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SALT LAKE CITY — Old-fashioned, homemade trail mix has been a mainstay in backpacking go-to food for generations. I love to make up my own concoction to enjoy along the way. Throw in some beef jerky and I'm off to a pristine lake at 10,000 feet.
Well, now we are well into the 21st century and maybe it's time to regroup on the backcountry snack food front. There are healthier alternatives and some new twists on the theme to make any trip that much more comfortable.
A 10-mile hike is great for your health and fitness, but pounding too many calories along the way diminishes some of the benefits. Chocolate only helps for a few miles uphill and then your body asks for more — preferably protein.
At the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, there were many natural and organic food alternatives that offer better solutions for hiking and fly-casting hunger.
Santa Barbara Bar =================
All natural ingredients lead the way in new, healthier backcountry snacks this year. Peter Guam of Santa Barbara bars said superfood-rich ingredients with good sources of protein and fiber will keep you on the trail much longer than a simple candy bar or other sugar-rich alternatives.
“I fill my bars with chia seeds, nuts and other fiber to make a nutrient-dense snack," he said.
Guam feels that with a more compact snack, your body will feel satisfied and refueled. After eating one bar, he said people typically go two to three hours before feeling hungry again.
“One of the other benefits of our bars is that they do not melt," Guam said. "They are not coated in chocolate so they stay fresh longer too.”
To maintain more of that rugged exterior and still keep the inside healthy, Gorilly Goods has taken healthier alternatives to a new level.
“We use only raw, organic ingredients in all of our snack mixes,” Stephen McDiarmid said.
These gluten free snacks are also in a natural form. Nuts, seeds, dried fruits are all mixed together in small packets. What’s different is that the nuts and other items are dried at a low temperature to help retain as much flavor as possible.
“What’s gone is the moisture, so for the weight of the package, we just have the nutrition,” McDiarmid said. "In other words, in a smaller package than the average snickers bar, there is more energy-packed nutrients.”
After trying one sample, it was clear that the flavor was robust. I also liked that there was still a crunch to the nuts and seeds.
For nostalgic reasons alone, I will continue to bring my version of trail mix and locally-produced beef jerky, but now I'm going to focus more on the smart foods too.
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