5 Bento Boxes for Hiking Trips

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We are lucky to live in a place where hiking trails surround us, and are available to use year-round (yes, even when white stuff is on the ground). The Enchantments are just 45 minutes away from our home base and provide rigorous hiking, overnight opportunities, and stunning backdrops. Whether you love hiking solo, with your friends, or take the slow path by bringing young kids along, you should always bring snacks for the journey ahead. Snacks are important for fueling your body during the hike, and of course, to satisfy your basic needs in case any issue occurs and you end up on the trail longer than you intended.

Bento boxes are great for hikers because they compartmentalize your foods via segments. They can help control our portion sizes of foods, and were made for people who hate when food co-mingles! We’ve teamed up with Chelsea Cole from A Duck’s Oven to share 5 easy bento box lunch ideas that you can take along on a hiking trip. Each box uses Stemilt apples or pears to ensure you get a fiber-filled (and delicious) snack while your exploring the great outdoors. Below you’ll find descriptions of each box and its ingredients. Chelsea also created a quick video to help you build these bento boxes at home!

5 Bento Boxes for Hiking Trips:

  1. Apple Chicken Salad Bento Box: This bento box is perfect for taking on a longer hike where you’ll get to enjoy lunch with a view! Start with your favorite apple chicken salad recipe (this is ours) and your favorite crackers to scoop the salad onto. Mini sweet bell peppers offer your serving of crisp veggies, while our classic yet tropical flavored Piñata® apples bring a sweet finish to this bento box. Add a bit of lemon juice to the apples to prevent browning if you are worried about how long it will be before you get to gobble up this box. 
  2. Protein Packed Bento Box: This box is inspired by those snack platters you can find at Starbucks or on airplanes. Start with hard boiled eggs, and perfect slices of our green d’Anjou pears. Then, add roasted almonds and cheddar cheese cubes. The protein packed bento box offers perfect starter fuel for those early morning hikes that start before the sun comes up.
  3. Charcuterie Bento Box: Going on a date hike? This is the bento box for you and your mate! Choose your favorite crackers, add Brie Cheese squares, sliced green (or red) d’Anjou pears, and prosciutto and you have the perfect meal to enjoy atop a mountain with your date. For those that are 21 and over, I’d also suggest packing a glass of wine to enjoy with this snack! After all, you earned it by going on such an active date!
  4. The Lox Bento Box: Here’s another great box to eat before kicking off your hike. Grab a stack of crackers (everything crackers would be SO good), smoked salmon, chive cream cheese, and then use cookie cutters to make cut out Piñata® apple bites. The lox bento box seems like the perfect fit for any hike that takes you near ocean overlooks!
  5. Hummus & Chicken Bento Box: So, you like to take the long way on a hike? This Hummus and Chicken Bento Box was made for you. It has a filling hummus and chicken pita, plus mini sweet bell peppers, roasted almonds, and our favorite Piñata® apple, sliced up and ready to bite into. Pack an ice pack with this bento box so you can keep everything cold and fresh until you can’t wait another minute to re-energize with healthy food.

Now that you have our bento box lunch ideas for hiking trip food, we want to know what you usually take when you are going for a hike? Share with us in the comments below!

Did you know that apples give you energy? Learn how from registered dietitian Sally Kuzemchak in this post.

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