Don’t you just love the concession stand food at athletic events or the ‘I should eat’, but no desire to eat anything – yeah, same here!
Our bodies replace billions of cells every day. In 365 days over 90% of our body’s cells have been replaced with new ones. So, our future self starts with the choices we make today in nutrition, movement, our thoughts, and our life choices. Life is a series of moments ready to teach us, grow us, and to make us into the best versions of ourselves – if we choose to take hold and propel ourselves through them.
Ok, back to food. It’s summer and with summer comes a lot of activity and more meals on the run. I encourage all athletes and all athlete parents to be prepared during their busy sports seasons – be it a single workout, a game, or a weekend tournament. Here are a few tips and meals I always have on hand when we travel.
Energy Foods for Before & Between Events
- Chocolate-covered peanut butter-filled dates – there are great for before and between evens for energy. They taste great as well!
- Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches – uncrustsables are so great for this! Again, there are great before or in-between events.
- Power Balls (recipe below) – I love these before my workouts with a cup of coffee! Great source of energy and protein for sustained activity.
- Bagels for pre-event breakfast
- Cereal is a great snack between events – Most cereal is filled with vitamins and nutrients plus a good amount of carbohydrates to get you through your workout/game. (cheerios, fruit loops, checks… Maybe stay away from high-fiber cereals to avoid an upset stomach)
Foods for Multiple Events
- Watermelon with salt to make it an electrolyte snack
- Gogurt
- Yogurt parfait
- Bananas
- Gram Crackers (belVita is a fav here)
- Power Balls
- PB&J
- Guu – my daughter doesn’t like to eat when there is only one game between her first and second. So, we always have guu in her bag so she keeps her energy levels up. This is great for long-distance runs as well. If you’re “hitting a wall” on a run, it’s usually due to a lack of glycogen (carbs) and/or hydration.
- Water – lots and lots of water – for events lasting more than an hour it’s good at add LMNT or other electrolyte drinks
Post Workout Fuel
- Protein Shakes – Core Power and clean protein powder are always along for the ride. It’s nice to carry just powder. A quick gas station stop for milk and bam – a delicious protein shake to rebuild muscles.
- Beef sticks
- Plenty of Water – I like to buy gallon jugs of water when we travel to always have water bottle refill options – mostly because my daughter is picky on what kind of water she likes when exercising.
- Electrolyte drinks are huge especially if there are multiple events or multiple events two days in a row. I really Like LMNT. Adding it to a water bottle after a long day of game play is a great option.
- Meal Plan – I usually make ‘bargains’ with my daughter for dinner. It has to contain protein, carbs, and good fat. What we usually do is split a meal. Youth sports and travel costs so much money so we split a meal of my choosing, and then she can have ice cream or some dessert after. It is a win on multiple levels.
I always have a cooler of food with me if I’m at a big event. Having food already made up makes proper fueling so much easier. -it is one less thing to think about. Plus, with better choices, we always feel better, recover faster and think clearer.
Protein Power Bite Recipe
Ingredients:
- 3 cups quick oats
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 3-4 dates
- 1/2 scoop protein powder
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
Directions:
- Cover the dates with water and microwave for 1-minute
- Mash up the dates with the water
- Mix all ingredients together
- Section off into little balls. I use a small ice cream scoop and store them in an airtight container and refrigerated. Having 1-3 pre-game or practice is a great source of energy.
