By Carrie Fleming, Outings Chair, South Central Pennsylvania Group
Feel like taking a hike but don’t want to carry much? Out for a trail run, and need some sustained energy? Taking the kids along and need a healthy snack? Well, GORP is a snack that is portable, adaptable to your activity needs, and as healthy as you want to make it.
How did the term “GORP” come to be? There are two “camps” that debate the origin. One side goes all the way back to Old English to the word “gaup,” which means to open the mouth wide. Over time, the meaning changed to “eating large amounts,” and the pronunciation became “GORP.” The other side goes back to the late 1960’s when GORP was a popular snack among outdoor enthusiasts, and was made with “Good Old Raisins and Peanuts”. Regardless of the side you choose, GORP is easy to make and easy to eat.
GORP can be made from any number of foods. Nuts, seeds, crackers, cereal, pretzels, candy, dried fruit, and granola are just a few things that can go into your mixing bowl. The sky is the limit with choices and your imagination! Nuts and seeds will give you protein and fats to sustain your energy. Dried fruit provides quick sugar and fiber for energy and helps you feel less hungry. Cereal, pretzels, and candy add crunch, or that salty-sweet factor that we all crave. (For the candy, M&Ms, Swedish Fish, or other candies that won’t melt if it is warm outside, work best. Use chocolate chips or chunks at your own risk of mess!)
As a trainer and nutrition coach, I try to match my mix to the activity that I have planned, while keeping the ingredients as healthy as possible. Here are a few example combinations (use cups or 100g portions). My personal preference is to cut down on nuts and seeds in favor of extra cereal, salty pretzels, or crackers:
For us, I’m going to choose a classic blend:
2 portions of a seed, nut and peanut blend – 2 cups or 200g
1 portion of dried fruit – 1 cup or 100 g
1 portion of extras, like cereal, pretzels, candy, or granola – 1 cup or 100g
Mix all of the ingredients in a big bowl or container. Portion into easily portable bags or boxes and store leftovers in an airtight container. It’s just that easy, and uses ingredients that might already be in your pantry. Pack, hike, eat, enjoy!
This blog was included as part of the July 2026 Sylvanian newsletter. Please click here to check out more articles from this edition!