Jordyn has been grinding hard this basketball season and now that summer is here she's only going harder. She happily attends basketball camp after basketball camp, practice after practice...You can really see how much she loves her sport.
With all these added practices and work outs come an increase in how much she eats or snacks. We all know how important it is for kids to eat healthy well balanced meals but what about snacking throughout the day?
Now obviously i'm not talking about an hour long practice and then going home, there really isn't much need for an energy boosting snack at that point.......but Jordyn spent all of last week at a 6 hour a day basketball camp. This upcoming week she will spend the weekend at another basketball camp. Over the summer she, like many youth athletes, spends hours practicing and exerting energy so it's important for me to pack her snacks that helped re-fuel and re-energize.
Unfortunately we live in a time where there is an overwhelming amount of snack options in grocery stores geared towards youth athletes and it can be hard to figure out what exactly we should really give our kiddos.
I'm no nutrition expert but I have been asked several times what snacks I pack for Jordyn. I believe in a whole foods, eating healthy lifestyle and have a few grab and go snack options that I put in Jordyns lunch bag so i'm going to share them with you!
The most important thing when picking snacks being sure your kiddo is getting the proper nutrients they need, which in the case of youth athletes is carbs and proteins.
Carbohydrates are an extremely important fuel source because they provide the glucose that is used for energy.
Proteins help build and repair muscles which is vital for recovery after extended periods of exercise.
So, here are a few of my go to grab & go snack options for Jordyn!
Bananas- Bananas contain anywhere from 23-35% carbohydrates depending on the size of the fruit. They're a good source of potassium, vitamin b6 and vitamin c. They are also a good source of magnesium which can help with muscle relaxation after working out.
KIND Healthy Grain Peanut Butter Whole Grain Clusters- I am a HUGE fan of KIND, everything from their bars to their granola is delicious and made with simple ingredients that you can recognize and pronounce. This granola is made with 5 super grains; oats, millet,quinoa,amaranth, and buckwheat which provide essential nutrients like B vitamins & minerals. It is also a great source of protein at 10 grams per serving!
Justins Honey Peanut Butter and Banana Chip Snack Pack- I love a good snack pack. You guys remember those processed cheese product and cracker stick packs we used to eat as children? Yeah, these are nothing like that!...These are actually good and good for you! They're packed full of good stuff; 3 grams of fiber, 5-6 grams of protein, and is also made with clean ingredients that you can recognize and pronounce. The banana chips are the perfect mix of salty & sweet which is perfect for satisfying cravings but my favorite part is the packaging. So easy to grab one and throw it into Jordyns bag.
Larabar bars & bites- Larabar snack are all natural, made from 100% whole foods. Most flavors only have 4-5 ingredients which mostly consist of unsweetened fruits, nuts, and spices. They are free of preservative free and contain no artificial flavors! Admittedly some Larabars are pretty high in natural sugars but they do satisfy the cravings for something sweet while steering clear of candy bars and processed snacks so while they are all natural, they are still an "in moderation snack.
I hope some of these quick grab and go snacks help when trying to figure out what snacks you should reach for when packing your kiddos sports bags.
The most important thing for us is that healthy snacking is an extension of our healthy eating lifestyle so it's important to keep snacks like these along with other healthy options on hand even during the off season.
Xo,
Jeanice :)
*Big thank you to Slammers Snacks who inspired this post by sending Jordyn Slammers Snack Pouches to try out.