Pocket Power-Ups
On-the-go snacks to suit every palate, from sweet to savory and everything in between.
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
When the snow is good, there’s no time to stop in the lodge for a quick refuel—that powder won’t last forever. To maximize your pow turns, pack a few protein-heavy pocket snacks that are easy enough to consume on the chair between laps and are filling enough to stustain you until the lifts stop spinning. Here are our top picks for easy on-the-go munching.
Honey Stinger Waffles
- Pro: Delicious and satisfying
- Con: Can be crumbly
These flat cookies sandwich a fine layer of honey between two thin waffles and come in flavor staples such as honey, vanilla, chocolate, and caramel as well as more interesting gingersnap, lemon, and strawberry varieties. They taste great, give you a jolt of energy and are available in glutenfree varieties as well. $1.50, honeystinger.com
Read more: 9 Hut Trip Accessories
Perky Jerkey
- Pro: Super tender
- Con: Almost too tender
If you crave savory over sweet, Perky Jerky’s got you covered. Offering high-quality beef, pork, and turkey meat in flavors such as teriyaki, sea salt, and pepper, Perky Jerky provides all of the protein and none of the fillers—no nitrites, gluten, or MSG. It’s also portable and will not smush, crumble, or freeze in your pocket while you are out exploring the slopes. $4.99 for 2.2-oz bag, perkyjerky.com
Munk Pack Protein Cookies
- Pro: Chewy and gluten-free
- Con: Full cookie is more than a snack
It doesn’t compute that these delicious, soft-baked cookies are good-for-you, high energy snacks, yet each packs a whopping 18 grams of plant-based protein and zero gluten, soy, or dairy. Available in classic cookie varieties like Snickerdoodle and Oatmeal Raisin Spice, good luck finding your favorite. $2.50, munkpack.com
Read more: Snacks for long alpine tours
Rocky Mountain Provisions
- Pro: An all-natural trail mix option
- Con: Need to remove your gloves to eat it
Rocky Mountain Provisions takes classic trail mix and injects new life into it with yummy flavors like Peanut Butter Cup, a spicy Mesa Verde mix with chili and Cajun seasoning, and Bar Room Blitz with peanuts, pretzels, and roasted sesame sticks. No freezing, no crumbling, portable, and delicious. $6 for a 6-oz bag, rockymountainfoods.com
Four Points Bars
- Pro: Dense and filling
- Con: Can get hard in freezing temps
The main tenet behind Four Points bars is providing sustained energy from real food that tastes good. These dense bars are packed with wholesome ingredients: dried plums, figs, hemp seeds, almonds, cashews, flax, and whey protein isolate. The result is a snack that provides energy when you need it without the sugar crash you don’t need a couple hours later. $3, fourpointsbar.com
Justin’s Nut Butters
- Pro: Delicious, non-freeze, and portable
- Con: Will make you thirsty
Justin’s individual squeeze packs come in flavors such as Maple Cashew Butter, Vanilla Almond Butter, and Chocolate Hazelnut Butter, and make great on-slope snacks that are filling and a lasting energy source. Each comes in at around 200 calories with about 5 grams of protein and 15 grams of unsaturated fat. Squeeze them onto a cracker or right into your maw. $1.50, justins.com
Country Archer Jerky Co. Meat Sticks
- Pro: Savory sweet-spot
- Con: Too long to fit in a regular jacket pocket
The newest gluten-free, on-the-go meat snacks from Country Archer deliver the salty hit you need after a long backcountry skin or between rapid-fire resort laps. Just pick your meat preference—beef, turkey, or pork—then select from a variety of flavor options like chorizo, Hatch chile, maple, pineapple, and more. Whatever you choose, rest assured that you’re snacking on real ingredients and packing high-quality protein. $2.00 per 10 oz. stick, countryarcher.com
PROBAR Protein Bar
- Pro: Nut-free options
- Con: Hardens at low temps
Want something really hardy between ski runs but not a full meal replacement bar? Try PROBAR’s new protein bars, a healthy balance between filling and energizing but not as hefty as the brand’s meal bars. Each easily stashable bar offers 20 grams of plant protein and ingredients like chia and flax seeds for lasting energy. Plus, unlike PROBAR’s meal bars, the new Protein Bars come in nut-free offerings. Our favorite: Coffee Crunch. $40 for 12-pack, theprobar.com
Hilo Life Snack Packs
- Pro: Classy enough to serve at happy hour
- Con: Difficult to eat with gloves on
Bored with your go-to trailmix? Time to kick your pocket trail-mix up a notch with the Hilo Life Snack Packs. Filled with real nuts, cheese, and delicious seasonings that will trick you into thinking you’re chowing down on a classy hors d’oeuvres spread, these keto-friendly snack packs are full of protein and low on carbs. The Really Ranchy mix includes crispy gouda cheese and pecans, while the Super Cheesy mix swaps in crispy cheddar cheese and almonds. Either way, you’re working with 3g net carbs. $15 for 6-pack, hilolife.com
Originally published in the December 2019 issue of SKI Magazine and updated for the web to include further snack options.