Fruit, fruit, fruit!-
What's the easiest snack of all? Fruit! A banana, slices of apples or sliced oranges make a perfect, refreshing treat. Pair fruit with a drink ... more
Fruit, fruit, fruit!-
What's the easiest snack of all? Fruit! A banana, slices of apples or sliced oranges make a perfect, refreshing treat. Pair fruit with a drink and healthy granola bar for a morning practice/game, or just serve fruit alone with water if it's a later afternoon snack so the kids don't fill up before dinner. less
It's easy to run to the store and grab a box of donuts or cookies and a pack of Gatorade, but are those snacks the best foods to be feeding the team after a workout?
"Every parent wants to be the cool parent that brings the cool snacks," said Julie Matel, clinical dietician at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. "You want to avoid snacks loaded with sugar. Don't eliminate fun foods from diets. But a sporting event should be centered on health and what is healthy for our body. And these are the things we are teaching our kids--we are trying to promote health."
Whatever the sport, when you're pulling together a snack for after practices or games, Matel said you should serve something that includes protein, carbohydrates, and fats.
And Gatorade? Kids love it. But unless the team is exerting tons of energy (think soccer team running around the field on a hot day or baseball players standing in hot sun), water is just fine.
"Gatorade is not necessary for shorter durations and less heavy exercise," said Matel.
Check out the slideshow for some of Matel's recommendations on the best snacks for after school sporting events.
What are your go-to treats when you're on snack duty?
