Spring Sports and Healthy Snacks for Kids

 

Many parents contact me with concerns about how to keep their kids energized and healthy with their hectic Spring schedules. They are rightfully concerned about how to get their kids to eat something healthy and still get them to practice or games.

 

For kids who have sports right after school, the best thing to do is send them off to school with extra snacks that they can eat right after school before playing their sport. They need to be light so they are not sloshing around in their stomachs as they play, but they need to be energizing.   An apple with some peanut butter or almond butter works well and is easy to transport. A handful of almonds and orange wedges is another easy choice. Raisins and nuts with a little dark chocolate is another great snack. Always have water available for them.

 

For kids whose sports run during the supper hour, it’s best to give them a light supper when they come home from school. That way they are replenished and mostly digested before they are out on the field playing ball.  

 

Being creative about preparing your kids’ snacks is both economical and most importantly much healthier for them. Today there are a plethora of energy bars and energy drinks and vitamin waters on the market, and if you take a look at the labeling, they all suggest that they will give you and your kids a quick burst of energy. They suggest that these choices are healthy, but unfortunately, most of them are not at all healthy. The “energy” they talk about comes from two sources – sugar and caffeine. These ingredients are what put us, young and old, on the roller coaster of highs and lows in our energy. They are not healthy choices and can lead to obesity and chronically low energy.   They are also much more expensive than the simple snacks I recommend.

 

Begin to read labels carefully. Know that if you see cane juice, fructose, sucrose, refined sugar, high fructose corn syrup, or sucralose, that all means sugar. Avoid these products. Also avoid products with hydrogenated oils. The best things to buy for snacks are whole fruits and nuts. These do not have additives in them. The fruits provide natural sugar and fiber, and the nuts will give a mix of good fat and protein. This combination of foods is energizing and healthy when eaten in moderation. Coupling them with copious amounts of water sets the stage for an energized healthy child.

 

So as you invest in good sports equipment for your kids, invest in nourishing your kids with simple healthy snacks that energize them on the ball fields. Healthy eating is the foundation on which all good athletes develop.