This weekend we finally embark on our first section hike of the Ouachita Trail! We have experimented with homemade camp meals while car camping and have found some that were fantastic and others that weren’t…
Here are the meals we have planned for our 3-day, 4-night hiking trip:

Coffee is a must, so each day starts off with a cup of joe and either a packet of oatmeal or egg scramble or sweet or savory grits (Kaila’s Tennessean is coming out). We will be snacking on nut butter, cheese, tortillas, trail mix, vegan jerky, and (fig) salami throughout the day to satiate our trail hunger. We have individually packaged our dinners for ease of cooking after a long day of hiking. These include pasta, mac and cheese, loaded mashed potatoes, and a couscous dish.
Check out our complete meal list for this hike below!

• Grits (Savory) 1 serving:
  • 1/4 cup grits
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp Milk powder
  • 1.5 tsp Bacon bits
  • 1-2 tbsp dried veggies
  • Water: 8 oz
• Grits (Sweet) 1 serving:
  • 1/4 cup grits
  • 1 tbsp Milk powder
  • 2 tsp brown sugar
  • 2 tsp coconut flakes
  • Water: 8 oz
• Egg Scramble (2 servings)
  • 1/2 pkg (2.25 oz) OvaEasy Egg Crystals (roughly 6 eggs)
  • 1 oz Bacon Bits
  • 2 tbsp dried veggies
  • 1 Cheese Stick (cubed)
  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil
  • Seasoning: Salt, Black Pepper, Dried Thyme
  • Water: 16 oz
• Mac and Cheese (2 servings):
  • 1 box Annie’s
  • 2 tbsp freeze dried veggies
  • 4 tsp dry milk
  • Water: 14 oz
• Pasta Primavera (2 servings):
  • 1 pouch Knorr Italian Sides (Creamy Garlic Shells)
  • 2 tbsp freeze dried veggies
  • 1 tbsp whole milk powder
  • 1 tbsp Grated Parmesan
  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil
  • Seasoning: Black Pepper, Dried Parsley
  • Water: 14 oz
• Loaded Mashed Potatoes (2 servings):
  • 1 pouch Idahoan Mashed Potatoes (Loaded Baked)
  • 1 oz Bacon Bits
  • 1 Cheese Stick (cubed)
  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 tbsp freeze dried veggies
  • Water: 16 oz
• Couscous (2 servings):
  • 1/3 cup whole wheat couscous
  • 1 teaspoon chia seeds
  • 1/3 cup chopped dried apricots
  • 1/3 coarsely chopped macadamia nuts
  • 1 tbsp dried veggies
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons powdered veggie base (or bouillon granules)
  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Water: 12 oz

For all of our non-pasta meals we will be boiling water and then rehydrating the meals. For the pasta meal we will boil water, let it cook over the flame for a few minutes, and then rehydrate. We’re hoping that the first three dinners will adequately feed us both but realize that we might have to double them for longer hikes.
We’re excited to try new meals and know that the couscous is delish!