Are Hikers Healthy Eaters?

Yesterday, my husband and I went on a hike to Little Mt. Si near North Bend, Washington.  It was a lovely day and fortunately, plenty of trees to keep us from getting roasted.  (Yes, even in Washington state we can get some warm weather!)  With an ascent of 1300 feet and a round trip of 5 miles, we felt pretty good about the amount of exercise we got.

I used to pack a full lunch when we hiked, complete with sandwich, veggies, fruit, and a cookie.  But I’ve gotten to packing protein bars and fresh fruit instead since you never know if there is a place to just sit and enjoy your meal.  What I noticed was a lot of hikers were also eating fresh fruit and some were eating protein bars or trail mix.

That got me to wondering, “Are hikers generally healthy eaters” or are they just eating foods that are easy to pack for a hike?  Nature has been so good about her packaging that it’s nothing to pop an apple or peach in your backpack.

I would love to have stopped these people and interviewed them to find out if this was the way they normally ate at home.  It seems so logical that if you’re health-minded enough to go for a hike and pack healthy foods, that you would do the same other times.

So, my question to you is, if you hike, what do you pack for energy and nourishment?  And, would you say that you eat healthy most of the time, even when you’re not on the trail?

I’d love for you to leave your comments.  Thanks.