There’s nothing quite like sailing over fresh powder on a quiet mountainside. Your muscles work in tandem to keep you upright as you fly down trails and over ramps. If you don’t know what to eat before skiing, you might not have the strength to maintain your stamina and get down the mountain safely.
Check out some of the best foods to eat before skiing or snowboarding. You’ll gain more energy, feel stronger, and deal with less physical exhaustion each time you finish a trail and board a lift for another go around.
How Important Is Food for Fitness?
The body burns extra calories when doing endurance exercises like snowboarding or skiing. If you don’t give it enough energy before your snow sports adventures begin, you may not be able to tackle your usual trails without feeling weak or losing your strength.
Eating foods like carbohydrates three to four hours before a workoutimproves muscle glycogen content, which is similar to stopping by a gas station to refill the fuel tank. Eating enough nutrients is vital to having fun and supporting physical health during any sport.
What to Eat Before Skiing or Snowboarding
Anyone wondering what to eat before skiing or snowboarding should consider these delicious foods for their next pre-workout meal. If your body has at least a half hour to digest the nutrients, you’ll hit the mountain with extra energy.
1. A Protein Smoothie
Muscles need protein to maintain and build their strength, especially when doing physical activities that strain your muscle tissue. Make a shake full of protein powder, fruits, veggies and ice before hitting the slopes. You’ll help your muscles last longer before getting tired and give yourself some extra hydration before your exhilarating, all-day workout.
2. Peanut Butter Toast
Peanut butter is a powerful food. It has healthy fats that should comprise at least 10% of an adult’s energy intake, so add it to your diet by spreading it on toast. Other plant-based butters made from almonds or sunflower seeds provide the same fats. Enjoy a slice or two and strap on your boots for a day of fun in the snow.
3. Scrambled Eggs and Oatmeal
People often make breakfast before skiing or snowboarding. You’ll get more time on the mountain by starting your day early, so use the opportunity to enjoy scrambled eggs and oatmeal.
A warm breakfast combining healthy fats, carbs and protein is perfect while trails are open between November and March because you’ll warm up with each bite. The egg’s natural fats will fuel you, while the oatmeal’s carbohydrates add to your muscle glycogen content for extra energy on the trails.
4. Tuna Sandwich or Wrap
Tuna is full of energizing fats, plus omega-3 fatty acids that lower heart tissue inflammation with long-term consumption. Your heart will pump blood to your brain and muscles more effectively if you get more fatty acids in your diet. Make a tuna wrap or sandwich with your favorite fillings and condiments for an easy pre-skiing or snowboarding meal on the go.
5. Veggie Chili
Chili is another simple and delicious meal to eat before snowboarding or skiing. It combines animal or plant-based protein through meat or beans with nutrient-packed vegetables. The protein will keep you from getting hungry while you’re out in the snow and strengthen the muscles guiding you down the slopes.
Throw some broccoli florets into your recipe to reduce cellular inflammation that could make your muscles tire out faster on the trails. It’s another way to support your physical health and your stamina in one meal.
6. Beef Jerky
You might not want to eat beef jerky by itself as your pre-snowboarding or skiing meal, but it’s a helpful snack to tuck in your jacket. The dense protein stays safe to eat without refrigeration and doesn’t become inedible on freezing trails. Remember the importance of pausing for snacks throughout your day. A pocket of packaged beef jerky could be your nutritious secret weapon during the winter.
7. Sausage and Egg Sandwich
People love sausage and egg sandwiches for more than their delicious flavor. It’s also a protein-dense breakfast that satisfies you before a long day of physical activity. Top it with cheese to throw fats into your meal and gain more energy as your digestive system processes your breakfast.
If you’re among the one-third of Americans eating less meat, you can swap a sausage patty with a second fried egg. You’ll also stay full longer with extra fiber, like sauteed kale mixed into your scrambled egg patties.
8. Pizza
What’s another way to combine proteins, fats and carbohydrates? Throw them on some pizza dough and enjoy a few slices before your winter workouts. Although this meal option is higher in calories and carbohydrates than other potential foods, it’s a fun way to fuel up on the same nutrients before leaving home.
Fuel Your Body With Delicious Food
Now that you know what to eat before skiing or snowboarding, create a grocery list before your next day on the mountainside. Whether you make a home-cooked meal, get something on the road or pack snacks in your jacket, you’ll gain more energy and stamina because you’re giving your body the nutrients it needs to thrive on the slopes.