Healthier Snacks for Teams and Athletes

It might be time to upgrade your game-day offerings and go beyond potato chips and fruit chews. So if you’re next on snack duty for your child’s sports team, don’t sweat it!  Melinda Wivell, RDN, LD, a registered dietitian at Lake Health, shares her short list for healthier, shareable snacks that can fuel your young athlete: 

Snacks are a great way to bring the team together and help athletes maintain their energy during a game. Snacks surrounding activity should provide your athlete with instant energy before the game and instant recovery afterwards. It is best to choose snacks that are carbohydrate-based because they will be absorbed quickly either for energy production or to refuel athletes. Snacks should be lower in fat and contain a moderate amount of protein. High fat, processed foods will make athletes of any age feel sluggish during the game.

Elementary Age Athletes

If you’re packing a cooler, try one of these healthier options:

• 6 oz. cartons of fruit yogurt or yogurt in a tube, or a dairy-free yogurt drink
• Turkey and cheese slider sandwiches on mini buns
• Low-fat string cheese paired with small packet of mini pretzels
• Single serving hummus cups with vegetable dippers, portioned into individual sandwich bags
• 8 oz. low-fat chocolate milk or a dairy-free alternative
• Banana, orange slices or apple slices

For easy snacks that don’t need refrigeration, bring one of these grabable favorites:

• Mini bag of air popped popcorn
• Applesauce cups or pouches
• Snack packs of raisins
• Whole grain granola bars
• Individual bags of veggie chips
• Clementines.

Hydration is important for young athletes, too:

• Pre-game: drink 4-8 oz. of water 1-2 hours prior to the game or practice. Then drink another 4-8 oz. of water 10-15 minutes before the activity starts.
• During sports: 5-9 oz. of water every 20 minutes
• After sports: it is necessary to replace water lost during the game. Within 2 hours, drink 24 oz. of water for every pound lost.
• Water is best. Sports drinks may be used during the game if activity exceeds 1 hour to help balance electrolytes. If you’re serving juice or juice boxes, aim for 100% fruit juice with no added sugars.

Middle School Aged Athletes

Refrigerated options:

• 6 oz. Greek yogurt with ¼ cup granola and ¼ cup berries (yogurt parfaits)
• 8 oz. fruit smoothies made with fruit, low-fat Greek yogurt and low-fat milk, dairy-free alternative or coconut water
• A variety of make-ahead wraps, such as turkey and low-fat cheese wraps, hummus and cucumber wraps, or banana and nut butter wraps
• Thin-sliced bagel with 1 Tbsp. low-fat cream cheese
• Small banana paired with low-fat chocolate milk or dairy-free alternative

Shelf-stable snack ideas:

• Whole grain granola bar
• Nut butter and jelly sandwich
• 2 clementines with a small bag of mini-pretzels
• Thin-sliced bagel with 1 Tbsp. peanut butter
• Individual servings of trail mix
• Whole grain peanut butter crackers

Proper hydration for middle school aged athletes is important for both performance and safety:

• Pre-game: 8-16 oz. of water 1-2 hours prior to the game
• Pre-game: 8-12 oz. of water 10-15 minutes before the game
• During sports: 5-10 oz. of water every 20 minutes
• After sports: it is necessary to replace water lost during the game. Within 2 hours, drink 24 oz. of water for every pound lost.
• Water is best. Sports drinks may be used during the game if activity exceeds 1 hour to help balance electrolytes.