Ever struggle to come up lunch ideas on your outing? Are you going on an extended hike and you don’t want to eat peanut butter sandwiches or salami and cheese on crackers every day? These lunch ideas are easy enough to prepare with minimal preparation anywhere. They are high in kilojoules to keep you going and they taste great.

Have you been out there in the great outdoors just craving falafels or a salad (or even a kebab)? I have, by the way, I am a bit obsessed with food. When I am far away from the shops, out in the bush or on a mountain somewhere, I think of all the food that I want to eat, and that obviously, well, I can’t where I am... I have created a few different lunch ideas that came from my cravings. Here are a few of those ideas that I want to share with you for your next adventure, happy hiking everyone!

Sonya on the other side of the Ball Pass, New Zealand, Mt Cook Ranges

52 | BWA October 2014

I wanted to try and create something like a tabouleh as I love this kind of salad, but I want it to be nutritionally sustainable. I have succumbed to my mad cravings with this salad (with a bit of tuna or salami added), and it has given me more choices for lunch. This is such a simple lunch meal and it is so easy to prepare. Cracked wheat salad anyone? Yes please...

At home

Chop the mixed peel as fine as you can.

Label the bags and then place all of the ingredients into the allocated bags.

Copy “Method at camp” and keep together with the bags.

Method at camp

In a small air tight container place the contents of Bag 1 (cracked wheat mix) and Bag 2 (sun dried tomatoes). Pour ⅓ cup of water over the mix, stir through and seal the container. In about 15 mins open the container, add a sachet of tuna (or salami) and stir through. Enjoy.

Hints and tips

Dried capers can be ordered online. If you get a chance to catch some fish, this would make a really nice accompaniment.

This lunch idea has a little cooking involved, but the falafels can be cooked at night before your hike. On a nutritional note, chick peas are high in protein, and protein is required in the diet for growth and repair. This dish is not only good for you, it is high in kilojoules (to keep you hiking) and easy to prepare. And it can also be used to make kebabs which includes the cracked wheat salad recipe and some mountain bread (just for another lunch idea..).

Tuna pouch (in oil) 100 grams - keep separate

Bag 1 (cracked wheat mix)

Bag 2

Water - 1/3 cup

At home

Chop the mixed peel as fine as you can. In a food processor or mortar and pestle, grind the sesame seeds to make a powder. Label bags and then place all ingredients into the allocated bags and container. Copy “Method at camp” and keep together with the bags.

Method at camp

For the falafelsEmpty Bag 1 (falafel mix) in a bowl. Add 1/3 cup of water, slowly mixing through to form a firm paste. Using a spoon, roll into quenelles. Fry in a pan with 2 Tbsp of olive oil and cook on either side for two to three minutes each until golden brown.

For the hummusEmpty Bag 2 (hummus mix) in a container and add 2 Tbsp water and stir through.

Then add 1 Tbsp oil, stirring through to make a paste. You may need to add a little more oil or water, depending on the desired consistency. Serve with the falafels.

Hints and tips

Sesame flour can be used (if you can find it at the shops, or you can order it online).

Bag 1 (falafel mix)

Bag 2 (hummus mix)

Container

Water - 1/3 cup for falafels, 2 Tbsp for hummus.

A little bit about Sonya

Her two favourite things in life are spending as much time outdoors as possible, and food. From a very early age her father had her out skiing (literally as soon as she could walk), camping, caving, and bush walking, hence spending a lot of time in the wilderness. She has a BSc in Food Science and was a chef in her past life (this makes a handy combination and explains those cravings!). She is based in the Blue Mountains, NSW and is currently writing a cook book with lots of nutritional advice designed especially for bushwalking, which combines her two favourite things. The recipes focus on the meals be-ing light weight for the pack, nutri-tious, easy to prepare and they all taste great. The recipes provided in this section are from her upcoming book, watch this space!

Photo: Getting ready to cross the Ball Pass (2121 metres), Mt Cook, New Zealand.