Stay fueled on your next adventure with these healthy homemade hiking snacks! These easy hiking snacks are energy-based, simple to whip up, and durable on both short or long hikes. Plus, all of the hiking snacks are kid-approved and portable!
Getting the family out for a hike is an easy way to stay active outside of the gym and get some fresh air. However, with activity comes hunger. Reaching into your hiking bag only to find empty candy wrappers is sure to leave your kids wanting to turn around (with rumbling tummies).
Make sure to have fuel on hand with these homemade healthy hiking snacks. All of which are:
- easy to make
- portable
- durable
There is nothing worse than grabbing a normally very delicious, soft, or gooey muffin (like these chocolate steel cut oats ones) and having it smushed and squished in your bag. You reach in only to come out with sticky fingers or a pile of mush. Not awesome.
What Snacks To Bring For Hiking
While there is healthy store-bought snack options, save yourself some money and make your own snacks.
Aim to give yourself a lot of fuel but also curb hunger. When hiking, you're not going to stop every fifteen minutes for a snack. Thus, you want snacks that are nutrient-dense and portable.
Healthy Homemade Hiking Snacks #1 Homemade Granola Bars
Homemade crunchy granola and easy homemade granola bars make the perfect hiking snacks! They're loaded with nutrients from nuts and seeds and they're sure to tide you over.
Most store-bought granola bars end up pretty high in added sugars. When making your own, ease off on the sugar and instead opt for a healthy balance of nuts, seeds, and dried fruit. Using maple syrup or honey to bind them gives them enough sugar without causing a crash.
You can either pre-portion the homemade granola bars and wrap them in sheets of parchment paper, or use just homemade granola. If opting for easy, crunchy granola simply portion them out into baggies for everyone.
This way, you can munch on the granola while walking and no one is fighting to put their hand in the bag.
Snack #2 Fruit & Nuts
This is pretty much the simplest hiking snack you can grab!
Fruit is an ideal snack for kids because it gives a bit of an energy rush without the processed sugar. Pair it with some nuts to slow the energy rush and you've got the perfect snack.
However, be wise about your fruit choice. The last thing you want is a softer fruit that's going to get squished in your bag. Personally we best enjoy:
- apples
- pears
- mandarin oranges
Of course, you can bring along berries or whatnot in a container. However, there are only so many glass containers you want kicking around in your bag!
And of course, don't forget to bring a doggy bag or a reusable bag to tidy up any cores or peels.
Snack #3 Homemade, No-Bake Energy Balls
When it comes to healthy hiking snack ideas… or any snack in general, I am an energy ball fiend! Most energy balls normally have a base of dates and nuts which provides a nice sugar boost but a stable one.
These little bites are simple to make, require no actual cooking and you can customize them to your kid’s preferences (check out how and why to make them here)
Though energy balls may seem like a sticky-handed mess, they're bite-sized. Which means it's easy to just pop them into your mouth and move along.
Try sweeter flavors like peanut butter & chocolate, chocolate coconut, or cranberry walnut. Keep in mind that these little balls travel best in a small container because they are soft, We love the ones below the best:
Snack #4 Roasted Chickpeas
This is easily my favorite snack of the bunch when it comes to hiking (and the salt and vinegar ones are the most addictive)!
Chickpeas are full of fiber and when roasted deliciously tasty. Because of the fiber, they're pretty filling and thus you don't need a lot of them.
They're an easy snack to make and perfect for hiking. Customize them to your likes (sea salt and paprika is tasty) and bring a bag for each kid. They can nibble and crunch while they snack!
Plus, they're durable. So, it's no biggie if they end up at the bottom of your bag.
Snack #5: Homemade Bars
Energy bars or protein bars frequently make an appearance on our hiking trips and with good reason! Paired with some fruit, they're an easy, healthy snack. However, both of those can be slightly less than durable. So, unless they're protected they can end up smashed at the bottom of your bag.
Personally, my kiddos love these dark chocolate crunch bars when hiking.
With only five ingredients, this no-bake recipe is durable and has a peanut butter chocolate flavor combo. Making them favorite all around.
Other Classic Hiking Snack Ideas
The list above is our homemade staples when it comes to hiking food (and here are some great, easy RV meals for when you're camping!). However, there are lots of other wonderful choices. Personally, I just prefer a little more fuel and less mindless munching from the snacks below.
- stove topped popcorn
- pretzels
- homemade trail mix (combine some nuts, seeds & dried fruit in a bag!)
- fruit and veggie strips
Don’t forget to pin these Healthy Homemade Hiking Snacks!
Along with water, having healthy, portable, and tasty snacks in your arsenal is pretty crucial to a good trip. Keep your kids fueled and ready to go by giving them great nutrients with the best healthy hiking snacks.
Shelby aka Mama Bear
GiGi Eats
When I have kids I totally want to try and make my own granola bars for them (it) because KNOWING what is actually in them is always so much nicer than feeding them some sort of processed GARBAGE from the store!
fitasamamabear
Right?! They always sneak random crap into bars for kids. it makes my freaking eye twitch when I check out ingredients.