Expedition Snacks
Our Favourite Expedition Snacks
Whether you are on a canoe expedition, on bike or on foot, if you are exerting yourself for longer periods, particularly if in extreme weather conditions, then your body will require extra nutritional support to keep you fuelled so lets look at some tasty expedition snacks..
If you are not fully hydrated and fuelled when on expedition you can become a liability to your team and to yourself. This is when mistakes are likely to happen , injuries are more likely to occur and illness is more likely to strike, so stay hydrated and fuelled.
Though you also don’t want to be carrying a full supermarket with you! So as well as your planned meals, whether you opt for dehydrated ration packs or boil in the bag options let’s also take a look at ideal snacks to take too.
Due to your increased energy expenditure you’ll need to increase the calorie content of your food, so energy dense foods are best. Opting for nutritious energy dense foods should provide the extra calories and nutrients you need without taking up too much of your kit space or increasing the weight you need to carry too much.
Nuts
High in protein and healthy fats nuts provide a great lightweight, palatable snack that are easy to eat on the move and a popular choice with some of our team and a favourite expedition snack here at Wildway. With such a variety of nuts available you can find ones that meet your personal taste (unless you have a nut allergy of course, in which case, skip to snack 2!). Each type of nut varies in nutritional value but most are high in energy providing B Vitamins and immune boosting Zinc.
Dried Fruit
Low energy dense foods are high in water so it makes sense that high energy dense foods are low in water. Dried fruit is a good example of this, fresh fruit is obviously packed with nutrients but a lower calorific content, by opting for a dried fruit option you will have a higher energy snack but still with a good vitamin content. Find a dried fruit that you enjoy, they are usually light to carry and don’t take up much room.
Jerky
Jerky is lean trimmed meat, dehydrated and often with the addition of salt to prevent bacterial growth and spoiling of the meat. If you are a meat eater this is another light weight snack that will provide you a lean snack high in protein. Easy to carry, with a range of flavours this is often a popular choice as a protein source on the go, especially amongst the team.
Flapjacks
Flapjacks, whether homemade or shop bought, provide a great easy to carry energy dense expedition snack. Obviously when making your own you can tailor make them to your taste and nutritional needs. By adding in dried fruit you can increase the palatability and carbohydrate content and adding in nuts and seeds will give a slower release energy as well as much needed protein.
Chocolate
Usually as part of a healthy balanced diet chocolate is a food that should be limited due to its high level of refined sugar and saturated fat, but lets face it, when away on expedition battling the elements nothing lifts the spirits like a hot drink and a bar of chocolate. This tasty and portable snack will give you a high calorie hit and a fast boost of quick release carbohydrate. 
Dark chocolate is also known for its mood boosting and cardiovascular benefiting nutrients so the healthier option is dark chocolate but don’t over look the tasty milk chocolate kick to lift your spirits when away exploring.
Cheese
Nutritionally speaking, a good source of calorie dense food are full fat dairy products, such as cheese. Many people opt for this high fat savoury snack as a source of calories on expedition but just a word of warning, it’s not as portable as other snacks and careful how you pack it, especially in warm weather! Cheese not only provides you a good source of fats but protein too along with energy boosting Vitamin B12 and immune boosting Zinc. So this humble dairy product might not be for everyone when on expedition but it certainly deserves a place on our list.
So when you’re heading out on your next adventure don’t overlook this humble snacks to boost your calorie intake. 
