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Leave the chocolate-covered pretzels at home!
With the temperatures rising and the sun shining late into the evening, summer pool season is in full swing. I’ve got several pool days planned, and if I’m going to spend all day swimming and sunning, I know I’ll need to stock up on snacks that keep me properly fueled.
For a refresher on the best snacks to pack, I decided to reach out to some lifeguards. Fortunately for me, I know many current and former lifeguards. My dad, my mother-in-law Sally, and I were all lifeguards. Now, my 16-year-old son, Quinn, is one, and so are several of our friends. So, I spoke with them to see if their recommendations matched my favorite poolside snacks.
The Best Snacks for the Pool, According to Lifeguards
When asked to share the best snacks to bring to the pool, they all put fruit at the top of the list. “Anything that can be peeled or eaten easily is good,” my dad says.
Bananas, apples, oranges, and pears are all good ideas, says Sarah Kiesling, a college lifeguard majoring in dietetics and sports nutrition, and daughter of my friend and artistic swimming teammate Mary.
“I always brought grapes when I was lifeguarding,” adds artistic swimming coach Heidi Lurenz. “Grapes gave me hydration, and their sweetness helped me stay alert.” When I was a lifeguard, bananas were my go-to because they gave me quick energy and fuel, plus the potassium helped prevent leg cramps.
Besides fresh fruit, dried fruit bars, nuts, and trail mix are all wonderful snacks, Kiesling says. Olive oil-based pasta salads with cucumbers and tomatoes, cowboy caviar, or bean salads with tortilla chips are also great.
“Being in the heat all day can suppress your appetite, so it’s important to have nutrient-dense food to replenish your body,” explains Kiesling. “And make sure you consume plenty of water or drinks with electrolytes so you can stay hydrated.”
Be sure to avoid anything that can melt in the heat or spoil in the sun without proper refrigeration. For example, if you’re packing a sandwich, skip the mayo, and also leave anything with a chocolate or yogurt coating at home. That includes protein bars, coated pretzels, and candies. A handful of chocolate candies that escape their container can melt all over your towel, cover-up, and change of clothes (Ask me how I know).
While pretzels and crackers might not melt, make sure they aren’t in a container that can be easily smashed. “Please don’t bring anything that can get smashed and crumble into pieces,” says Jack Senglaub, my son’s volleyball teammate and fellow lifeguard. “If your crackers crumble into bits on the pool deck, we have to clean them up. If you’re going to bring crackers, make sure you carry them carefully.”
My son says it’s also important to know the individual rules of your local pool. “Some pools allow you to bring in food, but others, like the one I work at, don’t allow it because we already have a concession stand,” he says. If that’s the case, “be sure to pack some money for buying popsicles,” says Kiesling.
Read the original article on Simply Recipes
