This article first ran in the Winter 2024 edition of City and Slopes Magazine
If you like to spend long days on the slopes, then you know how important it is to stay fueled. While ski lodges are known for their exceptionally tasty on-mountain menus, they don’t always offer the healthiest options. This can make it challenging to strike the right balance of nutrients, which is key to sustaining your energy, without bogging you down on the slopes.
How can you make healthier choices in the ski lodge?
Here are our top five tips for eating healthy at the ski lodge:
Aim for a well-balanced protein-fat-carb option
Ideally, every time you eat, you’d have a meal that gives you the right portions of macronutrients — proteins, fats, and carbohydrates — that you need. When you spend long stretches outside on the mountain, carbs will be your main fuel source, and good amounts of quality protein and healthy fats help keep you feeling fuller longer while providing slowly released energy.
Think: BLT, egg salad, or turkey and cheese in a whole wheat wrap. Nutrient-dense fruit and nut trail mixes are a well-balanced option if you just need a snack, and you can stash small bags of trail mix in your pockets for a bite on the chair lift or gondola. Make sure you get one with lots of nuts and fruit, like Second Nature Immunity Defense Smart Mix and Nature’s Garden Omega-3 Deluxe Mix, and pass on one with a bunch of candy in it.
Add protein
We get it. When you spend hours on the slopes, sometimes all you crave is a plate full of salty fries or a big bowl of mac and cheese. If your meal is carb-dense and missing protein, try adding a serving of protein to balance out the carbs and fats.
A piece of grilled chicken is a healthy choice, or you can grab a protein bar. Just be sure to read the nutrition and ingredient labels to make sure you’re picking a bar that’s high in protein with little to no added sugar.
Jerky is another great option that’s available at most ski lodges and is packed with protein — an average serving of jerky provides nine grams of protein — iron, folate, calcium, and vitamins A and C. You can also shove a few sticks in your pocket for a convenient and healthy on-the-mountain snack.
Substitute grilled
When it comes to burgers and sandwiches, substituting grilled chicken or grilled tofu is a better alternative to your standard, greasy fried chicken/tofu burger or sandwich. You can also make this substitution in salads and wraps. For example, if a buffalo chicken wrap is made with fried chicken, ask to substitute grilled chicken instead.
This simple swap can cut down on overall calories, and since fried chicken is often made with batter and the skin is left on, this tends to have a lower sodium content as well.
Opt for locally-sourced ingredients
Ski lodge menus have come a long way from frozen hamburger patties and tortilla chips doused in fake cheese sauce. In fact, the farm-to-table movement has made its way onto the slopes.
Fresh Vermont meats, cheese, and produce can be found at Killington Ski Resort’s K-1 Base Lodge and Peak Lodge, and Vermont fresh pasta and local black bean burgers are some of the featured dishes at Sugarbush’s Rumble's Bistro & Bar.
Opting for dishes with fresh locally-sourced ingredients is one of the easiest ways to fuel your body with healthy food when eating at a ski lodge. Not only are they often packed with fiber-rich veggies and high-quality proteins, but they also support the local food economy.
Don’t forget to stay hydrated
It can be easy to forget to rehydrate when you’re on the slopes, especially because you probably don’t feel hot or sweaty. But, your body dehydrates at a quicker rate at higher altitudes, so it’s important to replenish lost fluids throughout the day.
You can always carry a water bottle with you, and during stops at the lodge, sip on water or tea. A sports drink, like Prime, Powerade, or Gatorade, can be a good option if you’re feeling especially dehydrated and sluggish. Try diluting it with equal parts water and sipping it instead of guzzling it.
Kelley MacDonald is a writer and editor based in Brooklyn, NY. Her work has appeared in publications including Vice and USA Today. She grew up in Vermont and loved skiing and snowboarding as a child, and she has continued skiing as an adult. Off the slopes, Kelley enjoys running, exploring NYC, and hanging out in Prospect Park with her young daughter and husband.
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