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  1. #1

    Default Lunch Food Ideas

    So I eat granola bars or Cliff bars for breakfast. I am happy with that choice.
    I have Knorr sides or FD meals for dinner. I am also good with that choice.
    I like my peanut M&Ms, cashews, crackers and cookies for snacks.

    I'm struggling with lunch stuff. I love my cheese sticks and they are great but struggling to find something else I like with them. I am OVER jerky and can't stomach it anymore.

    I don't like any nut butters, tuna or salmon which really cuts down on my options. Summer sausage is okay in limited quantities for a few days.

    I'm really looking for ideas outside of what I might not have thought of but don't just want to snack through the day...I like my set snacks, dinner, lunch etc.

  2. #2
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    That's a tough one. We eat a hot breakfast and a hot dinner. In between is a long snack-snack-snack that serves as "lunch." It consists of the crackers and cookies and snack bars - no prep, just eat. But now and then I'll bring along an apple or some other fruit. It's a nice treat when you're sick of the same old snacks. It isn't lightweight, but I remember one trip that we were eating peanut butter and jelly tortillas. Depending on temperatures, a hard boiled egg can add some variety.

  3. #3
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    PB and J on Tortillas

    I think I've had that for every lunch on every hike.

  4. #4
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    I did PB, tuna, pepperoni, spam or just cheese on tortillas for lunch. I also had dehydrated humus on tortillas.

    I did cheese sticks or carried a half pound of extra sharp cheddar and just sliced off some for lunch sometimes.

    I usually finished with a Lara bar, nutty bar or snickers for dessert.
    76 HawkMtn w/Rangers
    14 LHHT
    15 Girard/Quebec/LostTurkey/Saylor/Tuscarora/BlackForest
    16 Kennerdell/Cranberry-Otter/DollyS/WRim-NCT
    17 BearR
    18-19,22 AT NOBO 1562.2
    22 Hadrian's Wall
    23 Cotswold Way

  5. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by Odd Man Out View Post
    PB and J on Tortillas

    I think I've had that for every lunch on every hike.
    Covered in my first post....I don't like nut butters, including peanut butter. I do like jelly though.

  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by RangerZ View Post
    I did PB, tuna, pepperoni, spam or just cheese on tortillas for lunch. I also had dehydrated humus on tortillas.

    I did cheese sticks or carried a half pound of extra sharp cheddar and just sliced off some for lunch sometimes.

    I usually finished with a Lara bar, nutty bar or snickers for dessert.
    I like the dehydrated hummus idea. Where did you buy it? I am living out of my truck right now so honemade anything is out of the question.

  7. #7

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    I was looking for alternative non-cook food options and noticed cans of deviled ham, Corned beef and spreadable Spam. These highly processed meat products in a can aren't something I'd normally consider to eat, but decided to give them a try. The spreadable Spam comes in a small aluminum can and packs 280 calories. Put it on a bagel and you probably up about 400. It's eatable. The deviled ham and corned beef are similar in taste and texture to the spreadable Spam.

    Maybe not be the ideal lunch or dinner for an extended trip, but good for a day hike lunch or a weekend trip. Or maybe to mix it up occasionally on a long trip.
    Follow slogoen on Instagram.

  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by Slo-go'en View Post
    I was looking for alternative non-cook food options and noticed cans of deviled ham, Corned beef and spreadable Spam. These highly processed meat products in a can aren't something I'd normally consider to eat, but decided to give them a try. The spreadable Spam comes in a small aluminum can and packs 280 calories. Put it on a bagel and you probably up about 400. It's eatable. The deviled ham and corned beef are similar in taste and texture to the spreadable Spam.

    Maybe not be the ideal lunch or dinner for an extended trip, but good for a day hike lunch or a weekend trip. Or maybe to mix it up occasionally on a long trip.
    Hmmm...good possibilities for lunch on the first day or two of a longer hike. I'm definitely needing ideas for linger hikes as nothing I'm doing this year is under 60 miles

  9. #9
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    after a town stop I eat my leftover pizza for the next day lunch ( if it survives past breakfast)

  10. #10
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    If I missed them I’m sorry.
    I don’t see dried fruit anywhere in your first post.
    Dried apricots, raisins, bananas, craisens, cherries, apples, etc. with cheese, cream cheese, the hummus if you find it, and tortillas, or any flatbread could work.
    Wash it down with a Breakfast Essentials + Nido Whole Milk shake.
    Good luck!
    Wayne

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by DuneElliot View Post
    So I eat granola bars or Cliff bars for breakfast. I am happy with that choice.
    I have Knorr sides or FD meals for dinner. I am also good with that choice.
    I like my peanut M&Ms, cashews, crackers and cookies for snacks.

    I'm struggling with lunch stuff. I love my cheese sticks and they are great but struggling to find something else I like with them. I am OVER jerky and can't stomach it anymore.

    I don't like any nut butters, tuna or salmon which really cuts down on my options. Summer sausage is okay in limited quantities for a few days.

    I'm really looking for ideas outside of what I might not have thought of but don't just want to snack through the day...I like my set snacks, dinner, lunch etc.
    The "I am happy with that choice." is where I would start. Change up breakfast and eat your cliff bars for lunch. Or, make lunch a bigger heartier meal and small snacks for supper. Consider revamping the entire meal plan because you seem stuck with choices you've made but clearly are not entirely "happy with that".

    Good Luck

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Slo-go'en View Post
    I was looking for alternative non-cook food options and noticed cans of deviled ham, Corned beef and spreadable Spam. These highly processed meat products in a can aren't something I'd normally consider to eat, but decided to give them a try. The spreadable Spam comes in a small aluminum can and packs 280 calories. Put it on a bagel and you probably up about 400. It's eatable. The deviled ham and corned beef are similar in taste and texture to the spreadable Spam.



    Maybe not be the ideal lunch or dinner for an extended trip, but good for a day hike lunch or a weekend trip. Or maybe to mix it up occasionally on a long trip.
    good old canned sardines - pull top lid, priced right, and the can is not bad to carry out - who cares that they stink, so do you

  13. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by OCDave View Post
    The "I am happy with that choice." is where I would start. Change up breakfast and eat your cliff bars for lunch. Or, make lunch a bigger heartier meal and small snacks for supper. Consider revamping the entire meal plan because you seem stuck with choices you've made but clearly are not entirely "happy with that".

    Good Luck
    No seriously, I am very happy with with my granola for breakfast...it is what I eat every day when I am home. I need something light but sweet for breakfast...can't handle a full meal and U generally wqnt something savory for lunch. I'm still very happy with cheese but I need to add something extra. I tried the big meal at lunch but was rarely hungry enough to eat it and enjoy at hot meal at camp.

    Quote Originally Posted by George View Post
    good old canned sardines - pull top lid, priced right, and the can is not bad to carry out - who cares that they stink, so do you
    Oh my gosh...I think I'd rather starve. Sardines are horrible...lol. i'm also trying to keep this lightweight...no canned food.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by DuneElliot View Post
    I like the dehydrated hummus idea. Where did you buy it? I am living out of my truck right now so honemade anything is out of the question.

    We have a food coop here in Pittsburgh that carries it. I made three versions - plain, added red pepper flakes, and added ummin. The red pepper hummus had a real bite to it. I added too much water once and had red pepper hummus soup, I tore up the tortilla and crushed in cheese crackers to thicken it.
    76 HawkMtn w/Rangers
    14 LHHT
    15 Girard/Quebec/LostTurkey/Saylor/Tuscarora/BlackForest
    16 Kennerdell/Cranberry-Otter/DollyS/WRim-NCT
    17 BearR
    18-19,22 AT NOBO 1562.2
    22 Hadrian's Wall
    23 Cotswold Way

  15. #15
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    Something I tried once and it really hits the spot...grab one of those "beef and cheese" packs that grocery stores usually display right by the checkouts. They are also widely available in convenience stores. Slap them on a tortilla with a pack of spicy mustard. Really nice zesty lunch.

  16. #16

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    Dr. Kracker brand crackers, solid, crunchy, stuffed with seeds and such for decent trail nutrition. Sesame sticks, packed with flavor, crispy, a nice change of pace. Both are great with cheese or hummus. Joseph's flax oat pita bread lasts forever. Babybel has varieties of flavored cheese in individual wax portions, same with Laughing cow in the foil packs. Amazon sell dehydrated hummus, but I thought the prices were a bit high. Cheap pre-sliced bags of pepperoni, the hard/Genoa salamis from the deli, sopresetta dry cured salami.

  17. #17
    Registered User Venchka's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by George View Post
    good old canned sardines - pull top lid, priced right, and the can is not bad to carry out - who cares that they stink, so do you
    Putting aside my personal aversion to such food, I would be averse to packing the empty can in BEAR country unless I knew for a fact that I could burn the oil out of the can. In light of recent fire bans along the CDT burning empty sardine cans was not an option.
    Wayne

  18. #18

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    Quote Originally Posted by Puddlefish View Post
    Dr. Kracker brand crackers, solid, crunchy, stuffed with seeds and such for decent trail nutrition. Sesame sticks, packed with flavor, crispy, a nice change of pace. Both are great with cheese or hummus. Joseph's flax oat pita bread lasts forever. Babybel has varieties of flavored cheese in individual wax portions, same with Laughing cow in the foil packs. Amazon sell dehydrated hummus, but I thought the prices were a bit high. Cheap pre-sliced bags of pepperoni, the hard/Genoa salamis from the deli, sopresetta dry cured salami.
    Second this post.
    Still quite a novice, experience limited to short planned trips, I've evolved from various types of gorp to separating the sweet and savory. Due to virtually useless hip belt pockets, I resort to a very small fanny pack from mountain smith, each morning packing it with 5 snack size baggies of peanut butter m&ms, dry cured chorizo/salami, seasoned roasted almonds /pepitas, dry golden raisens/cranberries, etc. Then I alternate munching on them throughout the day, getting about half my calories throughout the day. I'm very much like the OP in breakfast and dinner, so I may evolve to something else in the future, but this is functional for now.

  19. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by LittleTim View Post
    Second this post.
    Still quite a novice, experience limited to short planned trips, I've evolved from various types of gorp to separating the sweet and savory. Due to virtually useless hip belt pockets, I resort to a very small fanny pack from mountain smith, each morning packing it with 5 snack size baggies of peanut butter m&ms, dry cured chorizo/salami, seasoned roasted almonds /pepitas, dry golden raisens/cranberries, etc. Then I alternate munching on them throughout the day, getting about half my calories throughout the day. I'm very much like the OP in breakfast and dinner, so I may evolve to something else in the future, but this is functional for now.
    Agree with you on this. I am going to look at some of the suggestions made by Puddlefish, esp the Pita bread suggestion and the pepperoni/salami. I love crackers but they crush so easily. Got some great ideas in here.

  20. #20

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    I mostly eat Corn Chips for lunch these days, especially when it's hot. Lots of fat and salt and pack well. Liquorish for sugar. Snack on these every few hours through the day.
    Follow slogoen on Instagram.

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