Recipes for Climbers: Three Quick and Delicious Bag Lunches
Is it just me or does lunch always seem to be the hardest meal of the day to plan when you’re headed out for a day on the wall?
I’ve certainly spent more than my fair share of days staring at a smooshed sandwich at the bottom of my backpacking thinking, “damn, I should have planned lunch better.”
If that sounds like you, follow along for three lunch recipes for climbers that are built for a day on the sharp end.
Three Quick, Simple, and Delicious Lunch Recipes for Climbers
Finding lunch recipes for climbers can be pretty difficult because let’s face it, we expect a lot out of our food. First and foremost, we usually don’t want to spend too much time making our lunch recipe. It’s sending temps after all! So you’re probably searching for recipes for climbers that take minimal time and effort. Next, as climbers, we squeeze our lunches into the worst shapes possible. If we can barely fit through the offwidth chimney, then our lunch is definitely going to have a rough time maintaining any semblance of shape. And of course, wouldn’t it be great if the lunch recipes we found were also healthy? What we eat before and during rock climbing is important for performance and energy. Keeping up with a healthy climbing diet can be a mega-pitch all on its own, and it can be difficult to get the number of calories and nutrients we need into our backpacks without taking up a ton of space. With all these factors, finding some good lunch recipes for climbers can seem like too much trouble. But don’t despair (and please don’t just throw some peanut butter and a bag of tortillas in your pack). Bag lunch recipes for climbers are here to save the day!
What’s the deal with the whole bag lunch recipe for climbers thing?
Glad you asked. We’re not talking about brown bag lunches, ok. We’re talking about eco-friendly, reusable bag lunches that are uber-smushable, leakproof, and flat out amazing. Think about it for a sec. Most camping or everyday lunch recipes aren’t made for climbers. They’re not made to be tossed beneath pounds of gear or carried for miles. So, regular camping recipes get wrecked when you take them climbing. Bag lunch recipes for climbers are great because they don’t care what shape they’re in. They taste the same or even better when they’ve been sitting for a while. There are a few components that go into why these bag lunch recipes for climbers really work.
First, the bag. Stop using single-use, flimsy plastic bags. It’s shitty for the environment and they tear apart easily. It sucks to pull out your favorite #2 camalot only to realize it’s covered in PB + J. My go-to reusable bag is the StasherBag, which I’ve tried and tested on many a day of adventure.
Next, what you put in the bag. You’ll notice that all of the lunch recipes for climbers have some sort of a grain for a base. That’s because grains not only fill you up, they keep your lunch from getting overly soggy. Grains absorb the moisture around them, unlike a typical salad with a leafy green base, which actually leaks moisture as the temperature changes. Because grains absorb moisture, they keep your lunch looking good all day and *bonus* get tastier with time because they absorb the flavors around them.
I don’t want to brag, but this tasty plant-based recipe for climbers will brighten up pretty much any scenario it’s eaten in. Pearled couscous makes a light but filling base, lime juice, and olive oil offer refreshing taste, and pine nuts pack an extra protein punch. Add in red onion, spinach, and some crumbles of cotija cheese and you’re taste buds are gonna be like “whattt” and you’re gonna be like “yep. I’m amazing. Best cook ever” and then you’ll probably go on and crush your project. It’s amazing the things a good midday meal can do!
This was one of the first bag lunch recipes for climbers that I ever came up with, and there’s a reason it’s at the top of my list. Pearled couscous is quick to cook, and the other ingredients are easy to find. I’ve made this recipe for family cookouts and for alpine missions, and it’s always gotten 5-star reviews
2. 20 Minute Vegan Ceviche
This isn’t your average ceviche. It’s hardcore ceviche, and it’s ready for you to stuff it in the bottom of your pack and leave it there for 5 hours before you eat it. In fact, it’ll only make this recipe for climbers better.
If you’re like me, you’ve pulled your fair share of smushed and soggy sandwiches out of your pack for lunch. They get the job done (kind of), but wouldn’t it be great if your lunch actually got better with the hours passed and elevation gained? Here’s a few reasons why this 20-minute vegan ceviche is one of my go-to recipes for climbers:
You only need 20 minutes to toss it together (for real)
Make it the night before and be ready for alpine starts
Squish-proof!
The more time it sits, the more the flavors combine. Win-Win!
Plant- based protein + mouth-watering flavor + veggie goodness
As with most of my recipes, this vegan ceviche recipe can be easily adapted to what you have on hand! Some of my favorite shelf-stable (and protein-boosting) add-ins are black beans and chickpeas, and the vegetables can be switched out for what you have in stock.
3. Couscous Pesto Salad with Kale and Walnuts
This couscous pesto salad with kale and walnuts has been one of a few go-to lunch recipes for climbers that I’ve had on repeat all summer, and it likely will be for you too. Couscous is a favorite grain of mine, especially when I’m cooking with a simple camping setup. Because it’s not messy or sticky (as long as you add the ever-important dollop of olive oil when you’re cooking it). And it doesn’t take much fuel to cook, especially when compared to more time-consuming grains like quinoa. This means that you can easily boil up the water you need with a jetboil or similar device, stir in the couscous, and then mix all other ingredients straight in the container you’re packing/eating from. Goodbye, dishes (because seriously, who the hell wants to waste time doing dishes when there are rocks to climb and peaks to bag?). Couscous also packs in some protein (added to in this recipe by the accompaniment of kale and walnuts) and is filling enough to power you through a whole-day hike or climb.
Need more reasons to give this recipe a try? Well, it takes about 15 minutes of minimal effort and only 5 ingredients to make, it’s a lot more refreshing than a soggy peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and if you eat it with a fork, it won’t mess up your crack climbing gloves with weird food stains.
Did you try out one of these bag lunch recipes for climbers? Did you send your project? Drop a comment below to tell me how it went!