Homemade granola is a simple snack that can be customized to your group’s liking or simply by using whatever is in the pantry.Julie Van Rosendaal
Whether you’re spending the day on the slopes, an afternoon on skates or heading out on a hike then gathering around the campfire when the sun goes down, nothing works up an appetite like the great outdoors.
Being outside and active makes a person hungry. And because there (fortunately) aren’t drive-thrus on mountaintops or vending machines on the banks of frozen lakes, compact, nutrient-dense, high-energy snacks are essential to bring along.
Sweet-salty blend
Though there is no shortage of packaged snack foods on the market, making your own saves money and allows for completely customized grazing. Growing up in Alberta, my parents packed sesame bagels, apples and cheese, with a Swiss army knife for slicing everything up at a picnic table or large rock we’d find along Rocky Mountain trails. My sisters and I dreamed of store-bought chocolate-covered granola bars, but grabbed handfuls from that omnipresent bag of peanuts, raisins and chocolate chips.
Trail mix is aptly named for its suitability in hiking situations, the ideal crunchy-chewy, sweet-salty blend of protein, carbohydrates and fibre for quick, sustaining energy you can eat by the palmful. When you make your own, anything goes – nuts, seeds, dried fruit, cereal, popcorn, pretzels, chocolate. It’s a great way to clear out the pantry, with no requirement to measure anything.
Granola
Similarly, homemade granola can make use of any combination of oats, nuts, seeds and dried fruit, and there’s no need to bake an enormous sheet pan – it is simple and quick to make just what you need on the stovetop.
Set a large skillet over medium-high heat and start to toast rolled oats and/or barley flakes along with any nuts and seeds you like. Drizzle with a bit of canola or other mild vegetable oil or add a spoonful of butter or coconut oil if you like (a bit of fat is tasty but not necessary), then drizzle with enough honey, maple syrup or golden syrup to make the mixture start to clump together. Spice it up with a shake of cinnamon or other spices, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture turns pale golden and fragrant, then turn off the heat and let it cool in the pan.
If you want dried fruit or chopped chocolate, add some once the granola has cooled.
Charcuterie
For a more substantial snack, charcuterie – bite-sized cheese, sausage, pickles and the like – can be assembled on Wasa, Ryvita or similar board-like crackers to pass around for everyone to nibble, breaking off pieces of the cracker-board as they go.
Hard-boiled eggs travel well, and if you want to level them up, halve, remove the yolks and mash them with mayo, a bit of grainy mustard, salt and pepper, spoon back into the white and put two halves together to wrap and pack for unfancy but delicious cocktail party-style devilled eggs. And while we often think of sandwiches as portable snacks or light meals, rolls are more compact, un-crumbly and easy to eat while moving, particularly for kids.
Spread naan, crêpes or flour tortillas with nut butter and drizzle with honey, and/or chopped dates and grated or crumbled extra-old cheddar, or really anything you can think of. Roll up and tuck in your pack.
For those daunted by the idea of having to cook on top of the preparation required for their outdoor adventure, there’s no shame in picking something up. Falafel is another ideal outdoor finger food, and so delicious with a small container of toum or tahini sauce for dipping.
Stopping at a Mediterranean or Middle Eastern market or even a grocery store deli – if you’re on the road, most small towns have one – makes it easy to grab some hummus, olives, dolmades, kibbeh, pitas and other mezze dishes to spread out wherever you find a spot.
With nature as a backdrop and so much space to move around, everything tastes better having played up an appetite. Bon appétit, as they say.