There’s nothing like the great outdoors to get your heart pumping, but when you’re putting in a lot of physical effort for hours at a time, you might find that you get rather hungry. Let’s see what options you could bring with you while mountain biking for long periods of time that won’t spoil.
1. Nuts
Almonds, hazelnuts and pecans are all a great source of protein and the best part: they won’t go bad. You can store them in literally any container to throw in a backpack and they’ll be waiting when you decide to take a snack break. (For more protein options, consider packing a container of jerky in addition to the nuts to ensure you have the highest amount of protein to help balance any kind of blood sugar that comes along with the fruit, which is listed below.)
2. Tomatoes (Ripe and Unsliced)
As long as you’re careful and store them in a strong, airtight container, tomatoes are your best friends for a healthy and filling snack. Most people think tomatoes need to be refrigerated, which is true if you slice them. It’s packed with Vitamin C, which can help with one’s bones and cartilage when consumed on a regular basis.
3. Bananas
These are probably one of the most filling snacks to have in your backpack while mountain biking that carries zero risk from not being refrigerated. They go great with a lot of the other superfoods listed as well! Bananas are known for their potassium compounds, but what does that mean exactly? If you’re physically active, potassium is great for your nerves and your muscles to be fully functional. One of those muscles includes your heart.
4. Apples
While these are definitely preferred to be consumed after being refrigerated, it’s not required to eat them chilled. This fiber packed fruit will help keep you hydrated as well as nourished. This works for any type of apple, be it green or red, honeycrisp or pink lady apples. Even pears being in the same family are a great substitute.
5. Dried Fruit
Just when you think there can’t possibly be anymore options for fruit, we throw out the dried fruit option. Again, dried fruit is a great choice when you plan on being outdoors doing any kind of major physical activity because they don’t need to be cold or frozen to consume them. They have oodles of Vitamin C as well as fiber. You can’t go wrong with dried fruit.
6. Pure Honey
When stored properly in an airtight container, using honey in moderation with the other foods listed can help turn your healthy lunch into a sweet snack as well. It’s great for your blood sugar when consumed with other forms of protein and it’s easily transported even in a backpack.
There you have it! None of these take up a ton of space and they are all excellent choices to help stay healthy that won’t spoil or go bad while you stay fit and active. From healthy to sweet, these are some of the best choices when making plans on an active journey.
