpose, there is a “Jausensackerl”, i.e. a snack bag, which you can fill. In addition, there is always a basket with fresh apples as well as sausage and cheese at your disposal.

Guests at the Naturhotel Outside can also put together their packed lunch at the breakfast buffet. However, the team also always encourages you to stop at the huts to support the regional innkeepers. If you decide to do this, be careful not to overeat or plan an extended break to give your body time to digest.

Picnic baskets for short trips

At the Klosterhof, you can buy a picnic basket with bread, pretzels, sausage, fruit, homemade jam and sparkling wine for an extra charge. A blanket is also included. Even if such a basket is rather unsuitable for a longer hike, if you are planning a short tour with your favorite person, and you are mainly concerned with being together, then such a picnic is a great idea. The team at Hotel Das Rübezahl also thinks so and is happy to put together picnic baskets for its guests. You just have to find a nice place where you want to eat the regional delicacies 😉

At Berghotel Rehlegg, there are prepared snacks and picnic baskets that you can easily order via the hotel app. There you can also take a look and decide whether it should be the classic snack, the veggie version or the one with the special extra.

Eating on (long-distance) hikes

There are many ways you can design the food on your tour. The thing about it is that it tastes delicious and gives you energy. When you’re on long-distance hikes, you should also make sure you have variety. Because believe me, no matter how much you liked couscous at the beginning, after the fifth meal you won’t feel like it anymore. A sustainable restaurant is a welcome alternative. And thereafter, it’s much easier to walk.

Do you want to save the ideas for your next hike? Then pin one of our pictures or use the button at the end of the article.