Energy Snacks for Cold Winter Days

1. DIY trail mix - add more nuts than fruit and cut up dark chocolate into small pieces so it melts in your mouth quicker.
2. Sports waffles/wafers are less likely to freeze such as honey stingers wafer bar made by PowerBar
3. Shock Bloks from Cliff Bar do not freeze
4. Whole grain crackers spread with peanut nut butter (e.g. oat cakes)
5. Wraps filled with peanut butter and banana or cheese and meat: cut the wrap in half and fold up - they're small and compact.
6. Use a sports bottle and add cooled boiled water to delay freezing. Additionally adding a sports powder/drink will lower the freezing point of the water.
7. Invest in a small Thermos: add hot chocolate / soups as a warm snack.
8. Often a home made chewy granola bar filled with nuts, seeds and oats is less likely to freeze than a sugary sports gel or bar.

Practical Ideas
1) Place snacks in an inside pocket next to your body but within easy access.
2) Get used to unwrapping snacks with your gloves for speed, efficiency to prevent hands getting cold.
3) Cut up snacks small before heading out.
4) If using a sports bottle an insulated sleeve (can be home made with a square of carry mat) to wrap the bottle.
5) With a bladder system an insulator sleeve and hose insulator will help. Cut the length of the tube to the shortest length (to minimise freezing) and always blow back down the tube after taking a drink.
6) Nalgene bottles with a wider opening can be filled with boiled water can be covered with an insulator sleeve and stored upside down to prevent the ice from forming at the opening of the bottle. 
7) Nalgene bottles also make great hot water bottles for over nights in cold huts or tents. 
8) Place the water bottle/bladder pack close to your body.
9) If using a small back pack then this can be worn underneath your winter jacket.

Written by Rebecca Dent - High Performance Dietitian - January 2015
@Rebecca_Dent
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