Eating Healthy at a Music Festival

Festival season is here! What do people typically think of when they hear the word festival? Music and food! Typically, this is junk food and tons of alcohol, but when it's hot out, it’s important to stay hydrated and eat efficiently. When we eat junk food, it can do havoc to our bodies especially in the hot weather. It can weigh us down while trying to keep up with all the walking and dancing at the show. Keep in mind, while there are tons of junk food options, more healthy stands are popping up like smoothies, veggie tacos, and coconut stands. The choices of how we want to enjoy the festival are up to us. It doesn’t have to be an excuse to go off the diet for a few days while feeling sick for days after. That’s why it’s a great idea to get an accountability partner in order to keep us on top of our goals.

To give people ideas of what types of crazy options are served at music festivals, take a look at Coachella’s menu lineup from 2017. Needless to say, it looks absolutely delicious. This only touches the surface of what other foods are served at festivals. Other examples of festival food are pizza, nachos, noodle bowls, burgers, and anything fried that is possible to be fried.

According to Food NDTV, besides the obvious obesity that comes with the consumption of junk food, it has dangerous effects on your brain.

 In Andres F. Smith's newest book, Encyclopedia of Junk Food and Fast Food he defines junk food as:

"Those commercial products, including candy, bakery goods, ice cream, salty snacks, and soft drinks, which have little or no nutritional value but do have plenty of calories, salt, and fats. While not all fast foods are junk foods, most are. Fast foods are ready-to-eat foods served promptly after ordering."

Dangerous effects on your brain include the loss of memory and learning problems, increased risk of dementia, lessening the ability to control appetite, chemical changes that lead to depression, and could cause uncomfortable cravings. 

While there are tons of unhealthy choices and it seems like festivals are the doom for our diets, it does not have to be this case. With a bit of preparation and research, it can be a great way to stay healthy while enjoying music and great company.

Some tips to stay healthy at a festival include bringing healthy snacks like juices, fresh fruit, vegetable crudité, sandwiches, and local juices to stay hydrated. If your festival allows you to bring these in then check these out because these can be super helpful in achieving the healthiest experience from 3-4 days of moving and dancing. You can also consider having these items handy to consume at the camp site or post-festival for recovery. 

There are some healthy food options people can choose if they get hungry and need to eat inside the festival. Some of these include going for a rice bowl with chicken, veggie pizza, chicken sandwiches without cheese or fried add ons, or even the simple smoothie. Foods will moderate carbs and high protein will help give you energy and maintain muscle.

Festivals can be a ton of fun or can be a death sentence for our health. If we take the time to make proper choices and set intentions before we go, we set ourselves up to success. Remember, the choice is ours and the power is in our hands. Make healthy choices and have a great time this season!

H/T: LA Eater, Food NDTV, Chalkboard Mag