As an award-winning lady angler who spends long days on the water fishing with my family or with our competitive team, I take nutrition and hydration seriously.
When we are out on the water, aside from having a great day of fishing, I like to ensure we keep our energy at its peak. The days are physically demanding and we can have a crew of five to 12 people, so grab-and-go, no-fuss food is key. When we have rough seas, the last thing we need is any potentially unsettling food.
The days begin around 5:30am, so prepping the night before is key. Everyone loves fruit, so I make kabobs with strawberries, blackberries, pineapple and watermelon. They are delicious and an additional source of hydration.
On land or at sea, a platter of turkey wraps with avocado or hummus, in place of mayo or mustard, is a quick and yummy protein-packed option.
Everyone appreciates something sweet to nibble and my peanut butter energy balls are just the ticket! These are full of nutritious ingredients and so easy to make. Just combine, roll and refrigerate.
One of my favorite nature encounters happened during a swordfishing trip last summer. This type of fishing involves dropping your line and slowly drifting for a few miles while dragging the bait along the ocean floor. These days are long, so I always bring along a good book. On this outing, a little “tweety” bird landed on our boat. He stayed with us for six entertaining hours and was truly not intimidated by humans. He went from the outriggers to the helm, landed on our captain’s hat, landed on my husband’s arm, stood next to the reel and even visited me while I was reading my novel.
The trip back to shore was windy and long, so I placed the bird in our phone charging box at the helm to ensure it didn’t get swept away with the wind. When we reached the shore, we slowly navigated a canal lined with mangrove bushes and just like that, the bird flew off and landed safely. As a fun play on the immortal words of Forrest Gump, I’ll sometimes say, “Fishing is like a box of chocolates, you are never sure what you are going to get.” That day was like a sweet chocolate and we still savor the memory of it. OS
Avocado, Turkey and Hummus Wraps
Whole wheat tortillas or wraps, (8-10 inches)
Hummus
Oven roasted deli turkey breast, thinly sliced
Sliced Swiss, Muenster or provolone cheese
Cucumber, thinly sliced, lengthwise
Red leaf lettuce
Diced red pepper
Avocado, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
Lay each wrap on a flat, clean surface. › Spread hummus around the center of the wrap, leaving about 1/2 inch around the edge free. › Add some diced red pepper, a couple slices of cucumber and some lettuce in the center of the wrap, followed by the avocado, sliced turkey breast and cheese. › Carefully roll the wrap/tortilla up like a burrito, taking care to make it as tight as possible. › Wrap each piece in parchment. › Cut in half to serve.
Easy Fruit Kabobs
This is such a beautiful and easy way to serve fruit.
Fresh strawberries
Fresh blackberries
One whole pineapple, trimmed and cut into
cubes
Whole or half watermelon
(Grapes, blueberries, kiwi or
honeydew melon are also great choices)
Wooden or bamboo skewers
Thoroughly wash berries and cut the pineapple and watermelon into bite-sized pieces. › Thread the fruit onto skewers. › Store in a long, airtight plastic box with a snap tight lid. › Refrigerate overnight and transfer entire container to a cooler just before you set out. › You can save these fruit skewers for up to three days if properly refrigerated.
7 Ingredient No Bake Energy Balls
1 1/2 cups no stir natural creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup raw honey
1/2 cup flax seeds
1 1/3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup vanilla protein powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup mini dark chocolate chips
Add the peanut butter, honey, oats, protein powder, salt, and chocolate chips to a mixing bowl and use a rubber spatula to mix until the batter is combined. › Use a mini cookie scoop or a spoon to drop energy balls onto a wax paper covered cookie sheet. They should be around 1 inch in size. Roll the energy balls with your hands to form the shape. › Place cookie sheet with the energy bites on it in the fridge for 1 hour or until the balls are hardened. › Transfer energy balls to a freezer bag and store in the freezer.
