Four Thermos Treats to Take on the Trail

Whether you’re taking a day-long hike or an afternoon stroll, especially in cold weather, you’ll want to make sure you’re giving your body what it needs to go the extra mile! A hot snack in a thermos meets your nutritional needs, plus warms you up. Here are some ideas for nutritious and warming thermos snacks.

Overnight Oats

In the morning, add to your day with some protein, grains, fruit, magnesium, and carbs to give yourself a jump start.

Ingredients:

• ⅓ to ½ cup liquid such as dairy milk, almond, cashew or coconut milk
• ⅓ to ½ cup yogurt
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• Banana (or another kind of fruit like blueberries)
• ¼ cup cacao nibs (optional)
• ¼ cup granola (optional)
• Honey (optional)

Instructions:

1. Combine liquid, yogurt, and oats into a small bowl and mix well

2. Add mixture to bottom of thermos

3. Layer ingredients

4. Stick in the fridge overnight

5. Heat in the morning

Tip: Drizzle small amounts of honey in between layers

Tomato Soup

For lunch consider something hearty that will warm you up and give you the fuel to keep going. A cup of tomato soup can do the trick.

Ingredients:

• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup sugar
• Garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Parmesan (optional)
• Sundried tomato garnish (optional)

Instructions:

1. Sauté onion in oil on low heat until translucent

2. Combine onions, canned and crushed tomatoes into pot and cook on medium heat until boiling

3. Reduce heat to simmer, add salt, pepper, garlic, and sugar and cook for 45 minutes

4. Add heavy cream and cook on low heat for 5 minutes

5. Add to thermos

Tip: Sprinkle in some freshly shaved Parmesan at step 3 to add texture and flavor.

Mulled Cider

Who doesn’t need a pit stop along the way? Sit down with something hot to drink and take in the scenery.

Ingredients:

• ½ gallon of cider
• 2 teaspoons whole allspice
• ¼ teaspoon whole cloves
• 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick, broken in half
• 1 (3 x 1-inch) strip orange rind or orange slice

Instructions:

1. Pour the cider (or apple juice) into a 5-quart or larger slow cooker.

2. Add the fresh ingredients and spices.

3. Slow cook the cider for 4 hours.

Tip: Place the cloves and spices in a tea ball first to make removal easier, but add a cinnamon stick or an orange slice to the thermos to continue to add flavor.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

For a more hearty late afternoon snack, you’ll want something that leaves you feeling full, and provides you with the energy to walk the remaining miles back to your car. Stuffed acorn squash offers a sweet vegetables coupled with savory stuffing—the added cranberries give a nice sugar boost.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium acorn squash
• 2 large cooking apples, peeled, cored, chopped
• 1 small onion and 1-2 stalks of celery
• 2 to 4 tablespoons dried cranberries or raisins
• 3 to 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Sauté onion and celery, combine with additional stuffing ingredients, and set aside

3. Cut acorn squash in half and bake for 45 minutes

4. Remove halves from oven and add stuffing mixture to each half

5. Bake for an additional 30 minutes

6. Scoop contents into thermos

Tip: Add a sprinkle of cinnamon to complement the other flavors.

No matter what you take on the trail, make sure it balances nutrition and comfort. Your ride home might not seem so daunting if your stomach is happy. Happy trails!