Lunches are often difficult to pack when out on the trail – mainly, I think, because we don’t grant lunch the same level of importance as we do breakfast (“the most important meal of the day”) and supper (“the reward after a long day on the trail”). Rather than debate the necessity of a tasty lunch, I’ll just offer up a few suggestions to get you packin’!

There are a whole lot of lunch ideas wrapped up in a bagel. Try a whole wheat bagel, cream cheese and salami – it’s a staple in our family. When you get bored, change up the taste (try an “everything” bagel, a cheddar cheese bagel, a raisin bagel – your taste buds are the only limiting factor!). Switch plain cream cheese for herb flavoured or smoked salmon – but maybe not with a raisin bagel! Swap salami for roast beef, roast chicken, or ham. Experiment with mayonnaise, mustard, or pesto sauce instead of butter or margarine. Or even skip the meat and cheese altogether and go for peanut butter and honey, Nutella, or jam.

Wraps and pita bread both rock on the trail – they’re flat and the stuffing options almost outweigh those of bagel fillings. Try a tuna wrap (adding an individual-sized package of mayo and diced dill pickles on the trail if you’re worried about hot temperatures and/or soggy wraps). Stuff a pita pocket with leftover curry. Wrap up a pile of leftover salad. Make a bunch of black bean quesadillas ahead of time (wraps rolled around black beans, cheese, tomatoes, onions and spices and baked to a golden brown) and freeze until ready to throw one in your pack for a quick and easy lunch.

Crackers always work. Add some cheddar cheese and beef jerky and you have a perfect hiking lunch. Change the cheddar for havarti or Gouda or jack cheese if you get bored. Leave the beef jerky behind and try any variety of dry salami or pepperoni. One of my favourite combinations (this only works if you like strong flavours) is wheat thins, Stilton cheese and Landjaegar sausage – mmmmm!

If the weather’s cool, pack a thermos of boiling hot water and add a package of ramen-type noodles when you stop for lunch – on the spot warmth and energy. Instant cup-a-soup packages work well too.

Add hummous (carry dry in a ziplock, add water when ready to eat) and veggies (baby carrots, English cucumber, sliced red and yellow peppers, and celery work well packed in a ziplock), an apple or orange and a cookie, granola bar, or chocolate bar to any of these and you have the full meal deal.