If you or your kids are looking for high energy snacks for after school sports, and you’re relying on finding them at the concession stand or in vending machines, good luck! If you’ve got kids in after school or weekend sports, then perhaps you’re with me when I express my concern for the on-site food choices available to our kids. I have such a commitment to giving our kids access to nutrient-dense, high-energy food as fuel.
I am fully aware that evening activities means rushing around for most families, or kids staying after school, and in doing so, people are hitting the drive thru or relying on concessions/vending machines for something to eat pre/post game or practice. Obviously there is little to no real food in those options, and certainly nothing for those who may have food allergies or intolerances.
If we can continue to groom our kiddos to make wise choices while out in the world as they do at home with their food, they will perform better, and more importantly, they will feel better. I’m often asked what we do to prepare our kids for their sporting events (we have a dancer and a volleyball player in our household), so thought I would create a list of ideas and resources for you here.
My go-to snacks for after school sports
- boiled or deviled eggs
- meat sticks
- wrap deli meat around a cheese stick
- chef salad with meat and cheese, dressing on the side
- cottage cheese sprinkled with paprika and sprouted sunflower seeds
- sliced veggie strips (bell pepper, carrots, celery, jicama), grape tomatoes, with hummus or guacamole
- plantain chips with hummus or guacamole
- apple slices and sunbutter
- bars (Caveman, Larabar, Kind Bar, RxBar)
- homemade grain free granola bars
- organic raw cheese and grain free or gluten free crackers
- Standard Process SP Complete chocolate or vanilla shake (with 10 grams of easy to digest protein and a shaker bottle, you’re good to go!)
A few clean snack brands we love
RxBars — First of all these bars are so tasty. Best sellers in our office: blueberry, maple sea salt, chocolate sea salt, and coconut chocolate. Runners up include apple cinnamon and mint chocolate. With their No B.S. marketing, ingredients are straight up egg whites, fruit, and nut, so no guessing there. We sell these in the office individually and with a discount for ordering a case.
Nick’s Sticks — “All the goodness, none of the garbage.” This company offers grass-fed beef and turkey sticks that are free of: MSG, nitrates, antibiotics, hormones, sugar, red dye, and gluten. They are shelf stable so are easy to have in the pantry, in the car, and in the after school sports duffel bag. Getting good fat and proteins in our kids with these meat sticks is an easy and delicious idea. These can be ordered by the pack or monthly making it convenient for you!
Seed’nola and seed bars from 88Acres — We love these for groups, classrooms, and activities that need to be nut-free zones. Not only is their story inspiring, they have some awesome flavors to try: triple berry, apple ginger, and chocolate sea salt, for example. These are certified gluten free, contain oats, and are really tasty. You can purchase direct from their website or in our office.
Thrive Market — Lastly, if you haven’t yet shopped with Thrive Market online, you’re missing out! I buy all my favorite natural and wholesome products for 25–50% off retail on Thrive Market. Use this Thrive Market link to get you two months membership free and a nice discount on your first order, then it’s $60/year for membership.
What I love about Thrive Market is that food and other goodies are categorized as paleo, raw, vegatarian/vegan, gluten free — and there’s even a category just for moms! It has every non-perishable food that fits into these categories. It saves me a ton of money (at least $75 per order when I’m buying items for our family of 4). You can find tons of easy and nutrient dense snacks and grab-n-go items for your pantry, sports bag, or car. I love that I can shop from home. I have no problem paying for shipping when I am in my PJs getting things done from my laptop! So for us, it’s a huge time and money saver.
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