Snack packs : hiking

1 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
Fruit juice
Water
Oatmeal raisin cookies
Graham crackers
Fruit; fresh and dried
Seeds
Nuts
Bagels

Directions

INTRO: Hiking is a great way to celebrate summer. However, without the proper nutrients and lots of liquids, a beautiful day in the mountains can turn into a nightmare. Planning the proper food and drink for your trek is just as important as planning your hiking route.

Nancy Clark, M.S., R.D., offers these helpful knapsack nutrition tips for your next outdoor adventure:

Before you step out of your house in the morning, eat a hearty breakfast that includes high-fiber carbohydrates (whole grain cereal, fruit, whole grain bread, buckwheat pancakes) and lean protein (milk, low-fat turkey sausage, eggs, cottage cheese). This will fill your tank before you set off on your journey.

Once you are out on the trail, listen to your body and stay one step ahead of its needs. Eat before you are hungry and drink before you are thirsty.

Have a snack every hour or so, take time to stop for lunch, and drink water at least every 10 to 20 minutes. Your body is slow to report impending dehydration and fatigue, so stay one step ahead of the game.

So, what do you pack in your sack for lunch and snacks? Clark offers the following suggestions:

Liquids -- water, juice, or sports drinks. NEVER soda or alcoholic beverages as they actually rob your body of nutrients instead of replenishing them.

Sweets -- cookies (high carbohydrate ones like oatmeal raisin) or graham crackers in case you feel yourself "crashing" and need a quick energy burst (Be sure to follow sweets with a well-balanced snack to stabilize blood sugar.)

Lunch Foods -- sandwiches (peanut butter, hummus with veggies, cream cheese and jelly, roasted veggies with mozzarella), spaghetti, low-fat macaroni-and-cheese, sunflower seeds, peanut butter, canned tuna or chicken, cheese, or baked beans.

Fruits -- fresh fruit, especially apples, oranges, and bananas as well as dried fruit like figs, raisins, dates, or apricots.

Breads -- bagels, crackers, pretzels, or tortillas (aim for the ones with the highest fiber content to control blood sugar) Also, when hiking with kids, it is doubly important that they stay hydrated. Take along some fruit juice boxes or thermoses of water to keep them satisfied. Remember to fuel your body before you set out on a hike and keep it fueled all day long. Otherwise you're bound to miss the beauty of nature you set out to find.

ref -

mc/kitpath@...

Recipe by: Nutrition News by Rebecca Boger, Go Girl Magazine Posted to EAT-LF Digest by PatHanneman <kitpath@...> on May 08, 1999, converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.

Related recipes