Eating for Skiing: Finding the Best Foods For Your Day-Long Skiing Adventures

Refueling Before Skiing Again

When it’s cold outside, and you’re tackling hill after hill, swooshing and skilifting your way up and down the slopes, it can be easy to forget about some of your basic bodily functions. No, I’m not talking about the bathroom – I’m talking about your need for energy and nutrition.

A day of skiing can see you burn calories well above what you might normally burn – for some, this might be anywhere from 2,000 to 3,500 calories throughout the day. While the exercise can be both fun and exhilarating, keep in mind that you’ll need to fuel your body to handle that kind of energy output.

That’s why this article will explain some of the best foods for eating on your all-day skiing adventures. Here are some quick tips.

-Water, water, water.

Water is always the key. It will (obviously) rehydrate your body, but will also be consumed when you’re digesting out in the cold. It’s easy to lose moisture and heat when you’re out skiing, so make sure that drinking plenty of water is part of your plan for the day.

-Eat a big breakfast.

Eating a big breakfast won’t only give you plenty of energy to go on until a late lunch, but it will kickstart your metabolism for the day, preparing you for the day of activity ahead. Getting plenty of vitamins at this time is also key, as your body will be able to put them to use immediately.

-Don’t avoid fat.

Many people believe that eating lean is healthy, and it can be, but ignoring your body’s need for fat is a common dietary mistake. Fat is the most energy-rich of the macro-nutrients, supplying about twice the calories per gram that proteins and carbohydrates offer. For healthy supplies of “good” fat, include olive oil, avocado, or almonds somewhere in your skiing diet.

-Don’t eat low-carb.

The low-carb diet might work for some, but if you’re expending a lot of energy, a great way to fuel yourself is by eating carbohydrates. Cereals and toast in the morning and a healthy-sized sandwich with bread at lunch will provide a lot of energy for you to burn right away on the slopes.

It’s not necessary to take more than one supplement of vitamins a day for your skiing trip. Vitamins should already be present in the diet you’re eating, giving less of a need to take in anything extra. Keep it simple, eat heartily, and drink plenty of water: you’ll feel better and you’ll have a great day of skiing.

Photo Credits: humain

Originally posted 2009-03-31 05:20:02.

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