Cooking is one of my favorite things to do. Even when backpacking, I enjoy starting a fire and cooking some real food every once in a while.
That goes for cooking dinner, but I almost never feel that way about lunch, even when I’m at home. When it’s lunchtime I usually have less time to cook, and by the time I’m thinking about food I’m already too hungry to want to. That’s why I prefer my lunches to be as easy as possible while still being a satisfying meal. That means no cooking, no preparation, and very little assembly.
I’ve put together some of my favorite no-cook lunch ideas for backpacking in this post. I’ve enjoyed all of them on trail, and while they may not be gourmet, they get the job done and taste really good.
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Cheese, Crackers, and Salami
This is my number one go-to backpacking lunch. Almost nothing is more satisfying than cheese and meat, especially when you’re in a situation where real food is generally lacking. The crackers add some carbs for energy, the cheese provides fats for calories, and the meat provides protein, so it's great for your on-trail nutrition as well. I prefer cheddar, salami, and saltine crackers, but you can mix and match however you like. Try cheddar, gouda, or edam for cheese (all of which can be found in Babybels), ritz or saltines for crackers, and salami, pepperoni, or beef jerky for meat. Cream cheese packets are great too, but they're best as an option for the first day of hiking since cream cheese doesn't keep well.
The only caveat is that cheese doesn’t keep well for long trips (see my post on backpacking with cheese for more info on that) but for trips of 1-3 days, there’s nothing better.
Tuna Wraps
This one is another backpacker favorite. The recipe is simple; take your favorite tortilla, throw in some tuna, and add anything else you feel like to spice it up. I like to add relish, pickles, or diced yellow onion, then toss in a little hot sauce for some extra kick. Though the ingredients are relatively heavy, I’ll even take this on longer trips just for the satisfaction factor.
I take the tuna packets wrapped in foil because they pack flat and have the perfect amount of tuna. They also come in tons of flavors (sriracha, thai chili, and jalapeno are my favorites, or just get the variety pack). As far as toppings go, you can buy snack packs of pickles (like these) and single-serve relish packets (like these) on amazon that are perfect for backpacking.
Peanut Butter and Banana Chips
Peanut butter is nutritious and satisfying, but you always need something to eat it with. I love eating peanut butter and banana sandwiches at home, so I started taking banana chips with peanut butter on trips and I love it.
Justin’s Nut Butter makes single-serve peanut butter packets (as well as other nuts) that are great for backpacking. You can also bring along honey or honey packets for a little flavor and sugar boost.
Edit: I recently found these organic chewy banana bites, and they're awesome. I've preferred banana chips for a long time because of their shelf stability and light weight, but the chewy texture of these makes it feel a whole lot more like a "real food" meal.
Smoked Salmon Hand Roll
This is one I recently discovered and can’t believe I didn’t find it sooner. It’s like backpackers sushi, but way easier to make and shelf-stable. The core of the recipe is smoked salmon (the foil packed kind, which you can get here or occasionally at REI or Costco), white instant rice (which you can pre-cook or cold soak while you're hiking), and nori seaweed sheets. Roll the rice and salmon in the seaweed like a burrito, and you have a delicious backpacking lunch.
The basic recipe is just three ingredients, but there’s a lot of room for additions here. Shredded carrots or cucumber, sliced avocado, and bell peppers all make great supplements. And when I make these, I always bring along soy sauce packets and wasabi (which you can also get powdered).
Bonus: Backpacker's Crepes
I’m calling this a bonus because it’s more of a dessert than lunch, but when you’re hungry and need an energy boost it doesn’t really matter. We discovered this on the John Muir Trail (after eating tuna wraps and wanting a little more food) and it’s magic.
This is kind of a “whatever you have” recipe, but the essentials are tortillas (or these pre-made crepe wraps if you’re thinking ahead), nutella, and some dried fruit. We found dried strawberries work best because they’re not crunchy, but dried mangoes or dates would work just as well. Add some honey and you have a delicious and calorie-heavy trail dessert.
Note: These crepes are much better with fresh fruit. Fresh fruit is heavy, so it won't always work, but fruits like bananas or blueberries are stable and easy to eat on-trail.
Have a great trail lunch idea that's not here? Let me know in the comments.
Looking for some fresh trail dinners? Check out our article on the best trail recipes to take ramen noodles to the next level.
Makes me hungry and makes me want to hike!