Are you looking for healthy whole foods backpacking meals you can buy online without having to dehydrate or cook them yourself at home? For a variety of reasons, such as a lack of time or preparation, we may find ourselves turning to prepackaged meals ready to throw in our packs so we can get outdoors in search of our next adventure. We don’t always have the time or resources to make our backpacking food from scratch. So, here are 10 healthy online backpacking meal resources you have to try!
Who doesn’t want to eat healthy meals out outdoors just like we do at home? For years, prepackaged backpacking meals options meant sacrificing health goals for convenience. Too much salt and too many ingredients we couldn’t pronounce limited our ability to eat well on the trail. Conventional wisdom let us justify poor nutrition by telling us we were burning so many calories doing what we love that we could eat whatever we wanted. But today we know that calories in, calories out is not always the case and our bodies need more than just energy to help us climb mountains. Treat our bodies right and they will take us wherever we want to go!
Here is a fabulous list for you of some of the best sources for paleo, keto, vegan and everything-in-between meals for your next made-for-you backpacking edibles. All are designed to simply add hot water and eat from the bag with limited clean up involved. They allow you to meet your own personal nutritional needs with the convenience of online shopping. Most use organic and locally sourced ingredients and some are even available at stores like REI now!
10 Healthy Online Backpacking Meal Resources You Have To Try
Good to Go
Leaving the restaurant business behind, Jennifer turned her passion for cooking and backpacking into healthy meals for the trail. Good To-Go strives to offer meals to suit all diets so you are sure to find something that you will fancy. All of their products are gluten-free, low in sodium, and made without preservatives. They, also, offer several vegan and vegetarian options. Some of their delicious gluten-free dinners include flavors like Pad Thai, Bibimbap, and Herbed Mushroom Risotto. May, also, be found at your local REI store.
Nomad Nutrition
Tired of not getting enough nutrition from the packaged meals he was eating at camp after climbing, Denis decided to take matters into his own hands. Nomad Nutrition promotes a healthy, organic lifestyle with adventure meals providing the highest quality ingredients and optimized nutrition to feed your adventure. They source their food from local markets and do their best to use organic, non-GMO, whole food ingredients so that you can make the healthiest choice for your body. You will find Irish Shepherd’s Pie, Hungarian Goulash, Ukranian Borscht and Kathamandu Curry among their offered dishes.
Heather’s Choice
Born and raised in Alaska, Heather started making her own backcountry meals when she switched to a Paleo diet. Heather promises nutritious, lightweight, dehydrated backpacking food that is gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and made with delicious, high quality, whole foods ingredients. Look for her packable, dehydrated provisions like Smoked Sockeye Salmon Chowder and Dark Chocolate Chili, Apple Pie Spiced Breakfast.
Paleo Meals To Go (now owned by Wild Zora!!)
Originally started by a mother and son team based in Colorado, another great Colorado company,Wild Zora, has incorporated the first paleo backpacking meal, Paleo Meals To Go, into its family, providing the best in class, freeze-dried Paleo meals with quality ingredients, great taste, and eat-from-the-pouch convenience. Enjoy Mountain Beef Stew, Summit Savory Chicken, and Cliffside Coconut Berry. May, also, be found at your local REI store.
Backpackers Bistro
Editor’s note: unfortunately, Missy has closed up shop and moved with her family to New Zealand. I’m going to miss seeing her at PCT Days!
Missy’s Backpacker’s Bistro was founded on the idea that camping food can be delicious, healthy, AND easy to prepare. You will remember I first shared about her great tasting meals in my PCT Days post from 2016! Based out of Portland, her amazing selection of outdoor meals – like Mexican Rice and Beans, Spaghetti Bolognese or Risotto Primavera – are ready to help bring the comforting flavors of home, out onto the trails.
Trailtopia
Born from Vince’s years of experience bringing good food with him on his outdoor adventures, Trailtopia is now a team of family, friends and fellow adventurers dedicated to providing outstanding, nutritious and convenient camp cuisine for your outdoor adventures. They carefully source the finest ingredients and prepare them for you in their kitchen before shipping them your way. They design their bags to be easier to eat out of than anything else out there! Beef with Mushrooms and Vegetables (and gluten-free noodles), Cajun Smack Chicken & Rice and Apple Crisp are some of the treats you will find available.
Trail Fork
Editor’s note: Trail Fork has also closed up shop, I hope this is not a trend for these businesses working to bring healthy meals to the outdoors.
Empowering explorers to tackle their most ambitious and adventurous goals by making sure they are fully stocked with nourishing and lightweight meals. A company on a mission to educate adventurers about their environmental impact, they aim to make food that sustains not only you and your adventure, but the environment you’re spending time in. The packaging they use is 100% compostable, and the ingredients in their meals are thoughtfully sourced. Based out of Colorado, their meals focuses on vegetarian and vegan offerings such as Coconut Chana Masala, Paleoats and Limey Beans and Rice. Do be careful to read the ingredients, some of their meals use soy and/or TVP. May, also, be found at your local REI store.
Next Mile Meals (Keto)
After 2,650+ miles of trail-testing on the Pacific Crest Trail, Jesse has chosen her favorite low carb/high fat recipes to share with you. Newer to the backpacking meal scene, these ketogenic backpacking meals are ready to be packed up and shipped to you so you can get your next outdoor adventures underway. Whether you’re looking to lose weight with keto, or lighten the weight of your food bag with calorie dense healthy fats and proteins, they’ve got options for you like Meatball Marinara, Chicken & Broccoli and Beef Tacos.
Food For The Sole
Another new resource for outdoor adventure ready meals, Food For The Sole’s mission is to elevate the adventure meals market. Julie and Henry make foods that taste amazing, using only carefully selected ingredients with healthy meal choices as their product line-up. Another mother and son duo working to bring you delicious vegan meals packed with vegetables such as Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Kale and Quinoa, Ratatouille and Nutty Quinoa Pilaf, and Triple Peanut Slaw, their signature cold-soak dish.
Outdoor Herbivore
Outdoor Herbivore uses a combination of dehydrated and freeze-dried whole food ingredients, all plant based. They do use whole foods, no flavor enhancers, synthetic preservatives, MSG, stabilizers, fillers, sulfites, nitrates, GMO’s, Texturized Vegetable Protein (TVP), or other artificial ingredients. They never use GMO ingredients and their meals are packaged in light, non-gusseted resealable and recyclable barrier bags to save on weight and space for backpacking. Minimal yet durable packaging suited for wilderness travel! Try some of their meals like Midnight Mocha Chia, Chunky Chipotle Chili or Lemongrass Thai Curry under their gluten-free section.
Fernweh Food Co
Another company no longer in business as of 10/2023
Ashley started making her own food in 2015 and it has turned into a dream come true for her. All meals and snacks are vegan and gluten free, some include legumes and soy oil. If you aren’t quite dehydrating your own snacks yet, Fernweh offers a great selection of fun dried fruits and veggies! The company is out of Portland so it is not surprising that their packaging is all compostable or reusable. And the unique feature they offer is you can buy their tasty meals and vegetables IN BULK!!
Elements
Stan’s company offers paleo friendly freeze-dried meals that boast being nutrition packed. Paleo-friendly because some meals do contain “dextrins”, tamari (even though there is a soy-free icon) and potatoes but otherwise have whole food ingredients. I found the Sesame Chicken is nightshade free and most are not AIP with seeds and certain spices. The packaging is BPA free and has a 3 year shelf life which make this an option for emergency kits.
With all these healthy online backpacking meals, you are sure to find something delicious and satisfying for you next venture into the wilderness. From breakfast to desserts, you may have more than you can choose from! As always, make sure and read the labels carefully to match your own personal dietary needs. And since most of these are designed to be prepared and consumed in the pouch, make sure you have a “cozy” to keep them in while the meal rehydrates. A soft insulated container that a pouch will fit in keeps the heat in and helps your dish rehydrate faster! You can buy them HERE or make them yourself like THIS or THIS.
I know some of you are thinking about the price of ordering meals online. To be honest, to have someone else prepare a quality meal for you will cost more than Mountain House or making it yourself. But I have two tips for you! If they offer a bulk rate or package deal, go in with friends to share in the cost of shipping. Two, if they have a mailing list, SIGN UP. They are always sending out discount deals to their followers!
And for my paleo and nightshade free readers, I have to admit our options are very few when it comes to prepackaged paleo meals that do not have a nightshade lurking somewhere. Potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers are everywhere! Wild Zora is one of the only ones I have found so far. If you know of any others, let me know!
Have you tried any of these meals already? Which ones are your favorite? Did I miss your favorite healthy online backpacking meals to buy?
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