Easy Backpacking Dinner Recipes

We all enjoy the best of meals and the finest of restaurants, when the opportunity arises. However, backpacking is rarely about the finest foods one can find and more often about practicality: paying the best price one can find for a food that can sustain us for a longer period of time.

Depending on the type of trip that you are taking, the ratio between the quality of the food and the price you pay for it may vary. As it happens in most cases, the cheapest options are usually not the best available. And, yet, with a little bit of research, one can find some great options that can still sustain a healthy diet for an affordable price. Obviously, you cannot possibly expect the best cooking conditions in backpacking trips - you hardly ever know where you'll end up and what types of conditions you will be staying in. That is why you must be prepared to cook in the least typical conditions.

Pasta
Depending on the type of backpack you take with you and how much you can carry with it, you can make a part of your cooking at home. You can cook pasta - without any sauce, simply boiling it. It will last considerably longer - especially if you pack it properly. During your trip you can buy the appropriate sauce. Several companies will sell it custom-made - in a jar. Other options can include sour cream combinations, cheese or a very easily cooked tomato sauce if ovens are available. Canned tuna can also prove to be quite tasty if mixed with the pasta.

Rice
If cooking opportunities are available, some of the most easily cooked meals are rice meals. Rice has the great advantage of not taking up a lot of space in your backpack, not being very heavy and not spoiling throughout your trip - not to mention the fact that a 2 pound pack of rice will more than likely last you for your entire trip, if not more. If cooking opportunities are present it, you can simply combine it with various vegetables or mushrooms, or you can cook it very simply by adding a little bit of salt. Many of the pre-made sauces that are useful for pasta can also be used in the case of rice foods.

Soup
Soups are also part of the very easily cooked meals and they have a great way of helping you enjoy your meal a little more, without eating too much. All you need is a few cups of water and vegetables - carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, a little rice and many other types. If you cannot enjoy a meal without meat, just add some chicken - it will cook much faster and your stomach will enjoy it a lot more.

What You Need to Remember
It is a good idea to keep a food back-up option for times when you are in an area where you can't buy anything. If at some point you decide to spend your evening in a well-stocked area, try (as much as your budget allows) to plan your dinner based on that - it will mean access to fresh food, opportunities to try out new things and the possibility of keeping your food stock in sufficient quantities.