A hike into the wilderness makes us feel good. With every step, our lungs breathe in that clean, fresh air. We can smell the soil underneath our hiking boots and hear the birds singing in the trees. So it only makes sense the snacks in our hiking pack should work cohesively with this vibe.
The best hiking snacks are, first and foremost, packed full of solid nutrition to fuel our bodies for the long haul ahead. But, secondly, it's ideal if they are also low-impact, environmentally-minded, and made using sustainable methods and materials. We love the earth. Protecting it is more critical now than ever before. When we support brands that cause minimal impact on the planet and employ sustainable production practices, we reduce our carbon footprint and help to conserve natural resources.
Luckily, trading snacks from carbon-emitting big box brands for tasty treats that are made with a smaller footprint is pretty easy in 2024. We've spent plenty of time outdoors and we love to eat, so we've rounded up our top picks for the nourishing, portable, and earth-friendly snacks to keep you nourished and moving on your next hike.
1. Nature's Path
Nature's Path
Nature's Path granola might be the most mainstream brand on this list, but don't let that fool you. The brand is committed to sustainable practices. Recently, Nature's Path announced a goal for all of its packaging to be reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2025.
Its granola, along with its other products, are made using certified USDA Organic and Canada Organic ingredients. Additionally, the brand has obtained zero-waste-to-landfill certification for its manufacturing facilities. Nature's Path also incentivizes its team members with CEV (Clean Energy Vehicle) and Green My Ride internal programs to support their sustainable transportation. The brand's Bite4Bite program has donated millions of dollars' worth to food banks across North America.
The Nature's Path Love Crunch Granola comes in a variety of delicious flavors, including Dark Chocolate and Hazelnut Butter, Apple Chia Crumble, Espresso Vanilla Cream, Dark Chocolate and Red Berries, Double Chocolate Chunk, and Dark Chocolate and Coconut. Toss a bag in your pack and get out there.
2. Patagonia Provisions
Patagonia Provisions
Patagonia, the brand known for putting sustainable into outdoor gear, also has a flag planted in the sustainable foods market.
"Industrial agriculture depletes soil, poisons water and threatens the outdoor places we love," the website reads. "Protecting the earth, and our future on it, means we have to find a better way. So we make foods that restore the planet instead of destroying it. People buy a jacket every few years, but they eat several times a day. If we're going to save our home planet, it starts with food."
The Patagonia Provisions Hikers Gift Box is a feast on the trails: It includes Black Pepper Wild Pink Salmon, Roasted Garlic White Anchovies, Lemon Caper Mackerel and Spicy Mussels, Organic Sourdough Sea Salt Crackers, Organic Rosemary Garlic Crackers, Organic Margherita Pizza Crackers, and Organic Vegan Cheddar Cheeze Crackers.
Save this package for a really special hike, like reaching the last summit of the 46 highest peaks in the Adirondack Mountains. The packaging and boxes are made from recyclable Sustainable Forestry Initiative-certified cardboard, the cans are 100% aluminum, BPA-free and recyclable.
A bonus is that the Hiker's Gift Box also includes a fanny pack to tote all these goodies in.
3. Regrained
Facebook, Wandering Always
The entire brand philosophy of Upcycled Foods centers around using ingredients that would otherwise be tossed, thereby limiting the strain on the environment by minimizing waste. Case in point: Its ReGrained Bars are crafted with flour that is a byproduct of making beer. This ReGrained "SuperGrain" flour is actually quite rich in plant protein, dietary fiber, and probiotics, making for a very nutritious base for baked goods.
Upcycled Foods gets into a wide variety of yummy things to eat, such as breads, pastries, and pasta, but the bars are the only product in the lineup that can be easily tossed into a hiking pack. ReGrained also uses 100% compostable packaging for the bars (though that doesn't mean you can leave the wrapper on the trail).
4. Barnana Snacks
Barnana Snacks
Be kind. Protect the planet. Respect one another. And live a life of passion. That's the Barnana brand ethos.
Barnana Snacks are the ideal bring-along for the hiker who loves fruit but wants food that won't bruise or spoil, while minimizing harm to the environment. The dehydrated snacks are made using organic bananas that are picked at the peak of ripeness but would be overripe by the time they completed the long journey to market. Barnana partners with small, indigenous family farms in Latin America, helping them get organic certified and paying them 30% over market value to ensure fair wages and less waste.
5. Popadelics
Popadelics
Popadelics are a crunchy, vegan, gluten-free, flavor-packed alternative to run-of-the-mill chips, made with non-GMO ingredients. These chips are actually made from mushroom, but come in some pretty rad flavors, including Trippin' Truffle Parm, Twisted Thai Chili, and Rad Rosemary and Salt.
The eye-popping packaging will no doubt make you smile when you pull them out on the hiking trail for a tasty break.
Beyond being tasty, they are made with a brand ethos that focuses on health and wellness. A percentage of proceeds helps support the Fun-Gal Snacks Foundation, a charitable organization that supports various causes centered around health and wellness, including the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic & Consciousness Research and their exploration of innovative treatments for improved mental health.
