Portable, Shelf-Stable Snacks for School or Work

It's back to school time! The summer flew by, and suddenly here we are in September! One of the biggest challenges athletes have during the school year is continuing solid performance fueling during school hours. Challenges of no snacks in class, no nuts in snacks and other roadblocks can threaten to derail efforts to consistently fuel muscles during the day. However, with the right snacks and a little discreteness, there is no need to arrive at afternoon practice starving. These snacks are also great for work, in the car or walking across campus!

Before reading through the list of snack options,  remember the cardinals of building a solid snack: a source of carbohydrate (fruit, grains, dairy) plus a source of protein (nuts, seeds, protein or animal meat). While some of those foods like deli meat or yogurt won't appear on this list because they are not shelf stable, it is good to remember that they can be a part of a great snack when available.

Beautiful Performance-Enhancing, Shelf-Stable Snacks

Peanut butter & jam/honey sandwich
Sunbutter or soy nut butter & jam/honey sandwich*
Trail mix of dried fruit, nuts and your favorite whole grain cereal 
Trail mix of dried fruit, seeds and your favorite whole grain cereal*
Granola bars: my favorite are Clif bars, Picky Bars, Kind Bars and Luna Bars
Energy bites: there are many recipes available online, but look for great ones to include a nut butter or seed butter, whole grain oats, chia seeds or flaxseeds, honey and even chocolate chips!*
Piece of fruit with nuts or seeds*
Piece of fruit with lean turkey or beef jerky
Whole grain crackers, bagel or English muffin topped with peanut butter, sunflower seed or soy nut butter*
Dry cereal that is high in protein, such as Kashi cereals*
Whole grain cracker topped with tuna (buy in packets)*
A piece of fruit or dried fruit with a container of shelf-stable low-fat chocolate milk (like that pictured above*

*nut-free

This is certainly not an all-inclusive list, so get creative and find what works for you, your family or your athlete. If you have the challenge of no snacks in class, eat in passing period, choosing foods that are quick and easy to eat, such as trail mix (only about 1/2 cup is needed), energy bites or a granola bar.

Your Nutrition Coach,

RDKate

5 School Lunches That Make the Grade

As athletes prepare backpacks and workout bags to go back to school, parents are preparing pantries and refrigerators for school lunches. I often hear complaints about not knowing what to pack each day to make sure athletes actually eat what is packed, but also properly fuel themselves in preparation for after-school or evening practices. Here are 5 school lunches that earn an "A" from this sports dietitian:

The Tried and True

Jam and nut butter on whole wheat bread

Fresh veggies such as baby carrots, cherry tomatoes or mini sweet peppers (already prepared!)

Greek, non-fat yogurt (must be Greek!) - flavored okay

Piece of fresh fruit

Whole grain tortilla chips

4 Fueling Strategies Athletes Should Try Now Before Going Back to School

I am enjoying seeing many young athletes in my office right now. The timing is perfect because we have 2-3 weeks to try out some fueling strategies before they need to be implemented into the fall school/practice schedule. Having time to try things out when young athletes are less scheduled allows them to better focus on what they would like to eat and what works with their schedule and also helps them game-plan how to transport and store their preferred foods. So, if you have a young athlete in the house that is going back to any level of school/practice this fall, work with them to hone and perfect these four fueling strategies.

Eating Breakfast
In my work with athletes, I see two basic problem patterns when it comes to breakfast: either the athlete doesn't eat it at all or the athlete eats something too small for their needs, such as a banana or one piece of toast. Breakfast is the most important meal because it sets the stage for the entire day in terms of both mental energy and muscle energy. Fortunately, I have two great blog articles about breakfast. Last's week's blog (5 Ways to Eat Breakfast Within 30 Minutes of Waking Up) outlines multiple breakfast options depending on your particle morning routine. The second blog article is especially for my athletes who have early-morning practices that make it difficult to eat. Check out "It's Too Early to Eat - Help!" if this applies to you or your athlete. 

Start the school year with good nutrition: tips, tricks and recipes!

Two weeks ago I discussed school lunches and last week was snacks. With many of you actually STARTING school this week, I thought I would end the theme of school nutrition with a round-up of my best blog articles relating to meal prep and eating during this crazy time - many focusing on dinner. Here they are:

How to Eat a Healthy, Quick Dinner Every Night
A step-by-step how-to for each day of the week to be able to have a good dinner every night with minimal prep for the week as a whole. Includes ideas such as crock pot, batch cooking and smart shopping.

Wondering What You Will Eat Tomorrow? [Recipes]
One recipe each: breakfast, lunch and dinner. All quick and SUPER tasty. The breakfast recipe is cookies, so how can you go wrong there???

Eating Fast Food: Meals that Work
Because sometimes you don't have a choice, when you HAVE to hit fast food, here are the best options. Establishments include Starbucks, Panera, McDonalds, Chipotle and more...

3 Quick and Health Recipes You Will Love [Recipes]
Psst...one is for French fries. Check it out!

Be Extraordinary,


RDKate

Make School Snacks a Cinch: Here's How!

This week, enjoy a guest post from my intern, Danielle. This is a great piggy-pack onto last week's post about school lunches. Now you have no excuse to not be ready to feed those student-athletes!

Be Extraordinary,

RDKate
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This school year, prioritizing the nutrition of your children could make it the best year yet for your family’s health. In light of the new “hangry” phenomenon, where hunger causes one to become angry, the inclusion of small, healthy snacks mid-morning and after school could keep “hangry” moods from occurring. If you find that you or your kids become grouchy or tired during the work or school day, it could be that hunger is the culprit. Bringing simple, healthy snacks to school or work may help to combat the side effects of being hungry. Snacking can maintain your mood, keep your energy up, and help you to stay focused. Especially when students are heading off to sports practice after school, consuming a snack during the school day as well as after school will keep their energy up so they can play their best.

5 Critical Nutrition Solutions for High School Athletes

High school athletes are one of my favorite type of athlete to work with. They are typically highly motivated with big dreams of college play. However, it comes with the territory that they are also busy and often stressed. When working with high school athletes, here are some key nutrition things I emphasize to improve performance and reach future goals.

1. Change the when before you change the what
Instead of starting right away with eat this-not that, I start with timing of intake. Timing of intake makes a huge difference with respect to any performance goal. Plus, it is easier for a high school student to focus on eating a few more times during the day before worrying about what that food consists of.

2. Lets discuss your schedule
Knowing the athlete's school, practice, and competition schedule is critical to developing an eating plan that works. Every athlete's schedule is slightly different, so my understanding of their time restrictions makes a huge difference to their level of success with my eating program.

Great pre-workout snacks before that afternoon practice

School is in full swing. That means no longer is there the luxury of TIME before after-school or afternoon practices. Snacking between lunch and your workout is one of the most important fueling times of the day. Here are some performance-enhancing options:

If you have 45-60 minutes to spare:

In the car - try one...
1 Clif, Luna or Larabar
Trail Mix- Try Planters Nutrition Sustaining Energy Mix (pre-packaged in single servings)
1 Jiff to-go container of PB or Justin's to-go container of almond butter with graham crackers

Snacks for the student-athlete: for the home, car, dorm or workout bag

It's that time of year - back to school time! That means many student athletes are back in full swing with training as well. Crucial to success in workouts is timing of intake before and after practice. Eating only three meals per day is not enough. Snacks are a must to ensure muscles are fueled pre-workout and recovering post-workout. Whether at home, in the car, in the dorm or heading to practice, here are is a list of great performance-enhancing snack components to have on hand (both perishable and non-perishable).

Perishable
Cheese sticks
Babybel cheese
Individual yogurt containers (non-fat...Greek or regular)
Fresh fruit - especially packable fruit such as apples, peaches, pears, oranges and nectarines
Baby carrots
Better yet just buy a pre-cut veggie tray and put at eye level in the fridge
Individual containers of hummus & pretzels (available at most grocery stores)
100% fruit juice boxes
Low-fat chocolate: both large container and individual sized to take out the door