Thank goodness for chairlifts. They effortlessly whisk us to the top of the mountain, provide time to rest, chat, and laugh with our family or friends and, most important, free up our hands to grab a snack from our pockets. The bite preferred by young snowboarders and skiers? Candy. Like Halloween night, a chairlift seems like a magical realm where parents turn a blind eye to high-fructose corn syrup and artificial colors. We asked nine young snowboarders and skiers their favorite candy to keep in their jacket pockets while on the mountain. Here are the findings from fourth graders in Colorado.
“Gummy bears! You can dip them in the snow until they get frozen, and then they’ll be good and crunchy.” — Hagen
“Gummy coke bottles, because they taste better frozen. I can open the package at the bottom, and on the chair I can stick my hand in my pocket and grab one!” — Sasha
“Sour Patch Kids, because they won’t roll off your ski pants and they are still squishy when frozen.” — Isla
“KitKats, because they remind me of hot chocolate.” — Hazel
“Haribo gummy bears freeze easily, but Albanese gummy bears just get moist when cold.” — Piper
“Sour Skittles. I like them hard and crunchy.” — Parker
“KitKats are crunchy and yummy when they are frozen.” — Griffin
“Peanut M&Ms, because they fill you up.” — Mia
“Mentos, because they’re delicious when they’re cold and you can pop them in your mouth without taking off your gloves.” — Scarlet
Healthier Options
While candy is delicious, it’s not the best snack for sustained energy. Here are a couple pocket snacks we love on the mountain.
Snack Mates Mini Meat Sticks
These perfectly portioned snacks contain all-natural chicken and just a hint of everyone’s favorite pancake topper, maple syrup. With seven grams of protein and only two grams of natural sugar per serving, you’ll feel satisfied and your energy will last, meaning one more run!
That’s It Fruit Bars and Mini Fruit Bars
Each fruit bar contains two whole servings of fruit—and nothing else! No weird ingredients you can’t pronounce, and the bars stay soft even on cold ski days. The Mini Variety Pack comes with 24 bars in popular flavors like apple-strawberry, apple-mango, and apple-blueberry.