These are the snacks that I stuff into my hip belt pockets (or fanny pack) so I can easily reach them when I need a boost on the trail.

Clif Bloks Energy Chews

The first thing I usually reach for while hiking is an energy chew. I used to carry gummy bears, but found that I needed a bit more than just sugar, especially since I tend to sweat a lot and need to replace electrolytes while I hike. The Clif Bloks Salted Watermelon flavor have twice as much sodium as their regular chews and I looovvve the flavor. Maybe too much?

Trail bars

Pocket-size and easy to eat while hiking, trail bars are probably the most common food consumed by hikers. I’ve tried many different types of trail bars and even made my own a few times. I always read the nutrition labels and prefer whole foods with recognizable ingredients listed, preferring organic whenever possible.

Sadly, I’m allergic to chocolate so that leaves me with a lot less flavors to choose from, but there’s still plenty out there to like. I also avoid foods that use soy products (common in protein bars) since I have a tendency to get migraines when I consume soy. My own adverse reactions aside, I think it’s a good idea to be familiar with what you eat and strive for good quality, wholesome ingredients whenever possible.

These are the trail bars and flavors that I don’t seem to ever get tired of.

Perfect Bar

With 17 grams of protein and 20+ super foods in each bar, the Peanut Butter Perfect Bar is, well, perfect in my opinion! Soy-free, non-GMO, and mostly organic ingredients are pretty nice too. With a softer texture than most bars, they taste a bit like peanut butter cookie dough. Mmmmm. I keep them in the freezer until I’m ready to go on a hike or backpacking trip. While they require refrigeration for storage, they are good for up to a week on the trail. After a long day on backpacking trips, I eat one of these just before heading to my tent for the night. This keeps me from waking up hungry, and the protein helps with recovery.

Skout Organic Bars

Skout Organic Bars use dates as the binder instead of sugar or syrup and most only have four ingredients, plus they are organic – always a good thing. I especially like the smaller mini bars in Raspberry Rush and Blueberry Blast flavors. Soft and chewy, these stash easily into pockets for great pick-me-ups on trail. In addition to dates and blueberries or raspberries, these bars contain sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds as a protein source.

Kind Bars

Compared to a lot of trail bars, Kind Nut Bars have lower sugar and higher protein, and they are offered in so many different flavors that it can be difficult to decide which to get… I love the Caramel Almond & Sea Salt and Madagascar Vanilla Almond flavors. Packed with nuts, they use honey as a binder and taste a lot like eating a healthier version of a candy bar.

Kind Breakfast bars don’t have as much protein, but they do have 5 super grains, with oats, millet, buckwheat, amaranth, and quinoa. I like the chewiness of these bars, especially the Blueberry Almond flavor.

Nuts about nuts

Instead of buying pre-made trail mix, I like to make my own using a combo of nuts. Shown above are pistachios, honey roasted peanuts and blister peanuts, but other favorites include whole almonds and cashews. I like to throw in a few pieces of candied ginger for extra kick.

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