Snack Duty: Best snacks for after school sports

Every parent who has a child on a sports team has signed up for snack duty for after a practice or game. And that parent usually faces a small dilemma the morning or afternoon of the event. It's that mild panic of "Oh no! Today's my day for snack duty!" mixed with "Oh no! What am I going to feed the kids?" Because even though you know snack duty is coming, that day arrives at the most inopportune time. Like when you're stuck in a meeting all day and have to pick up treats on the way to the event.

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?