Not Marketed as “Backpacking” Food: Everyday Grocery Items for the Trail

Suppose you’re gearing up for a spontaneous backpacking adventure, but your pantry is empty of trail meals. Or maybe you’re watching your wallet and need quick, affordable options you can grab at your neighborhood grocery or corner store. You might be surprised to know there’s more options besides Knorr pre-seasoned pasta and rice meals, ramen noodles, and meal bars.

Checklist of Everyday Grocery Items Suitable for Backpacking

• Look for instant or quick-cooking dry foods
• Select items with minimal packaging, or those that you can easily repack in a zipper bag.

Instant Rice: Instant rice is fully cooked, while parboiled rice is only partially cooked. This difference matters because parboiled rice needs a long simmer and uses more stove fuel. Instant rice needs no simmering and reconstitutes while soaking in hot water. For backpacking, instant dry rice saves the most weight. The moist, ready-to-eat microwavable pouches are okay if you’re going stoveless, but they are heavy. Reach for Instant Brown Rice instead of white if you want more nutrients and fiber for steady energy. Combine the rice with instant beans and taco seasoning for a speedy meal, or wrap it in a tortilla for a filling and flavor-packed trail burrito.

No Stove Instant Rice: To prepare instant rice without a stove, place the rice and cold water in a sealable container, such as a plastic food storage container or a sturdy zipper bag. Make sure the rice is completely submerged, then close the lid or seal the bag tightly. Set the container in direct sunlight for about 20 minutes, allowing the rice to absorb the water and soften. The sun-soak method is convenient for trailside meals when boiling water isn’t an option.

Pasta: Pasta typically refers to North American and European varieties made from hard durum wheat. Semolina wheat pasta softens faster than durum wheat. Like rice, instant or pre-cooked pasta is best for backpacking. If you can’t find those, choose regular pasta with thinner walls and smaller cuts. For spaghetti, look for angel hair and break it into thirds. Fideo pasta in the Mexican food section works well because it’s pre-cut into 1-inch pieces. See also Instant Organic Pasta. 

Noodles: Refers to pasta that typically originates from Asian countries and is made with soft grain wheat for faster cooking. Other noodle varieties, such as rice noodles and starch noodles, contain no wheat. Almost all Asian noodles are ideal for backpacking because they are fast-cooking. You can cook noodles on the trail by boiling water and soaking them covered for about 10 minutes. Look for noodles in the Asian section of your supermarket, or go to an Asian Grocery store.

• Somen noodles are thin Japanese noodles made from wheat that cook quickly and are lightweight.
• Buckwheat noodles are often a blend of wheat and buckwheat, and the thin style cooks fast.
• Vermicelli noodles are made from rice and cook almost instantly.
• Ramen noodles are instant because they are cooked and fried before drying; however, extensive processing depletes the nutrients. Ramen also contains a lot of added sodium.
• Starch noodles or Cello noodles are dried noodles made from pure starch, translucent to glossy, usually from mung bean, rice, and sweet potato. These are ideal for backpacking because they are lightweight, nearly instant, and offer a different texture.
• American-style noodles often contain eggs and are not recommended for the trail because they require a long cooking time.

No Stove Instant Pasta: Soak covered in cold water and place in direct sunlight for about 20 minutes. Non-instant pasta/noodles will never fully absorb the water and soften unless the temperature reaches 160 to 180 degrees F or the gelation temperature.

Couscous: A type of pasta made from crushed durum wheat. Most boxed couscous in the U.S. is the North African variety, which looks like yellow cornmeal and has been pre-steamed and dried for quick cooking. This variety of couscous will fully reconstitute in 5 minutes when covered with boiled water. You will often find it in the Middle Eastern section or bulk bins at grocery stores.

No Stove Couscous: Soak in cold water with a cover and place it in direct sunlight for about 20 minutes

Quinoa: A nutritional powerhouse and a favorite staple for vegetarians and those avoiding gluten. Look for fully cooked (instant) quinoa for the trail. Quinoa seeds come in different colors. White quinoa has the mildest flavor, while red and black seeds contain slightly more calories and nutrients. Tri-color quinoa combines the benefits of all three. Flaked white quinoa is instant and has a texture similar to instant oats. Like oats, flaked quinoa makes a quick hot cereal. Puffed, or crisped quinoa is airy and ready to eat. It is an excellent “no-cook” alternative to couscous in salads or cereals. Look for ready-to-eat or puffed quinoa in the grocery store cereal aisle.

Corn Grits: Corn grits make a classic Southern breakfast porridge, but they’re also a trail favorite. For quick cooking, grab instant grits, cornmeal, or masa. Unfortunately, most instant corn is GMO/genetically engineered (in the U.S., the corn is GMO if the package does not specify). If food purity is important to you, look for organic cornmeal, which is easier to find than organic grits and masa. Masa, a Mexican-style cornmeal, is nixtamalized to boost niacin (vitamin B3) absorption. Grits are a blank canvas for both sweet and savory toppings: try cinnamon, sugar, and nuts for breakfast, or transform them into polenta with dried cheese, Italian herbs, garlic, and sun-dried tomato. Drizzle a packet of olive oil to crank up the calories and flavor.

Potato Flakes: Potato flakes add flavor and are a perfect soup thickener. Conventional potatoes contain more pesticides by weight than any other food, which becomes concentrated during processing to make instant potato flakes. Skip the seasoned instant varieties with artificial additives and genetically engineered (GE/GMO) ingredients that can interfere with digestion and health. Instead, buy plain flakes and jazz them up with your favorite seasonings like garlic, salt, rosemary, or a sprinkle of nutritional yeast or dried cheese.

Tortillas. This carbohydrate is a backpacker’s best friend: sturdy, long-lasting, and versatile. You can add almost any food inside and fold it into a wrap. We use tortillas as a wrap for our tofu scramble breakfast, burrito stuffers, bread to spread nut butter, and for scooping up hummus.

Rolled Oats: All varieties of rolled oats are pre-steamed and dried during the rolling process. The only difference is flake thickness. Instant, regular, and thick can all be reconstituted in hot water. You can eat oats raw as cold cereal (muesli) or heat them for oatmeal. You can also add oatmeal to thicken and add calories to lighter meals, such as soups. We don’t recommend buying “instant” oats because they often contain unhealthy additives.

Dried Vegetables and Herbs: If you like flavor and texture in your food, pick up dried seasoning packets from the spice aisle. Spices add flavor and aroma, plus many contain healing properties. Seasoning goes a long way to transform a dried meal.

Soup Mixes (Dried): These are generally easy to find in stores, but make sure they are pre-cooked/instant. You don’t want the dry bean soup mixes meant for a slow cooker. You can also use soup mixes as a sauce for noodles, rice, and potatoes.

Nuts and Seeds: Warehouse clubs and grocery store bulk bins have the best prices. Add handfuls of various nuts and seeds to add calories, texture, and flavor in cereals, rice, and pasta dishes. We like finely chopped walnuts in pasta dishes and roasted peanuts in rice meals. Slivered almonds, chopped pecans, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, flax seed, and hemp seeds are wonderful in cereals. Also consider powdered peanut butter (not the diet or fat-free version) for making ramen noodle sauces creamier. Nut butter packets or instant hummus spread on tortillas or crackers for a trailside snack/lunch.

Powdered Drink Mixes: Besides keeping you hydrated, hot and cold beverage mixes help keep things interesting and add calories. Some choices include citrus mix, smoothie mixes, herbal tea, soy milk powder, hot chocolate, apple cider, horchata, and mocha coffee.

Fresh foods: While most fresh foods don’t keep in your pack for more than two days, a few will last much longer. Uncut apples, celery, carrots, and avocados will stay fresh in your backpack for a week or between resupplies. You can also grow sprouts as you walk by hanging them from your backpack. Sprouts are great for multi-day trips.

Snacks: Energy bars are convenient, but don’t let them take over your trail menu. Many are loaded with sugar and fillers that can upset your stomach. For real nutrition, make your own trail bars with dates, nuts, and dried fruit, or whip up a custom trail mix with your favorite nuts, dried fruits, chocolate chips, or pretzels. Other tasty options include fruit leather, freeze-dried spiced veggies, mixed nuts, and granola. See also how to make your own trail bars made from real foods.

After a long day on the trail, you deserve a satisfying meal—and now you know the grocery store is full of options. While these items aren’t marketed as backpacking foods, they work well on the trail or when traveling. Enjoy your adventure and happy trails!

Related Posts:

• Tips for Purchasing Backpacking Meals made with Real Food
• Comparing Backpacking Meals
• How to Choose the Right Food for Your Backpacking Trip
• How to Plan Backpacking Meals for Groups: Tips, Menus, and Strategies
• Food Planning for Self Supported Races And Expeditions