Hitting the slopes? Trekking through the back country? Gliding through fresh trails? Sounds good to us. Not only is this a great way to enjoy nature at its most refreshing (provided you’re properly dressed!), you can’t beat it as a workout. A 155-pound person will burn about 446 calories per hour downhill skiing and about the same cross-country skiing at 2.5 mph. Calories are energy, and we need ski food ideas that will help put back what we burn off so we have the stamina to continue our snowy adventures. Here are our favorite energy snacks for skiing – and they work just as well for snowboarding or snowshoeing!
4 Low-Maintenance Energy Snacks for Skiing
You want to maximize your time on the slopes or trails instead of prepping food? No problem. Pack these tasty (nutritious) choices:
- Anything Sweetwood. Meat snacks are a top choice for skiers, backpackers, hunters, and pretty much anyone who churns through the calories and needs high-quality protein on the go. Get twice the protein of an average meat stick (and none of the artificial junk) with our all-natural, 2-oz FATTY Hickory-Smoked Meat Sticks. FATTY smoked meat sticks also happen to be perfectly pocket sized, making them ideal snacks to enjoy on the trails or the lifts. Or fuel up on our small-batch Steak Bites or Beef Jerky – we love turkey too, but the beef has a few more calories per serving. Kick it up a notch with our Jalapeno FATTY smoked meat sticks, Peppered Steak Bites, and Sweet & Hot Beef Jerky or get your fix of sweet and sassy with our Honey BBQ and Teriyaki FATTY smoked meat stick flavors. You know what? You can’t go wrong with a Sampler Pack.
- Nuts. Another classic choice for active folks. Nuts are calorie-dense, lightweight, Omega 3 and protein powerhouses. They’re also delicious. Try peanuts, walnuts, pistachios, sunflower seeds, cashews, and almonds.
- Trail Mix. Amp up your handful of nuts with fruit for a complete snack. Raisins, dried cranberries, and some dark chocolate chips. You can opt for pre-packaged mixes, but it’s just as easy to make your own (and less expensive too – not to mention healthier).
- Peanut Butter Cups, Peanut M&Ms, or a Snickers Bar. Go ahead, treat yourself. Chocolate and peanut butter is, arguably, the best combination ever, and these options will give you a quick energy boost, calories, protein, carbs, and a little fat to keep you going. Nothing wrong with a little indulgence when you’re working so hard!
3 Make-Ahead Ski Food Ideas
You have a few minutes to throw together some energy snacks for skiing? Nice choice. We’d go with:
- Energy Bars. You can make these quickly and inexpensively at home. There are endless recipes to try (and you can let your taste buds be your guide). A pretty standard set of ingredients is oats, chia seeds, dried fruit, peanut butter, and honey. (Ok, you can add chocolate chips if you want!) Mix ingredients together; the peanut butter and honey are not only nutrient-packed, they’re like “glue” that holds the oats and other goodies together. Press into a baking pan, chill, cut, and wrap them up.
- Sammies. Sandwiches. So simple. So nutritious. So yummy. Very easy to transport and endlessly versatile, a sandwich is a great ski snack. Whether you opt for peanut butter and jelly, peanut butter and honey, turkey on wheat, veggie, or our favorite, whatever-you-have-for-leftovers, you can’t go wrong. This is a filling option with all the nutrients you need to get back out there. And it still tastes just as good if it gets squished.
- Stuffed Dates. Be a little fancy! Pit several dates and stuff them with coconut butter or a nut butter. The chilly temperatures will keep them nice and firm until you’re ready for a snack.
Get out there and enjoy… but be sure to pack your favorite energy snacks for skiing (or snowboarding or snowshoeing) before you go. Buy Sweetwood‘s meat snacks now online or check out our store locator to find out where Sweetwood products are sold near you – you can even find us at some of your favorite ski resorts!