Last Updated on 10/2025 by Mom Goes Camping
Planning meals for a backpacking trip doesn’t have to be overwhelming. After years of trial and error on the trail with my family, I’ve learned that taking time to create a proper meal plan is one of the smartest things you can do before heading into the backcountry.
A well-thought-out meal plan ensures you have enough fuel to power through long hiking days without carrying unnecessary weight. It also prevents food waste—I can’t tell you how many times early in my backpacking journey I had to deal with leftover dinner because I didn’t portion things correctly.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through exactly how I create meal plans for my backpacking trips, complete with real examples from my own adventures. Yes, there’s a bit of work involved upfront, but I promise it gets so much easier with each trip.
Also read: What to Eat When Backpacking
Step 1: Calculate Your Daily Calorie Needs
The most accurate way to plan backpacking food is by counting calories. I know it sounds tedious, but this method has saved me from both running out of food and lugging around way too much.
For a typical 3-season backpacking trip, most adults need between 2,500 and 3,500 calories per day. However, your specific needs depend on several factors:
- Your body weight and metabolism
- The intensity of your hiking (elevation gain, mileage, terrain difficulty)
- Weather conditions (you burn more calories in cold weather)
- Pack weight
As a smaller woman, I typically need around 2,100-2,200 calories per day on moderate hikes, while my larger male hiking partners often need 2,800-3,000+ calories. Your body knows best, so pay attention to your hunger levels on your first few trips and adjust accordingly.
For more detailed guidance: How Much Food to Bring Backpacking
Step 2: Divide Calories Across Your Meals
Once you know your daily calorie target, break it down by meal. Over the years, I’ve found these percentages work well as a starting point:
- Breakfast: 20-25% of total calories
- Lunch: 15% of total calories
- Dinner: 20-25% of total calories
- Snacks: 35% of total calories (or 50-55% if you skip a formal lunch)
That said, everyone’s eating style on the trail is different. Some backpackers barely eat breakfast but snack constantly throughout the day. Others (like me) sometimes forget to snack while hiking and prefer more substantial meals at camp.
The beauty of creating your own meal plan is that you can customize it to match your personal hiking rhythm. After a couple of trips, you’ll discover what works best for your body and hiking style.
Step 3: Create Your Meal Plan Spreadsheet
Here’s where the real planning begins. I create a simple spreadsheet that lists everything I’ll eat each day, along with the calorie count for each item.
What You’ll Need:
- A kitchen scale (this is essential!)
- A spreadsheet or even just paper and pen
- Nutrition labels from packaged foods
- Internet access to look up calories in whole foods
My Process for Tallying Calories:
If you’re using pre-packaged meals like instant oatmeal or freeze-dried dinners, this step is straightforward. Just check the nutrition label and calculate how many servings you need to hit your calorie target.
For homemade meals, here’s what I do (using my breakfast as an example):
- I measure out oats on my kitchen scale. Let’s say it reads 70 grams.
- I search online for “calories in oats” to find that oats contain about 389 calories per 100g.
- I do quick math: (70g ÷ 100g) × 389 = 272 calories. I write this down.
- Next, I add dried fruit—maybe 30g of dried cranberries. I repeat the process: search for the calorie content, calculate based on weight, and add it to my running total.
- I continue adding ingredients (nuts, chia seeds, powdered milk, etc.) until I reach my target calorie amount for breakfast.
Yes, this takes time the first time you do it. But here’s the thing: once you’ve calculated the calories for a meal you like, you can reuse that same meal plan on future trips. I now have a collection of tried-and-true meals with all the nutrition data already calculated.
Want a Shortcut?
If measuring every ingredient sounds overwhelming, I created a free backpacking meal planner tool to help. Just enter the number of days, your daily calorie needs, and any dietary restrictions. You’ll get a complete meal plan with foods you can find at most supermarkets. It’s not perfect, but it gives you a solid starting point that you can customize.
Real Backpacking Meal Plan Examples
Looking at actual meal plans helps more than theory ever could. Here are three real meal plans from my backpacking trips, showing different scenarios and calorie needs.
Example 1: Two-Night Trip for Two People
This plan was for a weekend backpacking trip with my hiking partner. He needed roughly 2,800 calories per day while I needed 2,200 calories. We focused on calorie-dense foods, averaging about 130 calories per ounce.
Total food weight: 77 ounces (4.8 pounds)
Weight per person per day: 1.2 pounds
[Original meal plan table/image would appear here]
Note: The “X” marks indicate meals we ate at home or in the car—either before hitting the trail or after returning. This is a great way to reduce pack weight since you don’t need to carry food for those meals.
Example 2: Three-Night Trip with My Daughter
This meal plan was designed for a trip with my daughter. We packed around 4,000 calories per day total. I included some “luxury” items like marshmallows because part of the joy of backpacking with kids is making special memories around the campfire.
Total food weight: 8.9 pounds
Calorie density: 115 calories per ounce
[Original meal plan table/image would appear here]
This plan would also work well for one larger person doing strenuous hiking, since the daily calorie total is approximately 4,000.
Example 3: Three-Night Solo Trip
This was a last-minute solo trip during warm weather with relatively easy hiking. I’m fairly small and wasn’t doing intense elevation gain, so I only needed about 2,100 calories per day.
Total food weight: 4.4 pounds
Calorie density: About 85 calories per ounce
[Original meal plan table/image would appear here]
Full disclosure: The calorie density on this trip wasn’t great. It was an impromptu adventure, so I didn’t have time to dehydrate everything properly. I also included foods like dried tomatoes and mushrooms that don’t pack many calories per ounce—but they added so much flavor that they were worth the extra weight for me.
Tips I’ve Learned from Years of Meal Planning
Prioritize Calorie Density
The more calories packed into each ounce of food, the lighter your pack will be. Aim for at least 100-120 calories per ounce when possible. Foods like nuts, nut butters, olive oil, dried fruit, and chocolate are your friends. Check out my full guide to calorie-dense backpacking foods that are actually healthy for more ideas.
Pre-portion Everything
Before your trip, measure out each meal and pack it in its own labeled ziplock bag. This makes meal prep on the trail simple and ensures you’re sticking to your calorie plan. I have detailed tips for pre-packing meals that make this process easier.
Test Meals at Home First
There’s nothing worse than discovering you hate a meal when you’re already on day two of a five-day trip. I always taste-test new recipes at home before committing them to a meal plan.
Bring One Extra Emergency Meal
Despite careful planning, unexpected things happen. Maybe you burn more calories than anticipated, or maybe weather delays your exit by a day. I always pack one extra lightweight meal (usually instant ramen or a freeze-dried dinner) just in case.
Consider Meal Timing and Cooking Methods
Think about when you’ll actually eat each meal. Will you have time for a hot breakfast, or should you plan for something you can eat quickly while breaking down camp? Do you prefer a hot lunch or will you eat on the go? Some backpackers even use cold-soaking methods to prepare meals without carrying a stove. Align your meal plan with your hiking style.
Meal Ideas to Get You Started
Not sure what specific meals to include in your plan? I’ve got you covered with tons of options:
- 29 lightweight backpacking meal ideas including no-cook and cold-soak options
- Easy meals made from supermarket foods that don’t require special equipment
- DIY freeze-dried meals assembled from bulk ingredients
If you’re willing to invest in a dehydrator, you can create custom meals that are lighter, tastier, and cheaper than store-bought options. Learn more about how to make your own dehydrated backpacking meals.
What About Dehydrating Your Own Meals?
If you want to take your backpacking food to the next level, I highly recommend getting a dehydrator. It’s been one of my best gear investments. With a dehydrator, you can create custom meals that are lighter, tastier, and cheaper than store-bought options.
I’ve spent years perfecting dehydrator recipes and meal planning strategies. If you’re interested in learning more, I put everything I know into an ebook with over 50 recipes and detailed meal planning advice.
Check it out here: Backpacking Food Ebook
It includes calorie-dense dehydrator recipes, nutrition guidance, and meal planning templates that have made my trips so much better.
Final Thoughts on Backpacking Meal Planning
I’ll be honest—creating your first backpacking meal plan feels like a lot of work. You’ll be weighing ingredients, searching calorie counts, and second-guessing whether you’re bringing enough food.
But here’s what I’ve discovered after dozens of trips: the planning gets faster each time, and the payoff is huge. You’ll hike stronger because you’re properly fueled. Your pack will be lighter because you’re not carrying “just in case” food. And you’ll actually enjoy your meals instead of choking down whatever random snacks you threw in your pack.
Start simple. Use one of my example meal plans as a template. Try my free meal planner tool. Most importantly, pay attention to how your body feels on the trail and adjust your plan for next time.
Happy trails, and may your meals be delicious and your pack be light!
Diane Vukovic grew up camping and backpacking in upstate New York. Now, she takes her own daughters on wilderness adventures so they can connect with nature and learn resiliency. With dozens of backpacking trips under her belt, Diane is passionate about helping families discover the joys of camping while eating well on the trail.
