As an athlete, what you snack on in between meals is very important.
If you were to snack on chips and dip, popcorn, crackers, candy (you get the point) first, these types of foods aren’t very filling and you will get sick of them before you get full, and second, they spike your blood sugar creating your energy to become unbalanced. You’ll start feeling tired within 30 minutes and you’ll be staring in the pantry for something else to eat.
I’m not saying to never to eat these kinds of foods but if you have a training, workout, or a game they will not support your energy.
Sports performance matters and if you want to have a competitive edge then let go of living the junk food life and learn how to create energy balance with your food choices.
Active Day Meals should always consist of a lot of veggies, 4-6 ounces of protein, 1-2 cupped handfuls of starchy carbs and 1-2 thumb sizes of healthy fats. This will create a nice steady energy balance, no blood sugar spikes, and no crashes.
Snacks should consist of a protein source and then paired with a starchy carb and/or healthy fat. If you can add veggies in there too, you get extra bonus points!
One of the parents who took my online course Raising Elite Level Athletes asked for snack ideas that weren’t a protein bar, hummus & veggies, or protein shake. Thank you, Susan, for the awesome question!
So here are a few suggestions:
Cottage Cheese & Fruit
Cottage Cheese is high in protein.
Pineapple, Peaches, And Berries go great with Cottage Cheese
Greek Yogurt with Fruit and chopped Nuts
I like Greek Yogurt because it also has a high protein content. If you are using plain unsweetened yogurt, you can add a little sweetness with honey or maple syrup – it doesn’t take much though.
Deli Meat Roll-Ups with Fruit
Start with a slice of deli meat, add a condiment like mayo or mustard, a slice of cheese if you’d like, a leaf of lettuce, roll, and eat! Pair with your fruit of choice.
Chicken or Tuna Salad with crackers
Rotisserie chicken would be a great option for the chicken salad, you can add a little mayo and toss in some celery, nuts and/or fruit like grapes OR mix chicken with guacamole and toss in some sliced cherry tomatoes.
Many stores now have flavored tuna packets, add a little mayo, maybe some cherry tomatoes, a touch of salt and you are good to go.
Both of these options would be a good salad topper too.
Veggies with Greek Yogurt Dip
There are many Greek Yogurt dip options at the store now or you can pick up some fresh herbs and toss in with some plain greek yogurt with a little squeeze of lemon and a dash of salt.
Veggie & Cheese Egg Frittata/Muffins
See here for a recipe
Protein Muffins
See here for a recipe
Apple or Banana with Nut Butter
So basic but gets the job done
Protein Energy Bites
See here and here for a recipe
Overnight Protein Oats
See here for a recipe
PB&J with a Protein Shake
Again basic, but ya know it’s good
Jerky or Grass-fed Meat Stick with fruit
High protein for the serving size
Boiled Eggs with hummus or guacamole and crackers
Add a little hot sauce
Grilled Turkey and Cheese Sandwich
Good chilled too
Smoked Salmon with Greek Yogurt Dill Dip and Crackers
Could throw some capers in there too!
Veggie & Fruit Smoothie
See here for a recipe
Athletes are constantly burning calories so it’s important to refuel often to ensure your energy levels and blood sugar remains stable.
There are so many benefits to having stable blood sugar:
- Enhanced sports performance
- High energy
- Focus
- Healthy immune system
- Optimal recovery
And you just feel awesome all day long!
If you are curious about how your current nutrition could improve, schedule a Sports Performance Nutrition Evaluation and I’ll help you get to your next level faster!