What to Eat on a Trek: A Practical Food and Water Guide for Indian Trekkers
Your first trek is usually planned around shoes, jackets and the photo at the top. Food comes as an afterthought — a packet of biscuits, some chocolate and a bottle of water. Then, halfway up Kalsubai or on day two of Kedarkantha, your legs feel heavy and you cannot understand why everyone else seems fine.
Trekking is long, steady effort, often six to eight hours a day. Your body needs regular fuel, plenty of water and enough protein to recover overnight. At altitude there is an extra twist: many people simply stop feeling hungry.
Whether you are doing a one-day monsoon trek in the Sahyadris or a week in Uttarakhand or Himachal, this guide covers what to eat, what to pack and how to keep going.
- Eat a proper carbohydrate-rich dinner the night before and a real breakfast on the morning of the trek.
- Snack small and often on the trail — every 60–90 minutes — rather than one big lunch.
- Drink regularly even in cold weather; thirst is a poor guide at altitude.
- Appetite often drops at altitude, so carry foods you genuinely like eating.
- Vegetarian trekkers can get enough protein from dal, soy, paneer, nuts, chikki and a shake.
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Why food matters more on a trek than you think
A day of trekking with a backpack uses far more energy than a normal office day. Carbohydrate is the main fuel for that kind of steady effort, and your stores run down over hours of climbing. When they do, you feel it as heavy legs, irritability and poor footing — which matters on a slippery trail.
Multi-day treks add recovery. Tired muscles need protein and a good dinner to be ready for the next morning. Many first-timers eat too little on day one, sleep badly in the cold and struggle by day three.
Before the trek: the night before and the morning of
The evening before, eat a normal, satisfying dinner with a good share of carbohydrate: rice with dal and sabzi, rajma chawal or rotis with paneer. Skip the heavy, oily party dinner and go easy on alcohol, which works against both sleep and hydration.
On the morning of the trek, eat breakfast 60–90 minutes before starting if you can: poha with peanuts, upma, paratha with curd, eggs with toast, or oats with banana. Drink two glasses of water. Base-camp breakfasts are often simple — eat them even if you are excited or nervous.
On the trail: what to pack
Good trail food is light, does not spoil, is easy to eat standing up and tastes good even when you are tired. Pack a mix of quick energy and slower, more filling options.
| Food | Why it works | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Bananas, dates, raisins | Quick carbohydrate, easy to eat | Bananas bruise — eat them early |
| Peanut or til chikki | Energy plus some protein and fat | Sturdy, does not melt |
| Roasted chana, peanuts, makhana | Light, salty, filling | Useful when you sweat a lot |
| Trail mix (almonds, cashews, seeds) | Calorie-dense for the weight | Pre-portion into small bags |
| Thepla, khakhra, paratha rolls | Real food that travels | Thepla keeps well for 2–3 days |
| Boiled eggs or paneer sandwich | Protein for day one | Eat within a few hours in warm weather |
| ORS or electrolyte sachets | Replace salt lost in sweat | Mix into one of your bottles |
Water and electrolytes on the trail
In the humid Sahyadris during monsoon or on a sunny Himalayan ascent you can sweat heavily without noticing. At altitude, dry cold air and faster breathing also increase fluid losses, and many people feel less thirsty. Sip regularly rather than waiting to feel thirsty; a practical approach is a few mouthfuls every 15–20 minutes.
Most day treks need 2–3 litres, more in heat. Check urine colour: pale yellow is a reasonable sign you are keeping up. On long, sweaty days add an electrolyte or ORS sachet, or salty snacks, because drinking only large volumes of plain water is not ideal. Use stream water only after filtering, boiling or purifying it. Our water intake calculator gives a baseline to build on.
When altitude kills your appetite
Losing your appetite above about 2,500–3,000 metres is very common, and it tends to arrive just when you need food most. Don't force huge meals. Eat little and often, choose warm and familiar food — khichdi, dal-rice, soup, maggi with vegetables, hot chocolate or sweet chai — and keep snacks you actually enjoy.
Climb gradually and follow your trek leader's acclimatisation schedule. Headache, nausea, dizziness or unusual breathlessness at altitude are warning signs of altitude sickness: tell your guide, stop ascending and seek help. Food and water support your trek, but they are not a substitute for safe acclimatisation.
Vegetarian protein on a trek
Camp kitchens on popular Himalayan routes usually serve dal, rice, roti, sabzi and sometimes paneer or soy — a decent base. The gap is usually breakfast and trail snacks, which tend to be all carbohydrate.
Most adults need roughly 0.8–1 g protein per kg of body weight a day according to ICMR-NIN, and a little more during heavy activity can help recovery. Carry roasted chana, peanuts, soy nuts and chikki, take a second helping of dal at dinner, and consider a protein shake at camp. To prepare in the weeks before, build stamina with our free workout plan — stair climbs and loaded walks help — and plan your meals with the diet plan builder.
- Seconds of dal at camp dinner: easy protein you do not have to carry.
- Soy nuts and roasted chana: light, high-protein trail snacks.
- Peanut butter sachets: calorie-dense and good with khakhra.
- Powdered milk or a plant protein shake: mixes with warm water at camp.
Where KABO fits in
On a trek, KABO, an all-in-one plant-based nutrition drink, can be useful at camp as a quick breakfast top-up or after a long day when appetite is low but you know you need to eat. One serving has 23–25 g plant protein from pea and brown rice, about 198 kcal, 4 g fibre, 26 vitamins and minerals, omega-3 from flax, probiotics and digestive enzymes. It is dairy-free, so there is no milk to keep cold, and the powder weighs little in a zip bag.
It will not replace trail snacks or camp meals, and it is not an electrolyte drink — carry ORS for that. It is sweetened with stevia plus about 5 g organic cane sugar per serving, and comes in a Butter Coffee flavour; if you watch caffeine at altitude or before sleeping, check the pack.
Order a week or two before your trek: delivery usually takes 3–4 business days, and first orders have a 7-day money-back window so you can try it at home first.
Butter Coffee — All-in-One Nutrition Shake
23–25 g complete plant protein, 60+ superfoods, 26 vitamins & minerals, probiotics & digestive enzymes — in one 90-second shake.
Read next: Free workout plan to build trekking stamina · Build a free diet plan · Water intake calculator · Electrolytes and hydration in India · Eating healthy while travelling in India · Peanut chaat and sundal protein snacks
Frequently asked questions
What should I eat the morning of a trek?
A normal breakfast with carbohydrate and some protein, 60–90 minutes before starting — poha with peanuts, upma, paratha with curd or eggs with toast — plus a couple of glasses of water.
How much water should I carry on a day trek?
Usually 2–3 litres, more in hot or humid weather. Sip regularly, add ORS or electrolytes on sweaty days and only drink stream water after filtering or boiling it.
Why don't I feel hungry at high altitude?
Appetite loss is common at altitude. Eat small, warm, familiar meals often and keep snacks you enjoy. If it comes with headache, nausea or dizziness, tell your trek leader.
Can vegetarians get enough protein on a Himalayan trek?
Yes. Dal and paneer or soy at camp, plus chana, peanuts, soy nuts, chikki and a protein shake, cover most needs.
Are energy bars better than Indian snacks for trekking?
Not necessarily. Chikki, dates, thepla, trail mix and roasted chana are cheap, sturdy and do the same job. Take what you enjoy eating when tired.
Sources: ICMR-NIN Dietary Guidelines for Indians (2024) · NHS — Altitude sickness · Mayo Clinic — Water: How much should you drink every day? · WHO — Healthy diet fact sheet
This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice. If you are pregnant, managing a medical condition or taking medication, speak to your doctor before changing your diet or starting a supplement.