What To Eat During Your Walking Holiday
Camino de Santiago walking holidays are becoming more and more popular as travellers are recognising the many benefits of them. Naturally, it is also becoming easier to plan them, with more information available online and online agencies that can help you. Orbis Ways Walking Holidays Travel Agency, for one, will plan the routes, transportation and accommodation for you, so there’s not much left for you to worry about – other than to prepare physically and enjoy your holiday.
Perhaps the one thing that some first-time pilgrims may wonder about is what to eat during their walking holiday. Since most Camino de Santiago Tours are self-guided, the food you consume is completely up to you. However, what you choose to eat is highly important, given that you will be walking 5-6 hours every day and you need to have enough energy to do that. Here are some food tips you can follow for different meals.
Start the day right
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and this could not be any more true during your walking holiday. While some people like to start their morning with a fast and only eat their first meal of the day during lunchtime, this kind of routine may not work for most pilgrims. It is important that you fuel yourself with enough energy to keep you going for hours because, chances are, you won’t be able to stop in a restaurant for quite a few hours.
Try to avoid sugary foods that will spike your energy for a short time only, such as sugary cereals, only fruit and so on. You don’t want to eat anything too heavy either – this will make you feel bloated and tired as you are digesting your breakfast.
The best thing to incorporate into your breakfast is complex carbohydrates. This can be such things as oatmeal, healthy granola with yoghurt and fruit, eggs on toast, etc. The carbs you eat in the morning will slowly break down throughout the day, providing you with steady energy levels until your next meal (as long as they are not refined carbs).
Snacks throughout the day
If you are going on one of the routes with better infrastructure, such as Camino de Santiago Frances, you will have plenty of options to stop by for a snack or lunch during your day. However, you can also pack up some healthy snacks that will boost your energy. These can either be some homemade snacks, sandwiches, flapjacks, etc. or shop-bought snacks filled with nutrients. Energy bars are particularly good due to how light they are to carry. A mixed nut packet or snacks with nuts in them are also a great choice.
Most importantly, drink PLENTY of water. This is not just to keep you feeling good but also to prevent such things as heat exhaustion, dizziness and dehydration. This is especially key in warmer countries, where you may get sweaty during your walking trip too.
Treat yourself to a nice dinner
After a long day of walking, you have earned yourself a big lovely dinner. You don’t have to worry anymore about eating anything too heavy – in fact, you want to make up for all the protein, vitamins and minerals that you may have missed out on during the day.
Therefore, have a good and balanced meal for your dinner, ideally with some form of protein (lean meat, fish, tofu, etc.), vegetables or salad and some carbs. You can also sneak in a cheeky dessert as a treat for yourself.
The one thing to avoid during your dinner is excessive drinking. Of course, you’ll want to try delicious local wines and beers. Just don’t overdo it and make yourself feel bad the next day!
