Beach Food

Summer is a beautiful time of year for sand and surf  – but fueling our body well to stay happy at the beach can be a challenge.

Who’s been hot, cranky and hungry after a few hours in the sun? And there is another snag as well – the traditional vendors at the beach often have lots of fried, processed and ultra sweet things that are energy zappers and belly ache-ers. There are multiple plusses to bringing your own food to the beach:  nourishment, sanity, saving money and convenience.

Here are our summer ideas. We realize many of these ideas are obvious but as we started putting the list together it kept growing and it’s nice to have a go-to list ready at hand. Do you have a favorite!?

Our biggest advice:

Make individual bags (this is what we use so we reduce plastic waste) and label them so there is no arguing about who got how much or who dipped in the bag with sandy hands.  And no one likes sunscreen flavoring! We also encourage you to visit your local farmer’s market for seasonal and local produce – you will be delighted at the difference in taste.

Trail Mix:  Making your own saves money plus you can customize it with everything you love.  Use raw, unsalted nuts and non-sulphur, unsweetened dried fruit. (You would be amazed at what you see in the ingredient labels on many pre-packaged trail mix.)

*note: cacao nibs hold up in the heat because it’s pure chocolate, you get the rich flavor without the messy melting. Dark chocolate chips work too – just remember to keep them cold.

Veggies – chopped summer veggies are so colorful. Bringing dips like pesto, hummus OR creamy nut dressing is decadent and adds a great flavor boost so you are more eager to eat nourishing veggies.

• grape tomatoes, jicama, cucumbers, radishes, celery, peppers, carrots, broccoli & cauliflower florets, green beans, snow peas, sugar snap peas.

Fresh Fruit – chopping the night before is well worth having it on-hand. The sweet fruit really gives us a natural energy boost.

• watermelon – energy and water all in one – the perfect summer fruit
• grapes – freeze them and they’ll stay colder longer
• berries – summer is berry season so whatever you find fresh – blueberries, strawberries, raspberries (make sure you don’t squish these sensitive gems! – can freeze the blueberries too)
• cherries – another great summer fruit
• bananas – already in their own protective wrapper – an easy grab and go energizer
• pineapple – sweet and satisfying
• stone fruits like nectarines, peaches, plums and apricots are late-summer’s dream
• apples (although not seasonal) – cut them up and drizzle with lemon or lime so they don’t brown

Dried Fruit: go natural, fruit only with no added sugar and no artificial preservatives sulfites and sulfates

• figs, apples, apricots, mango

Energy Bites:  There is no need to buy packaged bars and bites – though I do it too! Make your own and add the flavor you want like cinnamon, salt, cayenne…(here is a link to one of our favorites)

Cheese/Dairy: If your body tolerates dairy, these can be a super easy solution.

• Raw cubed cheese or mozzarella balls
• Yogurt – plain greek (full fat) and dress it up however you want with fruit, nuts and honey or maple syrup (or stevia or monkfruit if that’s what you like).

We’re getting more fancy now and moving from finger food to something that will take you through lunch or dinner…

Sandwiches or Wraps:

• PB&J or AB&F (that’s almond butter and fig – Wendy’s favorite combo (yes, this tastes amazing on a lettuce leaf OR add a lettuce leaf to your traditional sandwich)
• Slices of roasted turkey breast or chopped chicken with pesto sauce and roasted peppers
• Summer roll – use whatever veggies you have on-hand plus sprouts and avocado.  Dice everything small and add a bit of creamy avocado or tamari and tahini dressing so it holds together and you don’t lose anything to the sand.

Salads:  We suggest here to go for something that sticks together a bit more than your traditional salad.

• Farro with feta, tomatoes and baby kale with creamy green vinaigrette dressing
• Quinoa with cherry tomatoes, goat cheese, spinach, shredded zucchini & toasted nuts
• Tuna, Chicken or Garbanzo bean salad with tomatoes and toasted sunflower seeds and herbs of choice tossed with a  vinaigrette

More: Hard boiled eggs, jerky, tin of stuffed grape leaves, can or bag of salmon, mackerel, tuna or chicken. And one of our favorite recipes is the Hockey Pucks.

Remember your reusable water bottle!

• Dress up your water with mint, citrus, lemon, lime, cucumber, raspberries, blueberries or goji berries. You’ll drink more water with the fresh flavor.