Best nutrition tips for touring
Which foods to choose?
Choose foods that are mostly high in carbohydrates which provide energy to the muscles (climbing and skiing in powder!) and the brain (decision making). Carbohydrates are easy to digest, therefore, the energy is readily available and can be used by your body. Here are a few examples of carbohydrate rich foods that you can take on your touring expeditions:
- Fresh fruit, dried fruit, fruit compotes.
- Flour based foods like bread, muffins, banana bread, homemade or store-bought granola bars, pretzels, crackers, etc.
- Grain based foods like oat, rice, quinoa, etc.
- Added sugars (jam, honey, maple syrup) or foods high in added sugar (jelly beans, sport drinks, etc.)
If your outing lasts more than two hours, consider adding small quantities of food that contains proteins or fats. They will sustain you throughout the day. However, they take longer to digest, so make sure you only eat small quantities. Here are some examples:
- Half sandwich made with cold cuts, tuna or eggs
- Nuts or roasted edamame (combined with dried fruit)
- Pieces of cheese (combined with crackers)
Practical advice to consider
- Choose foods that will not get compressed. Although a banana is a good choice, it can get squished in your bag during transitions. However, an apple, dried apricots or dates are a better option.
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Choose foods that are easy to carry. Pasta salad and oatmeal are a great source of energy but they are hard to eat since they require cutlery, also, they need to be placed in containers which take up a lot of space in the back pack. A half wrap would be a better option.
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Choose foods that resist the cold. When it’s -15 Celsius, nobody enjoys biting in a rock-hard frozen granola bar. Instead choose no-bake granola bars or the ones that stay soft even when it’s cold.
Preparation is key
Just as your excursion requires good planning (route, avalanche dangers, etc.), so does the food!
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Plan strategic places and moments to eat. It may seem like a good idea to eat a snack at the top of the mountain, but sometimes they then to be windy and cold. If the weather is not on your side, it would be best to take a break on the way up in a sheltered area to make sure you get your energy back.
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1 to 2 snacks per hour. Don’t wait until you’re hungry and have no energy before you eat! Unfortunately, these are the times when you are most at risk of injury or poor decision making. Make sure you have enough food to eat every hour, and even 2 snacks per hour for longer days or more intense climbs.
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Easy access. If you need to go dig at the bottom of your bag each time you want to have a snack, it may discourage you from eating! Store snacks in multiple pockets. Bib-style pant pockets, or belt or top pockets on your backpack are ideal for this. If your snacks are not as cold resistant, you can store them in the inside pockets of your coat.
What about hydration?
This is just as important since it is the water in our blood that helps carry energy and oxygen to our muscles and brain. Several factors make hydration difficult when hiking, freezing and transportation just to name a couple. Stay tuned for more tips and tricks on hydration in a future article!
This article was written by:
Marie-Hélène Bourbonnais Dt.P. M.Sc.
Dietitian – Sport Nutrition
Level IV from the Canadian Ski Instructors’ Alliance (CSIA)
ACA Education Program Coach
Marie-Hélène Bourbonnais has over 15 years of experience teaching and coaching skiing across Canada. She works with Ski Québec Alpin athletes and many regional teams as a sport nutritionist. She has had the opportunity to explore many landscapes while touring throughout Quebec, Western Canada and even New Zealand.
