Healthy Snacks for Student-Athletes OhioHealth

Carbohydrates are your primary energy source during exercise. So, the best pre-workout snacks will have at least grams of carbohydrates. Crunch toast is a simple breakfast recipe that provides the fuel you need to get you through your training session, and makes for an excellent post-workout recovery snack. This one almost didn’t make the list when what we’re shooting for is a list of healthy snacks. I’m fine with all the ingredients, but all at once, it’s a decent amount of sugar and fat you’re looking at.

Dietary Supplements & Young Athletes

You are often running from a morning lift session, to practice, to class, and back to team meetings before you get a moment to yourself. You may not always have the time to fit in, let alone prepare, full meals. Yet, it’s important to consume enough carbohydrates and protein throughout the day in order to maintain your energy needs and allow your muscles to repair, amongst many other factors. We know living in shared spaces such as a dorm or apartment doesn’t leave much room for storage, but there are still plenty of healthy dorm snack options for student-athletes. An athlete’s body needs to be strong enough to spend more time on workouts.

Fueling Snacks to Take to Your Child’s Game

Carbs are helpful for glycogen storage for longer endurance events, but they are also important after the event in helping with recovery meals for athletes. Here are 14 of my favorite storebought athlete snacks. And don’t think that just because they aren’t homemade, they aren’t healthy. There are several healthy and nutritious packaged snacks on the market. Eating a variety of foods is key, but it’s important to make sure that they’re also nutritious and not just empty calories so you get more bang for your buck. It’s very difficult to meet an athlete’s high energy needs through three meals a day only.

healthy snacks for athletes on the go

Second, follow the rules and be a gracious winner and respectful loser. And third, sportsmanship reveals your true character. Remember, create a clear goal roadmap, assess your goals often, and continue to challenge yourself.

Arctic Apples: Fruit of the Future

A community of athletes who are not afraid to fuel well, eat enough and take up space. If you have a peanut allergy, I recommend almond butter or sunbutter (made from sunflower seeds) as an alternative. You can get really creative with loaded apple nachos, too. Try different nuts, dried fruit, or replace the caramel sauce with something else like chocolate syrup, white chocolate chips, or more peanut butter.

Always Add Nutrition

Soy nuts or roasted soybeans are another good source of protein and also have a decent amount of carbs and fat. Muscles need protein in order to increase and maintain muscle mass. If you’re trying to maximize muscle growth and boost muscle recovery, eat a high-protein snack within 30 to 60 minutes of a strength-training session. Maybe you haven’t had this snack since you were a kid but ants on a log (celery with peanut or seed butter, topped with raisins) is a great option for young athletes. You can also use cream cheese if you don’t have a kid with a sweet tooth.

All-Day Events: Top 6 Foods to Avoid When You’re In Charge of the Team’s Snacks

healthy snacks for athletes

I’ll admit even as a 37 year old, I enjoy using them as well to fuel before workouts. Heavy, greasy snacks sit in the stomach and are harder to digest. Check out this post about protein powders for runners. Otherwise, we’re usually talking about pairing food groups. For example, carbohydrates + protein, or carbohydrates + fat. It would probably leave you unfulfilled, hungry, or extra full for hours if we only relied on three meals.

Healthy Snacks for Teenage Athletes (Quick Ideas for Sports)

It keeps blood sugar even by providing fuel on a regular basis, thus avoiding steep drops in blood sugar that can cause irritability or ravenous hunger (4).
Some pre-workout or energy products contain illegal stimulants like DMAA, ephedra, or other amphetamine-like stimulants.
Eating whole grains after training helps the body to prioritize protein for muscle repair and building.
Athletes require more energy and strength to improve their performance.
Healthy snacking helps athletes feel fuller longer to make healthier choices at meal times instead of eating fried or sugary foods when hunger strikes (3).
Most vitamins, minerals, fish oil, and other supplements containing nutrients are probably just fine, but supplements are not evaluated or approved by FDA before they are sold.

For a bigger picture view of how to support teens through growth, appetite changes, and nutrition needs, see my complete guide to teen nutrition and growth. Yes, they have calories, but they contain few to no nutrients. Sideline snacks brought by well-intentioned parents are not much better. The Dietitian Runner partners with female runners to help them confidently fuel, train and nourish their bodies for running and for everyday life. The protein-packed snack is a go-to of MyKayla Skinner’s, particularly while she’s flying to and from competitions. The information provided here is only for general reference and should not take the place of medical care or patient education.

Homemade granola bars

As a runner, you have higher daily carb and protein needs. Having these two macronutrients at your snack can help you meet your daily needs. Another benefit of having carbs at your snack is that it can help with exercise recovery and carbs support your brain. A perk of having protein at your snack is that it assists with muscle recovery and this paired with fiber can assist with blood sugar control.

However, finding the right food can be difficult since many popular options may not have the ideal nutrient makeup. Starting with a nutritious make ahead breakfast is important and convenient, and then continuing to eat well throughout the day will yield the most benefits. Snacking is important and NORMAL (yes, even a healthy late night snack). Hi, I’m Izy Isaksen, Team USA, Modern Pentathlon, Olympian, US Army Sergeant, and True Sport Ambassador. Today, I want to talk to you about being a good sport. First, real winners act the same toward their opponent, whether they win or lose.

It’s better to spread your calories throughout the day. So, If you’re looking for some creative ideas on what to pack in your gym bag or backpack, we have compiled a list here of our favorite options. Team USA wheelchair basketball player, Paralympian, and TrueSport Athlete. And there are three things that I would like you to know.

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