If you’re an avid skier like I am, you’re probably familiar with the excitement of getting ready to go up to the mountain. Sure, a lot of that comes from the thrill of skiing and the beautiful views from the chair lift, but for me, at least, I get excited about the food, too. Ski food probably isn’t the best food in the world, but when you’re famished and cold from skiing, it sure tastes like it.
I usually split my ski day up into three or four chunks: An early breakfast, lunch on the mountain, a mid-afternoon hot chocolate break, and a warm and hearty meal at the end of the day. I present to you all my picks for perfect ski day grub.
Breakfast: Coffee and Oatmeal
Photo by Kellyn Simpkins
One of the only downsides to skiing is the early morning wake up. I like to hit the slopes early so I can get a full morning of skiing in before the crowds of tourists hit in the early afternoon. I always get myself something warm and caffeinated before driving so I can start to wake up and warm up. Coffee will be your skiing BFF, I promise.
Photo by Madeline Hueske
Oatmeal is the perfect food for skiing. I like these cups, because all you need is hot water and a spoon, and you can eat while driving (sorry, Mom). These cups from Straw Propellor come in tasty flavors like Apple Pie and PB&J. With this, plus your coffee, you’ll be ready to ski with no time wasted.
Lunch: Sack Lunch (and Fries)
Photo by Christin Urso
I advise bringing a sack lunch to the mountain. The cafeteria food is usually expensive and there aren’t always a ton of options, and if you’re on the health-conscious side, you really won’t like what you see. Most resort lodges have lockers you can store your stuff in for a couple of bucks, which is way preferable to a $12 burger.
I’m a fan of a good roast beef sandwich with pesto. You can make this sandwich at home or in the lodge and stick it in your backpack for the day.
Photo by Alia Wilhelm
Without fail, I always eat fries at the mountain. Doesn’t matter if I’ve been doing cruiser groomers all day. Doesn’t matter if I had fries yesterday, too. Every time I step into the cafeteria at a ski resort, my willpower crumbles and I end up in line at the fry station.
My advice to you: bring a sack lunch, but supplement that cold sandwich and apple with some crispy fries to warm you up.
Photo by Danielle Gervais
It sounds like a stupid reminder, but it’s super important to drink water during lunch. It’s sort of a hassle to carry water while you’re skiing, and because it’s cold, it’s easy to forget to hydrate.
Keep in mind that you’re still sweating when you’re cold, and your body is working harder than it feels. Skip the soda and energy drinks and have a couple glasses of water when you take a break.
Break: Hot Cocoa
Photo by Holly Birchfield
Depending on how cold it is, I sometimes like to take a half-hour break at around 2 pm. This is a good time to use the bathroom (especially after all that water…) and warm up. If I’ve got the cash to spare, I’ll get a cup of hot chocolate. Not only does it taste delicious, but it’ll hydrate you a bit and give you that little push to ski until the last lift.
If you’re feeling really thrifty, it’s easy to make hot cocoa and put it in a thermos for the day. Try these upgrades to make your homemade hot chocolate better than whatever you can get at the mountain café.
Dinner: Hearty Soup
Photo by Christine Chen
After skiing all day, taking off your boots (oh, the sweet relief) and driving home, you’re probably pretty exhausted. My favorite thing to eat is an easy, warm soup, like potato soup or butternut squash stew. You can make it the night before and refrigerate it in a container, or just throw everything into a pot when you get home. It’s easy, which means you can eat, curl up on the couch and pack up all your gear for your trip up to the mountain tomorrow.