Lunch starts shortly after breakfast and makes up most of the calories consumed in a day. Maintain a steady intake of energy to replace what is getting burned. Lunch is not usually a sit-down cooked meal on a hike. Rather, pack your favorite sports nutrition bars or nuts and dried fruit in convenient pockets and munch along the trail or on short breaks. Many of the popular bars like Clif or PowerBars have a good mix of carbohydrates, protein, fat and other nutrients to refuel lost glycogen supplies. Supplement with your favorite GORP and fresh fruit to add variety.
RECIPES
Trail Mix Pita Pockets
Cheesy Hopscotch Wrap
Bagels
Soup with Hemp Seeds
Vegetables and Hummus
Crackers and Cream Cheese
1. TRAIL MIX PITA POCKETS Makes 8 sandwiches
4 pita pockets
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 cup strawberry preserves
1 apple, cut into thin slices
2 cups granola
Directions. Split the pita pockets in half. Spread peanut butter on the inside of one side and jelly on the other. Place four slices of apple on the peanut butter side and sprinkle granola on the jelly side.
2. CHEESY HOPSKOTCH WRAP Serves 2
The “cheesy” comes from nutritional yeast. It has a lovely, nutty-cheese-like flavour, is rich in B-vitamins, iron and is a complete protein source.
1 avocado
1 box of black beans (Whole Foods, Target and QFC)
1 package fully cooked brown rice (Trader Joe’s)
½ cup slivered almonds
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
2 tablespoons chia seed (bulk or packaged)
4 tablespoons nutritional yeast (Braggs has added B vitamins)
2 brown rice tortillas (or whole wheat if you are not gluten intolerant)
2 tablespoons olive oil (individual packets available)
1 tube tomato paste (Whole Foods and QFC)
Sea salt, everyday seasoning, cumin
Directions: Prepare avocado slices from a fresh, whole avocado then set aside.
In a separate bowl, combine the black beans, brown rice, and two tablespoons of olive oil. Mix well. Mix in the almonds, chia seeds, ground flax seed and seasoning. Add nutritional yeast. Mix thoroughly.
Set tortillas out and spread the tomato paste tube on outside edges of each wrap (this will help with holding the wrap together). Fill each tortilla with half of the hotchpotch.
Top each wrap with half of the sliced avocado then roll them up and enjoy!
3. BAGELS
a. With Cream Cheese, sliced prepared meat, sprouts or lettuce, cucumber, avocado can be a lunch staple
b. Swiss, Ham, Apple Bagel. 3-4 slices of ham, 1 slice of Swiss, 2 slices of caramelized onions, 1 bagel, 3 apple slices enough to fit on sandwich
At home: Cook apple slices until brown; if you like onions fry them until caramelized. Add the ham, apple and/or onions, then Swiss to one bagel slice then place both bagel slices face out under the broiler. As soon as the cheese melts close the sandwich and place in fridge.
On the trail: It’s ready to eat cold but the melted cheese will still hold things together and taste good. If you have the time and fuel recommend heating up your sandwich on a frying pan with cover.
4. SOUP WITH HEMP SEEDS Serves 2-4
Ingredients: Canned or packaged soup of choice (I recommend Imagine Brand Soups), ½ cup hemp seeds, 1 cup cooked quinoa, pepper, cumin
Directions: Heat up soup (at campsite or pack in food flask). Mix in cooked quinoa and hemp seeds. Add cumin and pepper
5. VEGETABLES AND HUMMUS
a. Cut up sweet peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, carrot sticks and serve with your favourite hummus recipe.
b. Mediterranean Delight Serves 4
1 cup of Powdered Hummus
2 medium size zip locks of fresh veggies (baby carrots, cut celery, cut bell peppers, radishes, or olives)
1-2 packages of Pita Bread (about 2-3 pita’s per person)
Optional cooked sausage (for meat lovers, can heat on a stick next to a camp fire)
At home: Pre-wash, dry, and pre-cut the veggies. Measure and pack the hummus (adjust portion for party size) in its own zip lock (large enough to add water to later) and write down how much water to add on the zip lock.
6. CRACKERS AND FLAVOURED CREAM CHEESE