Beyond choosing the right clothing to match conditions in the field, you can fuel additional warmth via air-activated hand warmers, and in a blind you can use propane-powered portable heaters. But did you know you can also eat right to put some fire back into your furnace? The average adult diet revolves around 2,000 calories daily. For inactive winter hunts, dieticians recommend boosting that by another 500 calories per day. If you really plan a workout into your winter hunt, consider that military research points to a boost of 25-50 percent more calories for optimum energy and heat generation.

If you think that’s a green light to eat anything under the sun, think again. Consider carbohydrates, proteins and fats—each can be converted into simple sugars and burned in your furnace to create energy. Unfortunately, the conversion time for each varies. Carbohydrates convert quicker than proteins, and proteins convert faster than fats.

In short, keep your winter hunting diet topped off with more carbs than proteins; yet mix in some fat as well. Don’t alienate fats because, although they take longer to produce heat, they do so over a longer period of time, adding consistent fuel to the fire. A good balance of carbohydrates includes bread, cereal, dried fruit and candy. Proteins to include are sliced beef, fish such as tuna, and even dairy products. Fat options include nuts, cheese and margarine. Drink lots of water to stimulate the process, and sit back while your body does the rest.