Day Hunt Lunch Menu Ideas?

[BruinPoint]

Looking for ideas. Going out for a buck the full 7 days of 3rd Rifle season in Colorado. I'll be camping roadside but I don't plan on going to camp or my truck during the day, so I have to carry lunch/snacks. I'm hitting a dead end trying to think of a variety of healthy, appetizing food to carry. I don't want to mess with prepping wraps and sandwiches in the mornings and I won't eat them soggy.

Here's my list of lunch ideas:
Roasted Salted Almonds
Jerky (I'm hoping to make some this week, otherwise store-bought)
Vacuum sealed smoked trout
Babybel cheese
Ritz crackers
Raisins
Fuji Apples/Pears
Mixed Fruit cups
baby carrots/celery sticks/ranch dressing/peanut butter
miniature candy bars from Halloween

What else can you think of?

 

[Brightwhite]

It’s gonna get real cold after this weekend it’s looking like. I like the ritz peanut butter crackers in the cold...they don’t freeze, and the fat and carbs help crank up the metabolism. I see you had crackers and cheese and stuff like that above, but those pre packages of 6 crackers are really handy.

I also like the Costco individual trail mix packages. They are around 300 calories in a package, again don’t freeze. They do have m&m’s in them and I know your going healthy.

Another idea is the Costco fruit strips...bought them for my kids and then I got hooked on them and always carry 2-3 with me each day. Again individually packaged and easy to toss in the pack or pocket. And tasty! The strawberry and tropical flavors are awesome and the claim it’s pure dehydrated fruit and no junk.

Those are my 3rd/late season go to’s for less fuss and less time with gloves off, and won’t freeze solutions for ya.

 

[gustafsj]

One of my favorites is salami and laughing cow cheese on tortillas. Another is I mix up in advance almond butter, honey and cinnamon and spread that on tortillas or bagels on the trail. If the almond butter mix is too thin, I had a little protein powder to thicken it up. Aldi’s has little plastic containers of almond butter that work great. I typically mix up my own trail mix with higher quality ingredients than what you would find on the shelf. I try to avoid anything that is roasted in oil as it seems to mess me up, so I go for dry roasted or raw nuts/seeds. That along with coconut flakes, a variety of dried fruits and some dark chocolate. Sometimes I mix granola into my trail mix as well. I repackage them in snack size ziplocks to ration it and make it convenient.


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[danarnold]

single serve seasoned tuna pouches are good, PB honey bacon tortilla

 

[rayporter]

take a metal cup and some fuel tabs. in 8 minutes you can have a hot drink or meal.

you can make hot cup a soup
ramen
mac n cheese
oatmeal
coffee

hot food and coffee is a big deal in cold weather. kick some snow away and set the cup on some rocks or sticks . if the wind is blowing hard use some foil for a wind screen.

 

[Geewhiz]

I may suggest not bringing fruit cups or anything else that has the potential to explode or leak in your pack. Had a bad experience once..

 

[Tradchef]

single serve seasoned tuna pouches are good, PB honey bacon tortilla

I’ll second the pb or almond butter, honey, bacon and tortilla . I eat that in the mountains a lot. I’ll do a few pouches of the strawberry banana and oat baby food purées, epic bars, some pro bars, Bobo bars, Larabar, almonds, biltong.....lots of good stuff. Good luck man. Sounds like fun

 

[NJDiverDan]

Day hunting when its cold, I might be inclined to bring a stove for a hot meal mid day. Typically during archery I have a tortilla (folded up and in a zip lock) a tuna packet. I have packets of ranch dressing and Valentina hot sauce to go on it. Sometimes I bring a small zip lock of precooked bacon crumbles too.

 

[Jn78]

Take what you will eat. Nuts, tuna, bars, ect are fine, but after a few days, that stuff isn't appetizing and you can get in a caloric deficit pretty quickly.

Buy a pizza on the way out. Put the leftovers in ziploc bags.

Sandwiches don't have to take prep time in the morning. Prepackage daily portions of meat and cheese in a ziploc baggie, put your daily bread in another ziploc, and take packets of condiments.

Also, If I am truck hunting, I will sometimes take some fruit juice. Hell, if I am not doing big mileage/elevation days, I really enjoy taking a can of pre-made coffee. You can get like 400 calories out of juice and coffee and it is a nice little mood booster.

 

[def90]

I’m probably in the minority here but I carry MREs or TOTMs with me for day hunts. Nothing beats a quick and easy hot meal no stove required.

 

[BruinPoint]

All good ideas. I hate to admit it but I'm kinda picky. I mostly prefer whole foods, and processed "bars" and bread/tortillas, etc barely qualify as food to me which is why I'm brainstorming. Even crackers are just for the salt and crunch. I always have a jetboil either in the pack or the truck so I'll throw that in along with some ramen and capuccino mix for something warm. I don't think it's going to get that cold in the area and elevations where I'll be, forecast is calling for low 20's at night but I'll throw anything that might explode in a separate zip lock. I might even act like it's 1975 and throw some Vienna sausages in the mix - I found some single serve Tapatio packets that might work perfectly with them.

 

[Jn78]

All good ideas. I hate to admit it but I'm kinda picky. I mostly prefer whole foods, and processed "bars" and bread/tortillas, etc barely qualify as food to me which is why I'm brainstorming. Even crackers are just for the salt and crunch. I always have a jetboil either in the pack or the truck so I'll throw that in along with some ramen and capuccino mix for something warm. I don't think it's going to get that cold in the area and elevations where I'll be, forecast is calling for low 20's at night but I'll throw anything that might explode in a separate zip lock. I might even act like it's 1975 and throw some Vienna sausages in the mix - I found some single serve Tapatio packets that might work perfectly with them.

I cannot imagine taking Vienna sausages or Ramens if I was trying to avoid processed foods. However, it is pretty easy to find bars (or make them) that only have 3 or 4 whole-food ingredients like nuts and fruit.

 

[11boo]

I take sandwiches packed with meat/cheese, and the squeeze packs of mustard and Mayo so they don’t get soggy.

 

[Gorp2007]

I really like the Dietz and Watson landjaegers. I was able to find them at Safeway up in South Dakota, no luck down here in Texas. That and some trail mix and hot coffee/cocoa if it's cold out.

 

[rayporter]

i can eat mres but the heaters can crap out over 10,000. that why i use fuel tabs.

 

[spike camp]

Since you’re car camping, why not bring whatever it is, you like to eat?

I’m imagining breaded chicken parmigiana with pasta in a Tupperware.

 

[Smokeslider]

Butt Hole Sandwiches

 

[Marmots]

Peanut butter and Jelly. It feels good to play the hits.

If someone else is coming, I put on a front of being mature and bring crackers, smoked gouda, apple slices, and sausage.

I also always have two or three of the nastiest cliff bars I can find in my pack. I choose flavors I hate so I'll only crack into them in the event of an emergency.

 

[The John]

For cold weather I like peanut butter and bacon sandwiches. you have to make in advance but they travel well and and great in the field. Maybe add a little honey if you need some sugar and your set.

 

[Cheaha]

I like the tuna and salmon packets, but screw up and spill fish oil on your pack or clothes and you will regret it. I know this from experience.