What To Eat After Hiking? | Hikers University

Many people have started enjoying hiking to maintain physical fitness nowadays. But not everyone is aware of how to nourish yourself after hiking.

In fact, many people are in the wrong for not being fully aware of what they should eat after hiking. Especially given the fact that hiking can be an extremely intensive type of physical activity and require adequate nourishment after.

Firstly, it is essential to rehydrate yourself after hiking. Using smoothies or juices mixed with electrolytes can help. Next, you should focus on consuming fruits to gain all the lost energy. Continue with a high-protein meal that includes lean protein and vegetables to replenish bodily nutrients.

There is so much variety and choice when it comes to food that it is easy to get confused. So you may not realize if you should have eaten something, and it may trouble your digestive system. Hence, being clear about a specific situation is crucial, like what to eat after hiking.

People may know that high-energy consumption is vital after hiking. But having worked in the dietician region of healthcare, we are backed by research and have the expertise to suggest exactly how to work out your meal plan after hiking.

Table of contents

HideShow

What To Eat & Drink After Hiking?

If you think that adequate eating before going for a hike is most crucial, think again. Although feeling recharged and refreshed is vital, what you choose to eat and drink after hiking is much more critical. After all, depending on the distance you cover and the steepness of your terrain, hiking can take a lot out of you.

Fortunately, you would return with an empty stomach and a great opportunity to fill up on good food. Hiking is a type of intense physical activity. Therefore, making a smart choice of all the food items you should eat is crucial to your overall well-being, fitness objective, and nourishment requirements.

We have compiled a list of all the food and drinks that you should consume after hiking:

Fruit Smoothie

Any fruit smoothie is an absolute delight as well as great to have after hiking. It will provide you with the right mixture of dairy and fruit to energize and hydrate you. Not to mention smoothies are filling and can make you feel full in a single serving.

Fresh Juices

There is probably nothing better than fresh juice to have after hiking. From apples and oranges to grapes and pomegranate – pick your favorite fruit, frozen or in-season, and enjoy intense hydration after intense physical activity like hiking.

Nut Butters

Nut butters are just like Nutella but healthier and better for you. So no matter how much you want a spoon full of chocolate that is actually just sugar, a spoonful of peanut butter or almond butter will do you much good, especially after hiking.

Salmon

If you are a morning hiker, chances are you will return home at lunchtime. So what can be better than salmon as a main course with a side of asparagus and gravy on top? You can have whole wheat pasta or rice to complete your main course and make it a proper, filling meal.

Sweet Potatoes

Baked potatoes are delicious, but make baked sweet potatoes to go with your salmon at lunchtime after hiking. Sweet potatoes are enriched with vitamins and nutrients that help cover energy consumption after hiking.

Quinoa

A fresh quinoa salad is one of the best ways to incorporate a fresh, filling, yet light meal into your diet, especially after hiking. The many health benefits of this popular whole grain are the reason why all your favorite celebrities are a fan, so why not you.

Flax Seeds

Flax seeds are yet another food item growing popular by the minute and make for a great post-hiking meal. Whether you add them to your smoothie or yogurt bowl or sprinkle some for crunch on your salad, they are an intense boost of nutrients that your body would love.

Yogurt

Any dairy product would do like cheese and milk, but yogurt is just refreshing and essentially hydrating from within. Hence, adding a yogurt bowl topped with berries, seeds, and granola to have as your post-hiking meal makes sense.

Is Eating Good Very Important After Hiking?

Eating is absolutely crucial after hiking which many hikers don’t even realize. Thankfully people do understand what to eat before and during hiking. However, eating after hiking is just as important, if not more. You don’t realize how much internal bodily energy you consume while hiking. Hence, allowing your body to undertake the required nutrients via food is crucial.

But that doesn’t mean that you stop on your way home after hiking at McDonald’s and reward yourself with a serving of fries. Greasy, oily food, especially fast food after hiking, is a big no. Any meal that should be consumed after hiking needs to be from the good, homemade section of the home pantry.

Your post-hiking meal should be the opposite of what you eat on a lazy weekend. So choose from smaller portions of lean protein to cheese, smoothies, and yogurts and say goodbye to pizza or fried chicken after hiking and say hello to fresh and healthy eating.

How Crucial Is Hydration After Hiking?

One cannot emphasize enough how crucial it is to hydrate yourself after hiking. In fact, the most important reason why hydration is vital is that it helps regulate the internal body temperature. As hiking consumes energy, it increases your body’s temperature and can affect your muscles and organs.

Hence, plenty of water intake and liquids like juices mixed with electrolytes that keep up your body temperature and replenish your hydration are critical right after hiking.

Hiking is a great way of staying healthy and actively pursuing physical fitness through a natural medium instead of indoor workouts at gyms. However, taking care of what you eat after is just as vital.

About THE AUTHOR

Peter Brooks

Peter Brooks

I’m a hiker, backpacker, and general outdoor enthusiast. I started hiking out of college while working for the National Forest Service, and have been hiking ever since. I’ve been solo hiking and leading hiking groups for two decades and have completed hundreds of small hikes and some majorones such as the Appalachian Train and the Pacific Crest Trail, and hiked on four continents. I’d love to share some of my insight with you.

Read More About Peter Brooks