Sports Mama Tip: 15 Healthy & Energizing Snack Ideas For Youth Athletes

Youth athletes need proper nutrition to help them stay energized, focused, and fit. Their nutrition (or lack thereof!) can directly affect their performance, both on the field and off.


While it may be easier to grab a bag of potato chips on your way out the door, especially when you're running late because your kid can't find their water bottle (which for me feels like every other day!), they provide absolutely zero nutrition. Instead look for foods that are rich in protein and fiber, and avoid those that are sugary and over processed.


My boys always eat a snack about an hour to an hour and a half before their practices and games. Many times they will have another snack when we arrive back home.


Here are FIFTEEN healthy and energizing snack ideas to help your athlete play to their fullest potential:

1. Fruit (apples, bananas, oranges)
2. Greek yogurt (add fresh berries and granola for even more of a nutritional boost!)
3. Whole grain bagel with low-fat cream cheese
4. Nuts (peanuts, almonds, cashews. Every now and then I'll even throw in some mini chocolate chips for a little added sweetness)
5. Granola bars (be sure to check the sugar content first!)
6. Boiled eggs (boil a bunch at the beginning of the week and keep them in the fridge until they're ready to be consumed)
7. Smoothie (there are a ton of easy, delicious recipes on Pinterest)
8. Veggies (carrot sticks, celery, cucumber slices. Dip them in hummus or low-fat ranch dressing for extra flavor)
9. Popcorn (my boys absolutely love Trader Joe's Lite Kettle Corn!)
10. String cheese
11. Peanut butter (slab it on crackers, apples, or celery)
12. Sandwich (lean turkey meat and cheese on whole wheat bread)
13. Turkey roll-ups (they're like a sandwich, without the bread. Simply roll up slices of lean turkey, or their meat of choice. You can even roll them around cheese sticks!)
14. Applesauce
15. No bake energy balls (click here for my favorite recipe!) 

I hope you find this post helpful. I'd love to know YOUR athlete's favorite go-to snacks. Feel free to leave them in the comment section below!

One Full Week of School Lunch Ideas!!!

I have three boys. That's a whole lot of lunch packing I have to do! No. 1 takes his lunch every single day (he is an extremely picky eater) while No. 2 and No. 3 purchase school lunch once a week and take their lunch the other four. They actually don't mind the cafeteria lunch, it's my wallet that does. Lunch in our elementary school costs $3. If I allowed both of them to buy every day it would cost us $30 a week! That's $120 a month! Umm... I'll pass.


Here are a whole week's worth of tried, tested, and most importantly KID APPROVED school lunch ideas!


Monday: DIY Nachos Lunchables

There's chips, salsa, and queso... what's not to like? Add a granola bar along with a side of your child's favorite fruit, and you're good to go!


Tuesday: Chicken Nuggets

My boys like the Purdue brand that you find in the refrigerated section. I heat them up in the oven-it makes them crispier. Throw in a mix of veggies, a couple of cookies, and a GoGo Squeez. McDonalds, who?


Wednesday: DIY Meat, Cheese, & Crackers Lunchables

All kids like the cracker lunchables, right? It's so easy, not to mention much more cost efficient to make them yourself! All you need is Ritz crackers and your child's cheese and meat of choice. I used colby jack and pepperoni this time. Pair it with mandarin oranges, a blueberry muffin, and a fruit strip. So much more nutritious and filling than the two cookies or piece of candy the store bought ones bring!



Thursday: Mini Hawaiian Roll Turkey Sandwiches

No. 3 LOVES Hawaiian bread. He also loves turkey. So putting both together was a no brainer. Send them alongside mixed fruit, popcorn, and homemade chocolate chip cookies and you've got a winner!


Friday: Good ole' PB&J Sandwich

When all else fails, there's always peanut butter and jelly. I'm pretty sure your mama use to pack it for you, and her mama use to pack it for her. It's an old school favorite. Pair it alongside some carrots, whole wheat goldfish crackers, and a fruit strip and I'm almost certain there won't be any leftovers.


Got any other tried, tested, and kid approved lunch ideas? I'd love to hear about them. I'm always on the hunt for new ones!








*** Click HERE for TWO weeks of crockpot dinner ideas!!!

Energizing Banana & Oatmeal Smoothie Recipe

Hi Mamas! I'm back with another smoothie recipe for you guys.


Today was what I call a 3-in-1 day. We had a total of three (technically four, but I only made it to three because of scheduling conflicts) games. No. 2 had an 11:30am soccer game, No. 3 had a 1pm soccer game, and No. 1 had a 4:40pm basketball game. It was going to be a long day. I knew I was going to have to start my day off right, so I made a smoothie!


I went with one of my all-time favorite combos (1 banana, 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, 1 cup of almond milk), but decided to add a half cup of oats to it for a little more of a punch. I blended all of the ingredients together along with some ice until smooth. It was so rich and creamy, and incredibly filling. You could also freeze your banana ahead of time to take the place of the ice.

It was the perfect way to start my busy day. And took all of just a couple of minutes to make. You have 3 games to get to... who has time to actually COOK breakfast?

I unfortunately did not get a pic of No. 2 today. It was raining cats and dogs. My camera (and hair!) + rain = no bueno. Next time!


Adios!