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

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.

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

School Lunches Solved: Planning, Shopping & Packing

For many athletes or parents of athletes, planning for lunch at school is a dreaded part of the back to school routine. While many complain of poor choices offered in the cafeteria, an equally common complaint is lack of time to pack a sack lunch. Yet, "brown bagging it" doesn't have to take up a huge amount of time or energy. Here are some tips, tricks, and sample lunches to fuel the athlete in you or in your family....

Planning
When planning for sack lunches, remember the key components that should be included in each lunch. Make your list before you head to the store.
-Carbohydrates: Preferably whole grain/whole wheat
-Protein: Preferably low-fat
-Fruit: Fresh is easiest, but canned is okay too
-Vegetables: Think fresh "ready-to-eat" veggies such as baby carrots or cherry tomatoes

Shopping
Do your shopping on the weekend, and buy for the entire week. Using the guidelines discussed, here is a list you might use:

Whole wheat bread, tortillas, or pitas
Brown rice or quinoa
Whole grain tortilla chips
Whole grain crackers such as Triscuits, Wheat Thins, or Kashi TLCs
Low sugar jelly/jam or honey
Dried fruit (no sugar added if possible)

Low sodium lunch meats
Canned/packets of tuna
Eggs
Canned beans
Part-skim mozzarella cheese sticks
Low-fat regular or Greek yogurt: Single serve containers or bulk
Low-fat cottage cheese
2% milk block cheese
Peanut or other nut butter
Whole nuts

Any fresh fruit (look for sales) - fruit like peaches, bananas, oranges and apples might be easier than pineapple, mango or melon that requires cleaning and cutting
Any canned fruit in its own juice (not heavy syrup)
Any fresh veggies (look for sales) - baby carrots and cherry tomatoes come ready to eat vs. broccoli, cauliflower or cucumber, which requires cleaning and cutting

Pack/provide splurge foods only 1x/week (but not on game days). These are not effective for fueling or recovery, but certainly can be part of a reasonable intake. Such foods include items like chips, cookies/brownies, fruit roll-ups/fruit snacks, or soda.

Packing
Prep as much as possible on the weekend to save time during the week. Make sandwiches (minus sauces/dressings which can make them soggy), cut up vegetables or fruit and put in sandwich bags, make individual salads in tupperware containers, create your own single serve yogurt or cottage cheese by placing 3/4 cup into a small tupperware container from the bulk container. Hard boil eggs and make rice/quinoa.

Examples
Lunch #1
Lunch meat or tuna sandwich with cheese, tomato, romaine lettuce, & mustard if desired
Apple
Baby carrots
Low-fat yogurt

Lunch #2
PBJ or PB & Honey on whole wheat bread
Peach
Cherry tomatoes
String cheese

Lunch #3
Low-fat cottage cheese with canned fruit, walnuts, & cinnamon
Crackers & cheese
Fresh broccoli & cauliflower

Lunch #4
Brown rice/quinoa with beans, salsa, and cheese (rolled into a tortilla with lettuce and tomato if desired)
Tortilla chips
Orange or clementine

Lunch #5
Spinach salad with hard-boiled eggs, carrots, celery, tomatoes, oil-based dressing
Place salad in a pita to enjoy
Fresh apricot
Milk (cow's or soy)

Lunch #6
Tortilla with hummus, lots of veggies and feta cheese
Fresh berries
Quinoa with dried fruit and nuts

Remember that lunch doesn't have to be only lunch foods. Both breakfast and dinner foods can be enjoyed at lunch...just follow the guidelines above. Leftovers from dinner often make a great and quick lunch the next day!

Be Extraordinary,


RDKate