Bikepacking Food: Planning Tips and Menu Ideas (Easy, Tasty, Mostly Squish-Proof)

One thing all bikepackers have in common: a massive appetite. If I’m being honest, one of my favorite parts of bikepacking is all the eating that usually (hopefully, except for the occasional mishap) goes along with it. 

But bikepacking food can be a puzzle. How do we cram all those tasty calories into space-constrained bikepacking bags? 

What foods will hit the spot when we’re too hot / cold / tired to have much appetite?

If we’re out for a long time in rural places, how can we sustain our energy and some semblance of good nutrition while resupplying from tiny convenience stores?

In this guide to bikepacking food I’ll share my menu planning tips and favorite meal and snack ideas.The specifics are based on the United States and the foods available here, and figuring out what to eat while bikepacking in Kyrgyzstan or Morocco is a whole different story! But the same principles can be adapted for nearly anywhere in the world.

Menu Planning Considerations

Before we get into specific bikepacking food ideas, a few words about how your packing style and route can influence your menu.

How long is your trip? For a short trip, say 1-3 nights, you might carry all of your food from the start. Dehydrated meals and other backpacking-style foods work well here (ideas below). For longer trips you’ll need to resupply along the way, which means being a bit more flexible.

How much space do you have? Many people will struggle to cram more than 3 or 4 days of food into a bikepacking bag setup. Fortunately it’s rare to go longer than this without a resupply, but if more space is needed consider panniers or a backpack. 

How often will you resupply, and what’s available? Take a close look at your route and schedule. How often will you pass through something resembling civilization? Peruse Google Maps and be sure to check business hours.

Stove or no stove? This comes down to personal preference and will be influenced by things like how often you’ll encounter fresh food, how light you’re trying to pack, how cold the weather will be, and how much you enjoy hot meals and drinks. Going stoveless isn’t for everyone, but I think it’s worth trying at least once.

Do you enjoy planning and prep? Are you the type who wants to plan and pack every meal in advance, or do you enjoy the challenge of piecing together a menu from sparse shelves on the go?

What are your dietary needs? The smaller the town the harder it is to find varied and nutritious food. If you’re willing to subsist on microwave burritos and packaged breakfast pastries, you’ll be fine! Vegetarians, vegans, gluten-free folks, and others with specific dietary needs will struggle to eat from convenience stores and roadside diners in the US, and might need to carry more food or mail themselves resupply packages to rural post offices.

Relaxed or ambitious pace? Is this more of a “mobile buffet” ride with an emphasis on long lunch breaks and elaborate camp dinners? Definitely bring the stove and some extra goodies! On the other hand, if you’re packing light and putting down long days it may be worth the compromise of a more streamlined menu and cook kit.

How big is your budget? While food isn’t a huge expense compared to things like bikes and gear, it can be the single biggest expense once you’re actually riding. Restaurant meals, convenience store resupplies, and pre-made backpacking meals are more expensive options. Grocery stores and DIY meals are the most budget-friendly.

Freeze Dried Bikepacking Meals

When it comes to food, a bikepacking trip in a remote area is similar to a backpacking trip on foot. Freeze dried or dehydrated backpacking meals work well because they’re light, compact, and calorie-dense.

Two approaches to freeze dried or dehydrated bikepacking meals: buy them premade, or make your own at home.

Premade dehydrated meals: If you’re not much of a chef these are any easy way to get a reasonably tasty meal. Single-serve pouches are convenient but expensive, and often too small for a hungry cyclist. I buy big #10 cans from Mountain House (Chili Mac n Cheese is my favorite), portion them out in custom serving sizes, and add extra powdered fat and freeze dried veggies for more calories and nutrition.

DIY dehydrated meals can be made to suit your preferences and pack in more nutrition, and the process can be fun if you have the time. Here’s a good collection of ideas.

DIY meals come in a range of effort levels. You can combine a few simple ingredients from the grocery store, buy ingredients that are already dried and mix them together, or make your favorite homemade meal and then dry it in a food dehydrator.

Freeze dried meals make the most sense as dinners, when you really want a hot and hearty meal. Egg-based breakfasts are a nice change from oatmeal in the morning and these can be hard to DIY, so I sometimes treat myself to Mountain House or Backpacker Pantry versions of breakfast scrambles. Otherwise I make my own simple breakfasts from oatmeal packets and trail mix.

Powdered and Dried Ingredients

Powdered, dehydrated, and freeze dried ingredients are easy to buy online but hard to find in grocery stores. I buy them in bulk, usually from Amazon, and use them in two ways:

• At home, while mixing or supplementing dehydrated meals to take on a trip
• On the road, to supplement meals I make from grocery store and convenience store ingredients

Below are my favorite dry ingredients to mix into meals for extra calories and nutrients. Most of these are available in bulk from my favorite brand Anthony’s on Amazon.

• Whole milk powder
• Butter powder
• Cream powder (great for mixing with instant coffee)
• Coconut cream powder (non-dairy alternative source of fat)
• Cheddar cheese powder
• Dehydrated veggies (mixed is easy, or you can get specific)
• Bean flakes
• Textured vegetable protein (soy protein source for vegans or anyone else)
• Egg powder: adds protein and fat to any meal, but especially good in ramen noodles
• Shredded coconut, sliced nuts, pumpkin seeds, etc. for adding to granola or oatmeal

Powdered fats can be added to pretty much anything – pasta, rice, oatmeal, coffee – to add more calories. The veggies and beans make me feel like I’m getting a little more nutritional variety.

Simple Hot Meals (Resupply-Friendly)

Options are more limited if you’re buying food on the road. You probably don’t have access to a full kitchen and food dehydrator, and you might be hard-pressed to even find a grocery store.

The simple bikepacking meals below can be made from ingredients found in most small grocery stores or convenience stores. You can also make them at home if you need quick and affordable dry meals to pack for your trip.

To spruce these up, add some powdered or freeze dried ingredients (especially extra fats and veggies) from the section above.

For meal ideas that don’t require cooking or adding water, including lunches, see the next section.

Breakfast Ideas

• Instant oatmeal: add peanut butter, nuts or trail mix, powdered milk or cream.
• Granola with water: add milk powder and nuts or trail mix (also good cold).
• Instant coffee (I particularly like Anthony’s brand for buying in bulk, but single-serve packets are convenient for short trips): add cream or milk powder.

Dinner Ideas

• Ramen noodles: add peanut butter and hot sauce (one of my favorites, and very affordable)
• Mac ‘n cheese: add extra cheese, bacon bits, or salami. Be sure to get the fast-cooking instant kind (usually comes in cups).
• Instant mashed potatoes: add cheese, bacon bits, or salami
• Couscous: add cheese (are you seeing a pattern here?), canned chicken or tuna
• Instant rice (Korr brand “Rice Sides” are good): add canned chicken or tuna
• Couscous: add bacon bits, bean flakes, canned meat, and extra butter or cheese powder
• Cans and pouches of soup, stew, etc: Though heavier than dry meals, these can be a nice change if you don’t have far to carry them.

To literally spice up these meals, grab a few condiment packets (hot sauce, ketchup, etc.) from a fast food joint. 

Warning about pasta: Most of the pasta in the grocery store needs to be cooked in boiling water for about ten minutes. This uses lots of fuel and leaves you with a bunch of pasta water to dispose of – not exactly “leave no trace.” Look for instant noodles instead, which have already been cooked and then dehydrated. They’ll rehydrate in hot (not even necessarily boiling) water in just a few minutes.

No-Stove Bikepacking Food Ideas

Whether you’re bikepacking stove-free or just want to diversify your menu, these bikepacking meals don’t require any cooking or hot water.

No-Cook Bikepacking Breakfasts

• Protein bars
• Pastries, pies, muffins, etc. from convenience store
• Cold instant coffee, optionally with milk powder and sugar.

Tip: Instant coffee does dissolve in cold water, but it helps to shake it well in a bottle.

No-Cook Lunches and Dinners

• Tortillas with cheese and salami. Hard cheeses and meats survive the longest.
• Tortillas with peanut butter or other nut butter, and perhaps fruit jam
• Tortilla with canned refried beans and cheese
• Tortilla with canned tuna or chicken
• Pre-made sandwich, often available in convenience stores, or Subway if you’re lucky (eat the same day you buy it)
• Microwave burrito (eat the same day you buy it)
• Tasty Bite lentil pouches (can be heated, but not bad cold)
• Canned food: can be heated on a stove, but often not bad cold. Be sure to choose cans with pull-off lids if you’re not carrying a can opener.
• Ramen rehydrates fairly quickly (give it 20 minutes) even in cold water.
• Pretty much any dehydrated meal can be “cold soaked” to make it edible, but it might take a few hours.

Many no-cook meal options are heavier than dehydrated meals and won’t stay fresh as long (especially sandwiches and burritos). This makes them well-suited to routes with frequent resupplies, or as a treat on your first night after a town stop.

A note about microwave burritos: Most instructions say to microwave them, and this is for food safety reasons. They are already cooked, but the microwaving kills any pathogens that may have grown during transport and storage. It’s a good idea to follow this precaution and zap them before you leave. That said, I and many others have taken them frozen and eaten them once thawed. Try at your own risk!

Bikepacking Snack Ideas

Snacks are the easiest type of bikepacking food to find, and also the most dependent on personal preference. Here are a few of my staple bikepacking snacks that are usually available at even the smallest convenience stores:

• Trail mix
• Nuts
• Dried fruit
• Peanut butter
• Meat sticks or jerky
• Cheese sticks or wheels
• Protein bars (tip: slather on some peanut butter to super-charge a low-calorie bar)
• Chocolate chip cookies
• Potato chips, especially in hot weather

If you have access to a larger grocery store, here are some healthier ideas:

• Bite-size fruits and veggies (carrot sticks, grapes, sweet peas, berries)
• Baby food pouches! Weird at first, but they grow on you.

(Trying To) Eat Healthy While Bikepacking

There are so many different ideas about what it means to eat healthily these days, and I’m not one to judge. But personally speaking, I struggle to find my version of healthy during long bikepacking trips.

Sugary treats, processed carbs, and greasy burgers are far too easy to find on the road, while nutritious fresh foods are scarce. It’s not about body fat – I’m burning off the calories – but about feeling healthy and strong both during and after a long ride.

If you can relate, here are the tips that help me:

• Take it easy on the sugar. The candy aisle at the gas station can be so tempting, but too much leads to uneven energy levels.
• Take it easy on starchy carbs too. Most of the easiest bikepacking meals – rice, pasta, potatoes – are based on starch. Mix in more protein and fat (cheese!) for better macronutrient ratios.
• Enjoy fresh fruits and veggies whenever possible.
• Listen to what your body wants. If salty food looks delicious, you might need the electrolytes. If sweet food seems extra appealing, perhaps you need a pick-me-up.

Fresh Fruits and Veggies

Fresh fruits and vegetables are notoriously awkward to carry while bikepacking. They weigh a lot, squish easily, and don’t provide many calories.

So why bother? When we’re bikepacking for weeks or months, going without could lead to nutritional deficits. Sometimes cool and crunchy food is really enjoyable. After a few weeks on the road a salad is the first thing I eat in town (ok maybe the second thing, right after I finish the cheeseburger).

If I’m going to carry fresh fruits and veggies on the road, these are my go-to’s. They usually last a couple days.

• bell peppers: add to dinner or eat raw
• avocados: great in almost any dinner, or on tortilla with beans or cheese
• apples: delicious snack on a hot day
• cucumbers: also delicious on a hot day
• mandarin oranges: protect from squishing, but otherwise an excellent snack
• dried fruit: ok, not fresh, but sometimes it’s the only option
• baby food pouches: a little weird at first, but they grow on you

Vegetarian and Vegan Bikepacking Food

Life isn’t easy for vegans and vegetarian bikepackers, especially in rural places. We Americans love our meat and dairy. My best suggestion for non-carnivores is to focus on other sources of protein and fat – you’ll be eating a LOT of nuts and beans.

Some options I see regularly while bikepacking, even in small stores:

• Peanut butter (add to tortillas or eat with a spoon)
• Canned beans or vegetarian chili
• Nuts and trail mix
• Certain protein and granola bars, for example Kind Bars, are vegan
• Avocados (available in grocery stores, but probably not convenience stores)
• High-calorie dairy like whole milk and Greek yogurt (for vegetarians not vegans, obviously)

To get enough calories, vegans can add extra fat to pretty much everything. Olive oil (decanted into a small plastic bottle) and powdered coconut milk are both good vegan-friendly options.

Textured vegetable protein is a vegan source of complete protein that can be mixed into all kinds of meals and takes on the flavor of whatever it’s cooked with. I add it to most dinners for a little extra protein.

If you happen to be vegan or vegetarian yourself, please comment below with your ideas! I would love to expand this list with more concrete experience.

Keto and Low Carb Bikepacking Food

Low carb diets are a growing trend these days, and not just for weight loss. It turns out our bodies can fuel themselves using stored fat if we train them to, which allows us to ride farther between meals without that horrible bonky feeling.

A typical convenience store bikepacking diet is likely to be high in carbs. It’s definitely possible to maintain a low carb diet on the road (strict keto is a bigger challenge), but you’ll have to make careful selections. Load up on cheese, jerky, and nuts as a starting point.

Mail Drops for Bikepacking

Mailing food to yourself on the road, as thru hikers often do, is usually more trouble than it’s worth since bikepacking gets us between towns faster than hiking. But there are a couple cases when it might make sense:

• You have special dietary needs that can’t be covered by the resupply stops on your route.
• You’re on a long ride (like the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route) and want to restock on ingredients that are hard to find in grocery stores, such as powdered coconut milk, freeze dried veggies, or healthy homemade snacks.

Animal-Safe Food Storage For Bikepacking

If you’re bikepacking in bear country, or even rodent country, you’ll need to take care with how you store food overnight.

I once left some trail mix in my stem bag overnight by accident. I woke in the morning to find a rodent had eaten half of it, pooped all over my stem bag, and ran off with my cycling gloves! At least it wasn’t a bear…

If bears are not an issue, I usually pack all my food in a single bag and bring it into my tent at night to keep it safe from rodents. At the very least, I put it in my seat bag and buckle it up securely.

When camping in bear country, it’s important – for both your safety and that of the bears – to store your food properly. Bikepacking and bear canisters don’t play well together (though it is possible if you really need to) so you’ll need to do a bear hang (harder than it looks) or ideally carry an Ursack for overnight food storage.

My Kitchen Setup for Bikepacking

There are many ways to compile a good kitchen setup for bikepacking, but I’ll give you mine here. With this gear I can easily cook and eat all the food ideas mentioned above using a “just add hot water” approach.

• JetBoil MicroMo, or if trying to save weight a simple backpacking stove and titanium mug/pot that I both cook in and eat out of
• Collapsible bowl (Sea to Summit X-Mug)
• Long-handled titanium spoon
• Small titanium mug, if I want the luxury of drinking and eating at the same time

Other Bikepacking Food Tips

Pack enough food! Count your total calories if you can, and pack more than you think you need. The correct amount of food will probably feel like too much when you’re stuffing it into small bikepacking bags, but I promise you’ll appreciate it later.

Always keep some emergency food on hand in case that small town store is closed or a mechanical issue delays you. I recommend a packet of Ramen or dried potatoes and a few protein bars stored deep in your bags.

Save your empty ziplock baggies. They come in really handy for repackaging food to make it fit better in your bags.