It's summer, and aren't we glad- We're out of school, it's sunny and hot outside, and some of the best foods of the year are in season! Summer is a time to get out and live our lives in the warm sunshine; but sometimes, that sunshine gets pretty darn hot. To give you a sense: at six thirty this morning, when I headed out with my friends to go hiking, it was already 97 degrees outside.
At eleven o'clock, we drove back from our hike under a sun burning bright and temperatures pushing far past one hundred. For those four hot, hot hours of hiking, my sister packed a few chocolate covered energy bars, blueberries, and crackers to bring with us... Choices, we found out, that were not optimal for the conditions.
The crackers were fine, as you'd expect, but the chocolate bars were completely melted, and the blueberries putrid. With dirt and melted chocolate on our hands, we forced the food down our gullets, but it certainly wasn't delicious, clean, or healthy. Also, I was in the mood for pretty much anything besides rough carbohydrates, which made my tired throat sore.
My first tip: definitely, definitely bring water. I can't tell you how important it is. So often I suppose I won't be thirsty, but in this kind of heat, my whole water bottle was finished just past halfway through the hike. Bring more water than you think you'd ever drink. Believe me-- you'll work your way through it.
Now for food: having hearty foods is definitely best when you want to keep the amount of food you're carrying to a minimum. So rather than bringing chocolate-coated protein bars, which taste like compacted dirt and irritate your throat, bring items that are better suited to hot weather, perhaps something like a Clif Bar. I personally don't like eating a whole Clif Bar (though sweet and delicious, the oversweetness makes me very thirsty, and they're extremely caloric), and instead prefer foods that resemble it... Try trail mix. It has that same filling satisfaction, but you can bring exactly what you like by making your own! For goodness' sake- it's called trail mix, what do you think it's for? Combine all your favorite snacks: dried fruits and nuts. That stuff's really good!
If you're in the mood for fruit, and you don't prefer it hot and half-rotten, consider freezing it. Not all fruit freezes well, but some, like oranges, do just fine. If you stick one in the freezer the night before and let it freeze through, the peel will be soft, but the inside of the orange will be perfectly good. And it's still nice an cool when you want to chow down!
Another fun option is vegetable chips, which are another less starchy option from energy bars. Beware of the veggie chips that are pretty must just colored potato flakes, though. They are full of starch, and aren't particularly satisfying, either. Look for veggie chips that actually look like veggies. Don't worry- they're not hard to find, and are everywhere in health food stores.
At eleven o'clock, we drove back from our hike under a sun burning bright and temperatures pushing far past one hundred. For those four hot, hot hours of hiking, my sister packed a few chocolate covered energy bars, blueberries, and crackers to bring with us... Choices, we found out, that were not optimal for the conditions.
The crackers were fine, as you'd expect, but the chocolate bars were completely melted, and the blueberries putrid. With dirt and melted chocolate on our hands, we forced the food down our gullets, but it certainly wasn't delicious, clean, or healthy. Also, I was in the mood for pretty much anything besides rough carbohydrates, which made my tired throat sore.
My first tip: definitely, definitely bring water. I can't tell you how important it is. So often I suppose I won't be thirsty, but in this kind of heat, my whole water bottle was finished just past halfway through the hike. Bring more water than you think you'd ever drink. Believe me-- you'll work your way through it.
Now for food: having hearty foods is definitely best when you want to keep the amount of food you're carrying to a minimum. So rather than bringing chocolate-coated protein bars, which taste like compacted dirt and irritate your throat, bring items that are better suited to hot weather, perhaps something like a Clif Bar. I personally don't like eating a whole Clif Bar (though sweet and delicious, the oversweetness makes me very thirsty, and they're extremely caloric), and instead prefer foods that resemble it... Try trail mix. It has that same filling satisfaction, but you can bring exactly what you like by making your own! For goodness' sake- it's called trail mix, what do you think it's for? Combine all your favorite snacks: dried fruits and nuts. That stuff's really good!
If you're in the mood for fruit, and you don't prefer it hot and half-rotten, consider freezing it. Not all fruit freezes well, but some, like oranges, do just fine. If you stick one in the freezer the night before and let it freeze through, the peel will be soft, but the inside of the orange will be perfectly good. And it's still nice an cool when you want to chow down!
Another fun option is vegetable chips, which are another less starchy option from energy bars. Beware of the veggie chips that are pretty must just colored potato flakes, though. They are full of starch, and aren't particularly satisfying, either. Look for veggie chips that actually look like veggies. Don't worry- they're not hard to find, and are everywhere in health food stores.
Also, look for dried fruits and vegetables, which are really yummy and easy to pack, and are even more delicious if you buy them as "leathers." If you need a quick burst of sugar, the dried fruit leathers are just the right boost (and, I might add, they satisfy a sweet tooth like no other!)Besides that, simply aim for a good variety of snacks that hold up well, and enjoy your time in the sun!
0 comments:
Post a Comment