Hikers Paradise Lunch Pack
Vesterålen is a true hiking paradise, with more than 200 marked trails across mountains and along the coast. With the right energy boost, your hike becomes even better – and a good packed lunch is especially important on longer trips.
The traditional packed lunch with bread and toppings works well, combined with plenty of water and perhaps something warm in a thermos. Add some fruit and vegetables, and you’ll be able to keep going for hours. Many hotels and accommodation providers offer packed lunches made from their breakfast buffet, with a good selection of nutritious food and a few treats.
Healthy and Nutritious Trail Food
Enjoying yourself on a hike doesn’t have to come at the expense of healthy, nutritious food.
Wholegrain filled rolls or twists are easy to pack and can quickly be warmed over a campfire or grill – tasting just like freshly baked.
Make a dough using equal parts wholemeal and refined wheat flour. You can also add a handful of your favorite seeds, such as pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, or sunflower seeds. For the filling, use cheese or light spreadable cheese in your preferred flavor, a bit of cooked ham, grilled chicken, or sausage pieces made by a local producer. Here in Vesterålen, we also love using local ingredients such as moose, reindeer, and whale meat. Season to taste and add paprika, spring onions, and other vegetables as you like.
Other healthy and nutritious hiking food options include wholegrain tortillas filled with some of the best local ingredients from Vesterålen. Smoked Arctic char, scrambled eggs made with local eggs, a little sour cream or mayonnaise, and fresh vegetables make a delicious combination. Another local option is tortillas filled with smoked and cured whale meat, slices of local brie, a dollop of crème fraîche whipped with lingonberries, and arugula or fresh salad. Or why not replace traditional sausages with fish cakes? They taste wonderful over an open fire.
Love Seafood?
If you enjoy seafood, a hike along one of the coastal trails can become a true culinary experience.
Plan ahead and bring good bread, a pot, some oil, a splash of cream, finely chopped onion, one lime, salt, pepper, and a little white wine. Collect blue mussels, dog whelks, and shore crabs (remember to check the Blue Mussel Warning for the area you are in).
Boil the shore crabs (preferably using about one-third seawater) to extract flavor – one deciliter of stock is enough. Sauté the onion in oil for 2–3 minutes, then add the mussels. Steam with the lid on for one minute. Add cream, crab stock, lime juice, and a splash of white wine. Steam until the mussels begin to open. Place the dog whelks on a fire-heated stone until the snail loosens from the shell (do not place them directly in the embers, as they will become tough).
Serve together with the mussels and good bread dipped in the broth. Enjoy!
Use established fire pits, take all litter home, and leave nature the way you wish to find it.
Before Drinking Water Directly from Nature
- Make sure the water is running and clear.
- Check that the water has no smell or taste.
- Avoid water near dead animals or animal droppings.
- Avoid water sources near grazing animals.
If in doubt, we recommend bringing drinking water or using water purification tablets.
