SALT LAKE CITY — Summer is a great time of year to get outside and enjoy the trails. Whether you roam nearby for a day hike or venture out on an overnight camping trip, food is an important part of making the most of any outdoor adventure.

Energy bars and other convenience foods can leave individuals feeling hungry for "real food" after a day of exertion on the trails. With a little planning and a few simple ingredients, however, it’s easy to prepare healthy and tasty trail meals and snacks to go.

Homemade trail-friendly snacks

A couple of trail-friendly foods that provide flexibility for personal food preferences include savory or sweet trail mixes and granolas. These do-it-yourself snacks are packed with flavor and typically provide a balance of complex carbohydrates for longer-lasting energy, as well as protein and healthy fats from nuts and seeds.

Outdoor meals

When planning for outdoors meals there are a few tricks that can help keep foods safe and meal-prep easy:

• Use a two-burner camp stove or campfire to make the same kinds of meals you eat at home with just a few modifications
• Bring along a cooler so that perishable foods such as fruits, vegetables or other fresh foods are used first
• Measure out ingredients at home to help save time with prep at the campsite

What to eat while backpacking and backcountry camping

For longer adventures, especially those that will include backpacking and backcountry camping, healthy meals should be energy and nutrient-dense and allow for some repurposing of ingredients to help lighten the load as the trip goes on. According to chefs at the Dirty Gourmet, backcountry recipes should account for things like weight, space, perishability and nutrition.

This doesn’t mean that the occasional ingredient-intensive meal can’t be enjoyed, though. After all, variety is the spice of life and also assists in stoking the flames of appetite after long days on the trail. As those that have spent any significant amount of time adventuring outdoors can attest, nothing tastes better than foods enjoyed in the beauty of natural surroundings.

Ultimately, there are many ways to explore healthy and flavorful food options when heading outdoors. Opting for made-from-home meals and snacks can help you feel more truly nourished — and hungry for the next trail adventure.

Check out these 15 trail-friendly snack recipes from Backpacker.com for your next healthy eating adventure!

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