The best time to eat lunch when backpacking is from about one hour after breakfast until about one hour before dinner, continuously. In other words, frequent small snacks of complex carbohydrates all day long. That way the body has a constant source of energy available and the Scout is less likely to get too tired. We generally recommend nibbling on trail mix all morning and afternoon, with a little more substantial food for lunch. Carbohydrates come in two main types, simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are sugars. These cause a rush of energy that lasts an hour or so and leaves you with a jittery feeling from low blood sugar/too much insulin. Your system yo-yos back and forth and you don’t really have the sustained energy you need. Complex carbohydrates are like tiny time capsules of energy: the body needs to digest them, and when it does they release energy for long period with no waste products. Examples are breads, cereals, beans, pasta, etc. So, what kinds of complex carbohydrates should a Scout take hiking? All kinds!

Trail mix is a good snack food for the day-long lunch. You can buy trail mix already put together at the Price Club (inexpensive) or nearly all supermarkets. You can also mix your own and put in exactly what your Scout likes. Most trail mixes consist of dried fruit, nuts, seeds, etc. A recipe that most Scouts like is one part of M&Ms, two parts peanuts, and one part raisins. You can also throw in a little shredded coconut and some dried banana chips, if he’ll eat them. Other good things include shelled sunflower seeds, carob, mixed nuts, pretzel sticks, or the little Japanese cracker-like snacks. (Go easy on the candy part - it’s better to have less candy and more other stuff.) As to how much he will need, for each day of hiking the most he will need is a double handful (less than a cup, if you have to measure it). By comparison, one pound of trail mix will last for a week in the high Sierras. Whatever you get for him, make sure your Scout likes it by having him try it at home first.

Bagels, or the small bagelettes, are great breads to take along for the more substantial food break around noon. Make some up at home by cutting them in half and putting jelly
and/or peanut butter in it, then wrapping it in plastic wrap. Crackers such as Triskit, Wheat Thins, and Ritz are also good. Granola bars are also a good form of complex carbohydrates.

You should stay away from fats entirely during the day while hiking, as the body takes a fair amount of time to digest fats and convert them to energy. Some fat in the evening meal is good for the hiker, as the body can make use of it while asleep, but it is not good for you while working hard. Jerky, salami sticks, beef sticks, dry salami, etc. are good meats to take along, but only in small amounts for lunches. Other foods that are good are sardines, ham spread, chicken spread, and so forth, although he will have to carry the weight of the can around with him. In addition, small chunks of cheese or a package of string cheese also tastes good. Remember, however, that meats and cheeses contain a lot of fat and the Scout should not have much of this during the day; the best hiking lunch going is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

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