In the spirit of Back to School season I wanted to provide some tips for our young athletes returning to their favorite sports to enhance their performance through snacking.  These basic snacking guidelines can also be used by adult athletes as well.  

What kind of fuel does an athlete need?

  • Carbohydrates (carbs) provide energy for the body.  Carbs are found in breads, pasta, tortillas, rice, fruits, milk, yogurt, beans, and sweets.
  • Protein is needed to build and repair muscles.  Protein is found in chicken, beef, turkey, fish, eggs, peanut butter, cheese, nuts, and beans.
  • Calcium is needed to help build strong bones and prevent breaking and stress fractures.  Calcium is found in milk, cheese, yogurt, and leafy green vegetables.
  • Iron helps carry oxygen to all the different body parts that need it.  Iron is found in red meats, salmon, turkey, chicken, eggs, dried fruit, and whole grains.


Why do athletes need snacks?

  • Refuel muscles before and after games and practice
  • Improve your performance by keeping you energized throughout the game
  • Reduce hunger
  • Helps meet athlete’s higher calorie (energy) needs


What are healthy snacks?

Healthy snacks throughout the day should include a carbohydrate and protein such as ½ turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread, apple and peanut butter, cheese quesadilla on whole-wheat tortilla, cheese stick and whole grain crackers, and trail mix.  Avoid high sugar, high fat snacks that are low in nutrients such as cookies, doughnuts, sodas, and chips.  They may not give you the energy you need for your best performance.

Healthy pregame snacks should include easy to digest carbs and be low in fat to avoid stomach upset during the game and a small amount of protein, such as cinnamon raisin bagel and cheese stick, peanut butter crackers, or Nutrigrain Bar.

After the game (within 30 minutes) eat a healthy snack high in carbs such as pretzels, banana, or sports drink.  2 hours after the game eat a well balanced meal that includes carbs, lean protein, and fat Healthy High Performance Snack Recipes

PB Power Bagel

Whole wheat bagel
1 Tbsp Natural Peanut butter
½ banana, sliced
2 Tbsp low fat granola
Drizzle of honey

Spread the peanut butter on one side of the tortilla.  Place bananas along the center of the tortilla.  Top with granola and drizzle with honey.  Roll tortilla and enjoy.


Mighty Mix
¼ cup Multigrain Cheerios
¼ cup Wheat Chex
2 Tbsp Dried cranberries or raisins
¼ cup Mini Pretzels
1 TbspUnsalted Peanuts
1 Tbsp Dark chocolate morsels

Mix the above ingredients together in a zip top plastic bag.


Peach Cobbler Parfait
6 ounces vanilla flavored Greek Yogurt
½ cup diced canned peaches, no added sugar
2 Tbsp low fat granola
Dash Cinnamon

Layer the above ingredients in a small bowl.  Serve immediately.