High Protein Hiking Foods

High Protein Hiking Food

Why Protein Is Important

Protein is an important, but often overlooked, macronutrient in backpacking diets. Foods high in carbohydrates and fats are good for backpacking because they are lightweight, easy to pack and provide a ton of energy. But, our bodies also need protein to build and repair body tissues (like skin, bones and muscles) that get broken down over the course of a long hike, which may increase the risk of ailments like repetitive stress injuries and chronic fatigue.

How Much Protein Do Hikers Need?

The minimum RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) for protein is 46 grams a day for women and 56 grams a day for men. But, that’s for a sedentary person. Hikers expend more energy and abuse our bodies more than an average person, so we need more protein. Most of the information I’ve read recommends that very active people (like hikers and endurance athletes) should consume 0.5 to 0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight, per day.

The Best High Protein Foods For Backpacking

Unfortunately, there are only a handful of high protein foods that are lightweight enough (and have a long enough shelf-life) to make them suitable for backpacking. I’ve listed about fifty here which I think fit the bill. These foods provide at least 4 grams of protein per ounce of weight and can last 5-7 days without refrigeration. I’m sure I’ve missed some, so if you’d like to suggest more high protein hiking foods for this list, please leave your comments below.

Jerkys

Foil Pouch Meat & Fish

  • Tuna (Protein: 6 grams/ounce)
  • Chicken (Protein: 7 grams/ounce)
  • Salmon (Protein: 5 grams/ounce)
  • Spam (Protein: 4 grams/ounce)

Cured Sausages & Bacon

Freeze Dried Meats

Cheeses

Milk & Protein Powders

Protein Bars

Nut Butters

Nuts & Legumes

Seeds

Did I Leave Out Any High Protein Hiking Foods?

If you would like to suggest some high protein hiking foods that I missed (or if you have a question or comment about hiking food in general) please leave your comments below.

29 Responses to “High Protein Hiking Foods”

  1. Anne Reply

    Dried mushrooms. Light … can be added to meals. Mushrooms have protein!

  2. Andrew Reply

    If you are on a long hike ( 2+ hours ) then and you don’t have any water access except what you are carrying then you don’t want to eat protein. Protein requires a lot of water for your body to break down.

    • Renee Reply

      Given that protein is broken down by the digestive system pretty quickly (30 mins say) and that our bodies are mostky water (i think 60-80 %) I believe it is not critical to have more water than the amount you have to mix the protein. Makes no sense to just drink the water and not take the protein. May as well have your cake and eat it to

  3. Hope Alvarado Reply

    Dry roasted edamame. Super light weight. Packed with protein and fiber.

  4. Ashley Reply

    Late contributing here, but hope this helps!

    I’m always concerned about calories and protein intake so I constantly update my meal plan.

    Here’s a few interesting items I’ve always brought, and a few I’ve discovered. I also have both the MTHfR gene mutations so have to be careful not to let my folate levels fluctuate. I can feel my energy peak and plateau when it does. *Genesight tests do wonders people to let you know what your body specifically needs FYI;)*

    For jerky lovers, try venison homemade versions. When we are overcome in deer meat we actually use the prime cuts. Talk about melt in your mouth and venison is higher in protein than beef, but lower in cholesterol. Higher in iron and other nutrients. Plus since it’s homemade you know exactly what you contributed to the recipe.

    *DO NOT EVER TRANSPORT BONES ACROSS STATE LINES DUE TO DISEASE CARRIED AND STATE LAWS, EVEN IF DISEASE IS NOT PRESENT IN YOUR AREA*

    Another mention I was interested in not seeing mentioned here were high protein drink mixes, especially since you can pre-plan your daily requirements!

    I bring two different products high in vitamin and protein requirements;

    One is my locally sourced bee pollen. My version is organic as can be proven when it comes to this product, bee pollen helps with allergies especially when sourced locally, it’s 40% protein and according to Mercola is a human “super food” containing nearly all of the nutrients required by humans and protein in the form of free amino acids ready to be used by the body.
    Vrooooommmmmmm vroom;)

    Be sure to buy from a reputable source not your Aunt selling trucker speed in the form of bee pollen as a weight loss supplement!!

    The other mixture I bring available in different options and flavors (Tahiti Vanilla tastes utterly disgusting so don’t buy that flavor lol)- Country Farms Super Greens Plant Protein. (Available at Walmart)

    90 calories and 10 grams protein per 8fl oz. All in the form of plant protein so great for our veggies out there! I just pinch my nose and guzzle first thing in the AM. It contains high vitamin content, high (safe) folate content for people like me in place of buying prescription food (depressingly expensive and not covered by insurance).

    Typically my daily consumption starts out with two packs of oatmeal with home dehydrated fruits added (buying a $40 dehydrator is a simple inexpensive way to start making your own meals), my espresso with vitamins taken, my teaspoon of pollen, then as much of my plant superfood mix as I can wrench down.

    Lunch I opt for the higher protein Power Bars at 20 grams each. One each, couple handfuls of my homemade trail mix. Maybe a homemade granola bar. Another teaspoon of pollen. I believe you can consume four a day. I find two to be adequate for myself, you may be different of course.

    Cliff Bar 10/11 gram protein bar for early snack

    Dinner usually isn’t anything fancy and I opt for fresh veggies more than a meat intake. I do have some of my jerky while waiting for water to boil. I make whatever and be sure to add some dehydrated veggies. This is all just whatever the heck I want after a long day!

    A snack of freshly picked pecans from my mother’s or another nut mixture grown locally, high in calorie and protein and nutrients before bed!

    I’m 103 5’3 29 year old female.

    I always included lots of peanut butter and stuff like snickers bars, but alas my western doctor and homeopathic doctor collided and ambushed me with a super strict diet. No peanut butter since my liver doesn’t process toxins like a normal persons. NO PEANUT BUTTER!! I LOVE PEANUT BUTTER AND FLUFF SANDWICHES:( …Making me prone to cancer,heart disease…all that happiness! As popular as these genetic mutations can be if you’ve noticed energy levels fluctuating or have even been diagnosed with any mental health issues-request a GeneSight test. Liver mutations can cause high serotonin levels, migraines among so many other things. Just a quick swab and you get a lab test finding out what your genetic history, health problems can or may be in the future and what medications or dietary changes you can or WON’T respond to. It does wonders for your health, dietary habits, energy levels and explains so much! My energy levels have boomed now that I know what’s going on inside me and have hopefully nipped my health issues in the bud early enough to not have long term health
    problems.

    So while this all may seem a bit off topic I think everyone’s outdoor diet should be just as important and personalized as when you’re at home. Hope I helped, contributed some 🙂

    • Paula Reply

      I too have 2 mutations of MTHFR and no one else in my family show signs of it. Would you be up to emailing and then from there maybe sharing more information to stay in contact and learning from each other? I almost bleed to death and had 3 blood clots hit the back of my brain due to the MTHFR and a PFO I had strokes in 2009. Its been one thing after another, several pic lines and a port-o-Cath and more. I go tomorrow for another pic line and its awful, reading your post helped and I’d love to be in contact with you. Thank you so much! Paula B.

  5. Asia Reply

    I like taking hard cheese. Mark mentioned above that he takes the mini babybel cheeses. I took some on my last trip (Lost Coast Trail) and they lasted the whole trip. The weather never exceeded 75° during the day though, and they still got a bit soft. Someone else mentioned quinoa. The best way to take quinoa is to cook it and then dehydrate it with the rest of the ingredients for that meal. They also sell quick cooking quinoa. I don’t usually take quinoa because it is not as high in calories as some other cereals/grains/seeds and it can be hard on some peoples stomachs if you are on the move. Pretty much any kind of bean or lentil you can cook and dehydrate for quick cooking times.
    As for sausage, me and my husband have found that pepperoni keeps the best, and is extremely nourishing mid afternoon. I am wanting to experiment with making a vegetarian lentil sausage substitute for adding to meals, since I often wind up with vegetarians in my groups. If anyone has tried anything like this let me know.

  6. Marc Reply

    As far as cheese goes, I pack the Baby Bel cheese. They are coated in wax and have found that they last days, and pack 5g of protein per mini wheel! And, being multi-use conscious as we all are, the wax shell makes for a handy fire extender 🙂

    http://mini-babybel.com/products/original/

  7. Robert Reply

    American Pure Whey has 29 grams per ounce protein in the whey isolate product.

  8. Robert Reply

    Freeze dried tofu. Add to soups.

  9. nichole Reply

    I found the “skinny” on cheeses: hard cheese has more fat, soft cheese has more water. Bacteria needs moisture to grow, therefore hard cheeses last longer without refrigeration. Really hard cheeses like Parmesan, Romano, dried Asiago, and dried Monterrey jack can be stored at room temperature “indefinitely.” (I haven’t actually tried that, personally!) In hot temps these cheeses can go 7 days, easy. Note: dried Monterrey jack is fairly mild tasting but the Italian cheeses are an acquired taste and are somewhat spendy, but worth it. They’re an excellent source of protein, fat, calcium and rich, cheesy flavor. Buying specialty cheeses by the block, rather than grated, saves money and space in your bear canister.

  10. Nathan Reply

    What is the life-time of the summer sausage or cheese sticks in 80+ degree summer weather? I typically don’t bring these sorts of foods but I am seeing many comments from people who do.

    Does anyone make a “cool” cozy to put a liter bottle of cold mountain water with your more perishable foods to “refrigerate” them on the trail?

    • @Nathan: In hot weather I usually try to eat my sausage and cheese within three days (after that it tends to get slimy and greasy.) In cool weather 5-7 days is no problem. I’m not sure at what point they actually becomes dangerous to eat. If it starts to smell funny that is probably a good indicator that it’s spoiled. I like the cozy idea.

  11. Nathan Reply

    Going along with the protein theme, one of my favorite meals is freeze-dried black beans, freeze-dried rice, coconut cream powder, freeze-dried chicken and some Jamacian jerk spices. High in protein, fats and carb, and very tasty.

  12. Tim Reply

    @hikingdiva- can u post that recipe? I too am trying to eat more unprocessed foods.

  13. HikingDiva Reply

    I use coconut flour, eggs, coconut milk to make a really high-protein “bread” (with other ingredients like hemp, maca, vanilla, almonds, chia seeds and cinnamon). I eliminated processed foods and didn’t want to limit myself to variations of jerky… amd dehydrated eggs are yuck. I have been experimenting with ways to ensure I get protein that tastes good.

  14. Brian R Reply

    The issue I have with the foil meat and fish is that after taking into consideration the packaging they were the least calorie efficient food in my bear canister.

    • @Brian R: That is true. Since they have such a high liquid content foil pack meats are quite heavy relative to something like freeze-dried meat. But one benefit is they are widely available in grocery stores and resemble fresh meat more closely in taste and texture than some of the other options. The way I look at it there are high calorie foods (usually high in carbs and fat) and high protein foods but they usually aren’t the same. But, if you pack both it is possible to achieve a low overall food weight (over 100 calories per ounce) and still get adequate protein.

  15. wayne Reply

    Quinoa – I have not seen this mentioned for protein or as an ultralight food. Check it out.

  16. Robin (proper cheddar) Acock Reply

    Excellent stuff Eric. On my first section of the PCT I did not eat enough protein or calories. For the second section and this year on the Colorado Trail I used peanut M and Ms as the main snack to provide calories and protein – I was eating 10 to 12 ozs a day. Not quite high enough for your table but 1,800 cals and 30 grams protein and, importantly, very easy to get down whilst on the move. And the trail name gives a clue to where a lot more protein came from in the resupply towns.

  17. yarx Reply

    Another great post. Thanx a lot.

  18. SFC Justin Butler Reply

    Good to see you posting again Erik. Following your blog has changed the way I pack as a light airborne infantryman in 82nd airborne. Only being able to pack what I can jump from a plane with and keeping it light but enough to sustain after an airfield seizure exercise for 3-5 days can be tough especially after you factor in ammo. Thanks for introducing me to ultra light. I am also an avid backpacker and your tips have made me enjoy my recent switch to more civilian gear.

    • @SFC Justin Butler: Thanks, I’m glad I could help. And thank you for your service.

  19. andy Reply

    Excellent presentation. Fresh cheese and salami will keep only a few days when the daytime temperature is over 80 and or weeks if the warmest temperature is under 60.

    • charlene Reply

      I have heard keeping string cheese and/or salami will keep longer/better if positioned in bottom of pack. Not sure if it really works.

  20. Jamie Reply

    How about beans and lentils? I really love the cooked-then-dehydrated whole beans (black beans, pinto beans) from PackIt Gourmet, since they fully rehydrate in cool water in 45 minutes, lentils from the same source, which rehydrate in the same time as brown “Minute” rice, and also the flaked “refried” bean from either the bulk bin at natural foods stores, or Honeyville. On the JMT this year, I found my “whole bean” concoctions to be among my most delicious and filling dinners, and often had “refried bean” lunches (on tortillas or hearty crackers), since they rehydrated in cool water in just a few minutes.

  21. Bob Bailey Reply

    Followed your links and had no idea there are so many dried fruit/vege vendors out there. Here’s an add to your list: Freeze dried yogurt, 11g/oz:

    Freeze Dried Yogurt

    Don’t know if it tastes good, but am intrigued. They have fruit ones, too.

  22. Freeze dried yogurt a little low on the calorie per oz at average of 70 but good source of calcium and averages 6 gm protein per serving.
    Freeze Dried Yogurt
    Freeze Dried Blueberry Yogurt Bites

  23. Kitsambler Reply

    Powdered egg whites 23.1 g protein/ounce
    Powdered eggs whole 15.5 g protein/ounce

    (Sounds like the “Protein Powder” category)