A unique cookbook for the adventure minded souls. Read to discover shopping tips and tricks for how to make Trader Joes shopping trips for any backcountry excursion. Get excited for delicious, mostly vegetarian backcountry meals!

1. T.J.B.B. AKA The Trader Joe’s
Backpacking Bible
Written by: Alissa Welker

2. FOREWORD:
When I was first introduced to backpacking I thought it meant a week of dehydrated Mountain House Meals at $12 a
pop with my pick between Lasagna, Beef Stroganoff, or Chicken and Noodles. Or I could go for the fancy version and
spend $15+ on a single back country meal. While they provide the convenience of the “just add water” approach and
single bag cooking I can’t say I ever got super excited about eating bagged food for a week. I did love it when I
perfected my water ratio for each mix to make it just the right consistency, but I decided it was time to take my
backpacking meals to the next level. I have spent the past several years perfecting my shopping list and concocting
recipes designed for the backcountry. So much so, that many of these meals I have started eating “front country” -
also known as in the comfort of my own kitchen in the city. They are just that tasty!
This cookbook provides a shopping list and Trader Joe’s (TJ’s) essentials for a decadent backcountry experience.
Note that this is not for the count every gram backpacker. You will inevitably be carrying some extra weight, but I
guarantee you that your stomach and wallet will thank you for this budget friendly, mostly vegetarian deliciousness
that will carry you over the mountains, through the forest and to the seas.
I have had enough friends ask me for my shopping list and recipes that I decided it was time to put it together and
share wide and far. So here it is folks. Happy Trails!

3. THE LIST +COMMENTARY:
The following shopping list does not include amounts, but it does include my TJ’s Staples that can be turned into delicious back
country meals.
● Bell Peppers: A bit chunky but lightweight. A great add for the first two day’s lunches w/ hummus & cheese in a tortilla
● Mushroom Risotto: Quite yummy & filling. Word to the wise: if it is chilly out, add extra water for a porridge consistency!
● White Cheddar Mac: An obvious staple.
● Trail Mix: So many delicious options given the trail mix haven that TJ’s is.
● Trader Joes Garlic Hummus: Yummmmm
● Bag of Apples: Nothing like fresh produce backcountry. Apples are super durable and a great option.
● Bunch of Bananas: Bananas… delicious and great to add to oats but will get smooshed and won’t last much past day one. If
you still have a hankering for the lovely yellow fruit backcountry, check out TJ’s dried bananas in the dried fruit section!
● Granola: Crunchy-ish
● Oats: Filling and warm
● Avocados: Soooooo tasty
● Trader Joe’s 10 Pack of Flour Tortillas: Always the first thing that has to be rationed.
● Trader Joes Natural Crunchy Peanut Butter: Calories! 5+ spoon-fulls a day keeps the tiredness away.
● Dried Fruit: Apricots and Mangoes Preferred: Your bananas and apples will only take you so far. Hit up the dried fruits section
for continued produce delights throughout your trip.
● Bag of Whole Carrots: Crunchy tasty snack. Pick up a bag of adult carrots, no time for babies… (recommended w/ PB)
● Couscous: Really any grain will do. I prefer couscous because of how fast it cooks!
● Roasted Red Pepper Soup: A recent addition to the list that is a delight
● Black Beans: Make sure your swiss army knife has a can opener!
● Canned salmon or Diños: This is where the whole mostly veg comes in. salmon & diños are a great protein add to any meal.
Note: Diño is short for sardines. It is what all the cool people call them these days.
● Cheddar Cheese Block: Cheese is Queen
● Oatmeal Cookies: I go back and forth between the chocolate Dunkers and the Oatmeal Cookies but oats normally win
● Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate 3 pack: Dark chocolate is not candy. It is a fact of life.
● Gummies: Scandinavian Swimmers or Gummy Tummies: Another recent add to the list that is a must for sendy days,
especially at high elevation.

4. THE MIX & MATCH RECIPE GAME:
With the shopping list above you have options galor to mix and match your proteins and your grains. Below are
some of my favorites and I am constantly discovering more TJs food that truly blossoms in the backcountry. Next
on my list to try and add to my shopping list: TJ’s Miso Soup, and TJ’s Indian Fare.
BREAKFASTS: Normally I wake up, eat a bar and hit the trail but if a slow morning presents
itself, these are my go to breakfasts:
Powerhouse Breakfast Wrap: Bundles of deliciousness that are a great start to the morning!
● Ingredients: Tortillas, Bananas, Peanut Butter, Granola, Dried Fruit
Might Oats: If you are having a leisurely morning at camp and are heating water for coffee
already, I highly suggest a warm cup of oats!
● Ingredients: Oats, Diced Apples, Peanut Butter, Dried Fruit, Granola
LUNCHES: Typically I snack a lot throughout the morning and have a small late lunch on the
trail.
Veggie Wrap: A great light option if you still have more mileage to crush for the day. This
doesn’t get you many calories but it’s quite tasty and great when supplemented by bars and
trail mix.
● Ingredients: Tortilla, hummus, cheddar cheese, peppers, carrots
Powerhouse Breakfast Wrap Becomes Lunch Wrap: Peanut butter + granola + trail mix
makes a great lunch option as well!

5. DINNERS: By dinner time I am ready to feast! Below are some of my favorite
combos with my normal TJ’s shopping list, but like I said I am always
discovering new deliciousness.
Rice Pilaf Masterpiece: The rice pilaf is truly a gift from above when you are
looking for a warm, filling meal at the end of a long day on the trail. If it is
cold out, I highly recommend adding extra water to make it more soupy.
● Ingredients: TJ’ Mushroom Rice Pilaf mix, black beans, cheese,
avocado, tortilla (if you fancy a wrap)
● Directions: Cook the rice pilaf until it is mostly done and then add the
black beans just long enough so that they get properly heated. While
the rice pilaf is cooking, chop of cheddar cheese into cubes and dice
the avocado. Once the rice and beans are fully cooked and nice and
warm, serve into a bowl and sprinkle the cheese and avocado on top.
If you have extra tortillas available, I highly recommend pairing with a
tortilla!
● Serving Size Note: I have finished a full box of rice pilaf with one other
person before but that is a rarity. Typically I will cook about ⅔ of the
box for 2 people.
● Other Recommendations: I will often add canned salmon with this
recipe as well to pack in some extra protein.
THE MIX & MATCH RECIPE GAME DINNER MAGIC

6. Mac & Cheese Heaven: The white shell macaroni and cheese will really bring you back to your childhood. Keep it
simple or spice it up, no matter what it is a winner after a long day of hiking.
● Ingredients: White Cheddar Mac, black beans, avocado, hummus (optional)
● Directions: Cook the mac and cheese until noodles are tender. While the mac and cheese is boiling, I
recommend making your cheese sauce ahead of time. Because I normally don’t bring olive oil, butter or milk
for the cheese sauce, I have gotten in the habit of using water plus a dollop of hummus, mixed with the
cheese packets to make a creamy sauce. The hummus acts as a thickener and adds some umf to the
sauce! Once the noodles are cooked add in the cheese sauce and the drained beans and turn the heat back
on low to make sure that all of the beans warm up! Add in avocado chunks to the top for some additional
flavor!
● Serving Size Note: I typically count on one box of Mac for every one person when you are coming off of a big
day.
Roasted Red Pepper Soupy Goodness: This is a recent add that is a good first day dinner given the weight of the
soup. But it is truly a treat!
● Ingredients: couscous, Roasted Red Pepper Soup, pepper, cheese
● Directions: Cook the couscous and diced up pepper in a pot until the couscous is tender. Pour in the soup
and keep the heat on low until the soup is warm. Add in slices of cheese while the soup is still warm so that
it melts and adds some extra flavor. If you have some extra room on the first day, I highly recommend a loaf
of bread to bring this meal to the next level.
● Serving Size Note: The soup serves 4 but if you are sufficiently hungry, you can definitely knock it out with 2
people. It does reseal in a cardboard container though so you could keep some for seasoning for the next
day in the mac and cheese as well!
THE MIX & MATCH RECIPE GAME DINNER MAGIC

7. WORDS OF WISDOM & MISC.:
Cooking Essentials: All of these recipes are designed to be one pot backcountry meals. You can get fancy with it and bring
a skillet if you are car camping and add a number of delicious sautéed vegetables to this list if that suits your fancy.
Otherwise get excited for these one dish, one knife, one bowl wonders!
The Snack Game: In addition to this list snackage is KEY. I have not included any bars, gatorade powder or other extra
goodies to get you the quick calories and electrolytes needed for a sendy day. Calorie counts not provided.
Food Safety Word to the Wise: Hey won’t some of that stuff go bad? At first I was very skeptical about the cheese and
hummus going bad but I am 10+ trips in and haven’t had a problem! Although I have heard that you can get “just add water”
hummus powder from Berkeley Bowl, but that is outside of the world of Trader Joe’s so it shall not be named.
*Legal note: I am not responsible for any gastronomic issues on the trail. Let’s face it, even if you aren’t eating cheese that hasn’t been refrigerated your intestines are
rarely all too happy with you when you are consuming copious amounts of energy bars for the in-between snackage.
Cost: I keep it frugal. For a two person, 2.5 day backpacking trip with a no frills TJ’s
shopping trip, I can keep the cost to about $60 total. If you go for the least expensive
option for all of the essentials you have ample wiggle room to sprinkle in some
bougie options!
Prep Time: All of these are 20 min or less meals (from inception to in your tummy). I
am not a very patient cook so you can trust the speediness is truth.
LNT + Environmental Plug: Leave No Trace Plug: Don’t forget to pack out all of your
trash! Did you know that the average American produces 4.5 lbs of trash a day!?
Don’t be that person in or out of the woods!

8. APPENDIX:
Shopping list w/out commentary so you can Copy + Paste + Edit to your liking
● Bell Peppers
● Mushroom Risotto
● White Cheddar Mac
● Trail Mix
● Trader Joes Garlic Hummus
● Bag of Apples
● Bunch of Bananas
● Granola
● Oats
● Avocados
● Trader Joe’s 10 Pack of Flour Tortillas
● Trader Joes Natural Crunchy Peanut Butter
● Dried Fruit: Apricots and Mangoes Preferred
● Bag of Whole Carrots
● Roasted Red Pepper Soup
● Canned salmon or Diños
● Cheddar Cheese Block
● Oatmeal Cookies
● Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate 3 pack
● Gummies: Scandinavian Swimmers or Gummy Tummies