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Snacks are essential if you are planning a full day or more at a festival, so make sure you are packing some that will help you power through.
“They are compact, keep well in hot and humid conditions for several days, and provide lots of energy and minerals,” says Daniela Krehl, a nutrition expert at the Bavarian Consumer Advice Centre, in Germany.
Take dried fruit with you, she recommends. “Dried figs and apricots are very rich in minerals.”
Muesli bars often combine both energy and minerals and you can also make them yourself easily, helping you save money and cut out some of the sugar.

“Mix nuts and dried fruit in a one-to-one ratio and blend them in a food processor,” Krehl says. “Then shape the sticky mixture, in bars or rolled into balls, and let them dry on a sheet of baking paper.”
If you want to take food to the festival, avoid pre-cut fruit and vegetables and ready-made salads, especially if you plan to keep them for several days.
“Food that has been finely chopped has a larger surface area, making it easier for germs to take hold. What’s more, everything will go off more quickly,” says Krehl, who recommends taking whole fruit instead.
Whole tomatoes, apples, melons, bananas, radishes and kohlrabi are all suitable snacks to pack, says Harald Seitz from the German Federal Centre for Nutrition.
Sweet pastries or savoury vegetable muffins are also good options for taking to a festival, he adds.

“If everything is well baked, they will keep for a few days,” he says, provided they are not stored in direct sunlight. “Ideally, keep them in the shade and as cool as you can.”
Plenty of foods are advertised as having a long shelf life but remember they also go off more quickly once opened. It is better to prepare your breakfast muesli on the spot rather than soaking it for a long time beforehand.
“Once you open it, UHT milk is just as sensitive as regular milk,” Krehl says.
If you are bringing temperature-sensitive food such as meat, fish or dairy products, you definitely need a cool box, and be sure not to expose the food to higher temperatures at any point.
Another tip: “If you are grilling meat, it’s best to do it all at once and cook it well,” Krehl says. If you have any leftovers, you can enjoy the steak in a sandwich the next day.
If you are taking a camping stove with you, you can prepare hot food yourself instead of spending much more money buying it at the festival. Tinned beans or ravioli are classics and practical options if you do not want to spend too much time cooking instead of dancing.
“Under no circumstances should you heat the tin directly, but must transfer the contents into a pot – even if that means that you need additional cooking utensils and have to wash up,” Krehl says.
Bisphenol A could be released if you heat the tin. “This substance, which has a hormone-like effect, is found in many tins and is harmful to people’s health,” Krehl says. This effect can be intensified by fatty ingredients when combined with heat.
That also applies to salts and acids, which are found in tomato sauce, for example. They can dissolve substances out of aluminium foil, for example. That is why Krehl advises against wrapping salty or acidic ingredients in aluminium foil.
“Aluminium is toxic and accumulates in the body,” she says. Once your body has absorbed it, it is almost impossible to get rid of it.
Drinking enough is just as important as eating well. Festivalgoers can lose a lot of fluid because of the sun, dancing and constant walking around.
“This is not good for the body,” Seitz says. “Your blood gets thicker and can no longer transport nutrients as well. Your heart has to work harder.”
What is more, sweating means you can lose important minerals.
“Alcohol intensifies this effect – it flushes additional minerals out of the body,” Krehl says.
You can easily counteract this.
“Make a drink combining two-thirds of mineral water with one-third of apple juice and keep drinking it through the day,” Krehl says. “Isotonic drinks like these can really reduce the impact of any hangover.”


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Dancing, walking and sweating at festivals take a toll. Nutritionists share what snacks and drinks to pack to stay energised


Dancing, walking and sweating at festivals take a toll. Nutritionists share what snacks and drinks to pack to stay energised.


Wellness

Healthy eating

Music

Going to a festival? Foods to take to power through and how to hydrate against hangovers

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Dancing, walking and sweating at festivals take a toll. Nutritionists share what snacks and drinks to pack to stay energised

Dancing, walking and sweating at festivals take a toll. Nutritionists share what snacks and drinks to pack to stay energised