Is Your Snack Holding You Back? Tips for Packing a Snack Made for an Athlete

Athletes love to snack, but when speaking with young athletes about snacking, the first foods that come to mind are pre-packaged salty snacks and sweet treats. Instead of wanting to know which foods are healthy, which foods they should avoid, and what the healthier alternatives to their favorite snacks are, young athletes often get stuck in the habit of reaching for junk foods in-between meals - that's what everyone is doing! Most active people and young athletes know which foods aren't necessarily healthy without being told. When they're asked what snack foods they reach for, they're usually laughing over Poptarts or Cheetos, but even if that's what everyone else is reaching for, those junk foods aren't made to fuel an athlete's body. Putting the right fuel in our bodies helps us push harder and get stronger in our sport, so even though fruit and nuts aren't cool, those foods are going to make you a better athlete, while those junk foods might be holding you back.

Unhealthy snacking isn't uncommon - snacking has become much more popular and widely accepted, and many people (not just athletes) have moved from eating 3 main meals a day to 5-6 mini meals throughout the day or eating several smaller meals and several snacks per day.

An online poll found:

• Snack food sales are increasing globally, not just in the U.S. 
• Many people are snacking at least once per day, and the most popular snacks globally are chocolate and fruit
• The most popular snack in North America is chips and chocolate
• People are snacking to satisfy that between-meal hunger they get from 3 square meals...AND people are also eating more snacks to replace meals - instead of regular meals, they might just be grazing throughout the day.

Many athletes, people training for a certain event or race, and very active people may have higher calorie needs and snacking can help those people meet their calorie and nutrient needs...but they shouldn't be replacing a well-rounded vegetable-protein-starch meal with chips and chocolate candy. If athletes are hungry between meals, snacks should be more than just a package of junk foods - snacks are an opportunity add nutrition. Athletes should ask themselves, "How can I make this snack or meal more nutrient-dense?" because every eating opportunity is an opportunity to fuel your body for practice, competition, or recovery.

One athlete asked, "When does a healthy snack become unhealthy?" (Such as adding caramel to apple slices). 

This snack isn't necessarily unhealthy, but caramel, just like any sweet/candy/sugary treat is a "sometimes food". You could lower the amount of sugar in the snack and add some protein and healthy fats (which would make the snack a healthier option) by swapping out the caramel with a healthier side.

For example, you could make your own cinnamon dip with Greek yogurt, peanut butter and cinnamon. You could dip the apples in almond butter or have some cheese slices or hard-boiled egg on the side.

Snacking tips for athletes:

1. Pairing carbohydrates with protein can increase satiety and keep blood sugar levels even.
2. Eating protein throughout the day (including that post-workout snack) can help promote muscle protein synthesis. Don't forget the carbs, though! Adequate carbohydrate intake allows your body to spare the protein you eat to promote recovery and build muscle. 
3. If there's several hours between the snack and your next meal, choose a larger snack with several different food groups, containing protein and healthy fats to hold you over, plus some carbs to give you energy.  
4. If you just need to be held over for a short time before your next real meal (60-90 minutes), choose a smaller snack (100-200 calories). 
5. For athletes with a weight  gain goal, larger snacks can act as "mini meals" to help them add calories to your day. Add high-calorie foods such as nuts/nut butter and full fat dairy to snacks and meals. 
6. For athletes with a weight loss goal, eating smaller snacks and choosing crunchy vegetables and fruit, which have a high water and fiber content can help keep them full.
•  Crunchy foods usually take a little bit longer to eat, too, so instead of reaching for a 100-calorie bar or packet of snacks, choose vegetables and/or fruit paired with some protein. 

PROTEIN	CARBS
½ - 1 cup Greek yogurt	Apple or banana
1 – 2 Tbsp peanut or almond butter	½ cup oatmeal
2 Tbsp – ¼ cup hummus	1 – 2 slices whole grain toast
10-30 almonds, cashews, walnuts, etc.	½ - 1 bagel
1 piece of string cheese	1 cup raw baby carrots
½ - 1 cup cottage cheese	Wheat crackers (Triscuits, Wheat Thins)
Beef jerky	1 cup berries
¼ - 1 cup edamame	Corn  tortilla
Hardboiled eggs	Sweet potato
Lean deli meat (turkey, chicken, ham, roast beef)	Raisins/Craisins
Milk	Whole grain cereal
Cheese	Graham crackers
	Pretzels

For more ideas, check out these smart snacking ideas from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics!

Strive for excellence in each meal - if you're putting in the work at practice and competition, put some thought into what goes on your plate throughout the day. 

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Pack a Snack

Snacking is a huge topic in the news and among clients (Is eating more snacks better? Should I eat between meals? Is 5 small meals better than 3 large meals?) I recommend that clients eat when they're hungry, which often includes eating several snacks throughout the day, especially if you're very active or you're an athlete. 

Packing snacks to bring to work or school is a great way to ensure you don't get stuck buying something over-priced from the school or work cafeteria or the vending machine (where the healthy pickings are slim). 

Knowing which foods to pack as a healthy snack can save you money, provide you with more nutrients and fuel your body throughout the day. This is especially true for active people and athletes, who need more calories than the "average" person. Our bodies utilize nutrients better when we spread them throughout the day and timing meals and snacks to fuel activities and help our bodies recover can improve performance. 

Comparing the Numbers

The USDA reports:

• fruit roll snacks are about 82 calories and 28 cents per portion
• bananas are about 100 calories and on average, about 18 cents per portion

Although fruit rolls/snacks and other foods of this variety can seem like a good deal because they often go on sale and may have health claims such as "100% fruit" or "An excellent source of vitamin C!", bananas and other fruits are often just as budget-friendly and contain more nutrients (that aren't necessarily advertised) to fuel your body than snack foods. 

Pre-packaged foods aren't ALWAYS a bad choice, but if you can build a more complete, nutrient-dense snack with foods from several food groups, you'll stay fuller for longer and your body will be getting more vitamins, minerals and fiber. 

The easiest way to choose a filling nutritious snack is to follow this formula:

1. Complex carbohydrates

 
Complex carbs are fruits, vegetables and whole grains. 

Common examples include: apples, bananas, carrots, whole grain crackers, whole grain bread, potatoes, brown rice, raisins, granola, whole grain cold cereal or oatmeal and legumes/beans (chickpeas, black beans, peas, etc.)

2. Protein

Protein sources are dairy foods, meat and poultry, and nuts and seeds.

Common examples include: yogurt (Greek yogurt has more protein!), milk, cheese, lunch meat, chicken, hard boiled eggs, almonds or other nuts.

How much protein do you need? You're probably getting enough, but make sure you're getting some as part of your snacks!

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends making small swaps to your normal grocery cart by looking at the foods you "always" eat each week and trying to make a swap for a more nutritious option. For example, you can swap out those fruit snacks for a piece of fruit or swap that chocolate chip fiber bar for some nuts or whole grain cereal. 

Source: National Dairy Council

Again, your snack bar (or other favorite portable snack) may be satisfying and tasty, but you should set a goal to get more variety in your diet.

Remember, eating snacks and meals with more variety, from more than one food group, is going to provide you with the most nutritional "bang for your buck" - you're going to be getting more nutrients and feel more satisfied with, for example, and apple paired with some nuts vs. if you just ate the apple by itself.

The protein and healthy fats in the nuts help hold you over for longer and the carbohydrates in the apple give your body a quick source of energy. 

10 portable snack ideas to throw in your backpack/bag/purse:

1. Almonds/mixed nuts (~1/4 cup) with an apple
2. String cheese and grapes
3. Greek yogurt with berries and 1/4 cup granola
4. Cheese and whole grain crackers
5. A cup of milk and whole grain cereal
6. Peanut butter* and celery with raisins
7. Nut butter and jelly sandwich on whole grain bread or crackers
8. 2 hard boiled eggs and an apple
9. 1/3 cup oatmeal cooked with milk and 1/2 Tbsp peanut butter
10. Beef jerky and carrots

*You can portion peanut butter into small containers if you don't want to bring the whole peanut butter jar to work/school.

Ask the Dietitian: What snacking questions do you have? What are your favorite snacks?

I love plain Greek yogurt with berries and flax seeds. If I don't want to bring a lunch bag or don't have access to a refrigerator to keep it cool, I opt for a piece of fruit and nuts or a tablespoon or 2 of peanut butter. 

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Will the Real Pumpkin Flavor Please Stand Up?

Now that the temperatures are dropping (in the Midwest, at least), and the days are getting shorter, many people are breaking out their long sleeves and hanging fall decorations as pumpkin spice everything returns to store shelves. You can find everything from pumpkin spice lip gloss and body lotions to pumpkin spice chocolate candies,yogurt, boxes of cereal, and yes, even POTATO CHIPS...and it doesn't seem to be slowing down any time soon.

This blog isn't about to knock the pumpkin spice trend - this post is actually going to be an Ode to Pumpkin and Pumpkin Pie Spice. It's time to take a step back and discover the real food flavors of pumpkin (a squash) and pumpkin pie spice (a blend of cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg) - flavors that often get overlooked when they're doused in sugar and disguised in baked goods. We're not saying we don't enjoy a giant slab piece of pumpkin pie during the holidays, we just want you to enjoy more pumpkin without the blood sugar spike.

Enjoying a seasonal treat once in a while is fine- referring to the previous post on Enjoying More Whole Foods - you want to choose foods that are as close to their original source or minimally processed most of the time, to avoid all the preservatives and additives (sweeteners, dyes) companies add to pre-packaged products.

Remember, pumpkin is a vegetable, so to enjoy pumpkin and reap all the nutritional benefits from this dark orange squash, choose fresh pumpkin (in squash form) or add pumpkin puree to your favorite sweet OR savory recipes. Many of the "pumpkin spice" products found in the store may not actually contain any pumpkin, and are often disguised with sugar to hide the fact that pumpkin is a vegetable that doesn't actually taste like a pumpkin spice latte (sorry). 

PUMPKIN SPICE

"Pumpkin spice" or "Pumpkin Pie Spice" doesn't actually contain pumpkin - it's really just a blend of warming spices usually found in pumpkin pie recipes. You can find pumpkin pie spice in the store, or make your own mix of cinnamon, allspice, cloves, ginger, mace and nutmeg. 

PUMPKIN - THE SQUASH 

Pumpkins are actually a type of winter squash (vegetable), and they come in many varieties. All winter squash (including pumpkins, acorn squash, butternut squash, etc.) are great sources of fiber, potassium, Vitamin C, beta-carotene (turns to Vitamin A in our bodies) and carotenoids (may help reduce inflammation).

We don't have to wait until Thanksgiving to eat pumpkins - a can of pumpkin puree is the easiest way to incorporate pumpkin into your diet. Pumpkin puree (not "canned pumpkin pie", which has added sugar!) can be added to oatmeal, chili, baked goods, meatloaf, lasagna, pancakes, Greek yogurt...you name it.

A quarter (1/4) cup canned pumpkin puree is nutrient rich: at only ~20 calories, a serving contains over half your recommended intake of Vitamin A, loads of carotenoids, and is a great way to include extra vegetables and fiber into some of your favorite recipes. 

Pumpkin seeds, in particular, are an excellent plant-based source of zinc, which helps with wound healing and immune system function. 

A small handful (~1/4 cup = 170 calories, 40% Magnesium DV, 35% Phosphorous DV, 15% Zinc DV) of pumpkin seeds (pepitas) are a healthy snacking choice - you can add them to your morning oatmeal, smoothies, toss them on your salad or add them to trail mix. These little seeds are colorful, crunchy, and full of healthy fats that may help reduce inflammation. 

Here's a great idea for Pumpkin Spiced Energy Bites - These bites are a great snack for before a workout!

Recipe from Food and Nutrition Magazine, by LAUREN O'CONNOR, MS, RDN

Makes about 20 bite-sized energy balls/bites
Ingredients

Tasty!

• 1 cup organic oats
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes
• 2-3 Tbsp pumpkin puree
• 3 large dates, pitted
• 1 Tbsp raisins
• 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal (ground flaxseed)
• 1 Tbsp cinnamon (or to taste)
• 1/8 tsp cloves
• 1 tsp vanilla
• optional: 1/4 cup of mini chocolate chips

Instructions:

1) Process oats, 1/4 cup of unsweetened coconut, pumpkin puree, dates, raisins, flaxseed meal, cinnamon, cloves and vanilla in food processor until well-blended and firm

2) Scoop into bite-sized pieces and dust with coconut flakes and cinnamon

3)  Place in container and refrigerate

Quick tip: Energy bites freeze great - make a large batch, place them in a ziploc bag in the freezer and grab them at your convenience before a workout. 

What are your favorite seasonal recipes?

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