Sports Mama Tip: 8 Protein Packed Snack Ideas That Your Athlete Will Actually Enjoy!

Both No. 1 and No. 2 will be playing football for their high school this year. My boys are growing up! The season may not officially begin for another month, but that doesn't mean that they are just sitting around twiddling their thumbs.


They are working on speed and agility, lifting weights, and eating high protein diets in an effort to put on healthy weight and muscle. I'm petite and Coach Hubby didn't even weigh 140lbs when he graduated high school, so as you can imagine, we don't make naturally big kids!


Sure we could drive them through the drive thru a couple of times a day and fill the house with cookies and chips, but that type of weight gain will do nothing but slow them down and decrease their performance as well as their overall health. We are trying to build muscle mass, not fat. And protein is a key part of this journey!


Here are eight protein packed snack ideas (in no particular order) that my boys love:

1. Kodiak Cakes. I buy the Buttermilk Flapjack & Waffle Mix. It's a pancake mix made with non-GMO ingredients and whole grains. There are 3 different ways to make them (add water, add milk, or add milk and egg) to increase the grams of protein from 14-21 per serving! I cook them in butter (hello extra calories!) and serve them with syrup. You can cook up a big batch and freeze them so that they last throughout the week (or longer depending on how many you make!). When your athlete is ready to eat them, simply pop them in the microwave for about a minute and voila!
2. Boiled eggs. Easy to make and even easier to eat! Each egg has 6 grams of protein. My boys will usually eat 3 in one sitting. This is another great make ahead food.
3. Nuts. The perfect on-the-go snack! My boys' favorites are peanuts and almonds. A one ounce serving (approximately 23) of almonds provide 6 grams of protein. You can even throw in some chocolate chips or M&Ms for that salty sweet kick!
4. Cheese sticks. Another on-the-go favorite! A stick of colby jack has 5 grams of protein while mozzarella has 7. Of course most growing athletes stomachs are bottomless pits, so that number is usually doubled in our house!
5. Milk. One cup of whole milk provides 8 grams of protein as well as calcium and Vitamins A and D. TruMoo's High Protein milk is No. 1's favorite and contains a whopping 25 grams of protein per bottle! I stock up on this stuff whenever I find it in my local stores. It comes in different flavors including vanilla and chocolate.
6. Peanut Butter. Just two tablespoons contains 8 grams of protein. You can add it to just about anything; smoothies, oatmeal, pancakes. My boys love it with sliced apples. And you can't forget about the oldie but goodie, PBJs. We go through a whole lot of peanut butter (and bread and jelly) in our home!
7. Protein bars. My boys have probably tried just about every bar out there, but not all are created equal. So what makes a bar a winner, you ask? It's gotta be high in protein, not too high in sugar, have a good amount of calories and taste good, of course! Our current favorites are One Bars (20 grams of protein- Birthday Cake flavor), Power Crunch (14 grams of protein- French Vanilla and Cookies & Crème flavors), and Gatorade (20 grams of protein- Chocolate Caramel flavor). I make sure they keep a few in their backpacks at all times. They are super easy to transport and eat post workout/game.
8. Protein shakes. Like bars, it took some trial and error to find one that they actually like. For premade shakes, I buy Premier Protein. It contains 30 grams of protein and comes in a variety of flavors, although chocolate is the only one my boys will drink. No. 1 also drinks whey protein, which he mixes with milk post weight lifting.

As a rule of thumb, if your athlete is trying to gain healthy weight like mine, they should be consuming 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day. For example, if their goal is to weigh 160lbs, their diet should include 160 grams of protein daily.


I hope you found this post helpful and that you try some of these healthy snack ideas with your athletes!


I'd love to hear some of your ideas! Feel free to share them below or in the Confessions of a Sports Mama Facebook Group.

Sports Mama Tip: How to Clean Baseball Pants

Ah, baseball season... homeruns, sunflower seeds, and dirty pants! (Who decided that white and gray baseball pants were a good idea anyway? I totally blame a dad!)

 

Do these look familiar, Mamas?

 

 

Want to go from that... to this?

 

 

If so, then keep on reading!

 

What you'll need:

 

• Fels-Naptha (can be found at your local Walmart)

• Oxi Clean

 

What you do:

• Wet pants.

• Scrub Fels-Naptha directly onto stains.

• Scrub pants together.
• Fill tub/sink with hot water and a half cup of Oxi Clean. Allow the pants to soak for an hour.

• After an hour, throw the pants in the washer (warm wash/cold rinse) with a capful of Oxi Clean. Then machine dry.
• Voila! So fresh and SO clean!

Seriously, how amazing is that transformation?


I hope you found this post helpful. Play Ball!!!

*** A huge thank you to Lorraine V. for making this post possible by sharing her tips (and pics!). For more tips and tricks and to connect with hundreds of other real Sports Mamas, just like yourself, join the Confessions of a Sports Mama Facebook Group today!

Sports Mama Tip: Dealing With Muscle Soreness in Youth Athletes

Let me first start off by saying that I am in no way, shape or form, a medical doctor. Big surprise, I know! However, having three boys involved in organized sports, I have nursed my fair share of aches and pains.


From daily practices to weight lifting to the occasional injury sustained during a game, muscle soreness in youth athletes is bound to happen. Here are eight ways that I help my boys ease their pain:

1. Warm up. One of the easiest ways to prevent muscle soreness is by warming them up beforehand. It doesn't matter whether they're playing football, soccer, or basketball. Warming up loosens their joints and tendons, increases the temperature and flexibility of their muscles, thus prepping their bodies for exercise which in turn reduces the chance of injury.
2. Stay hydrated. Proper hydration is crucial for athletes! Hydration not only helps with energy, it also helps to lubricate their joints. Dehydration is a leading cause of muscles cramps. So be sure that your athlete is drinking up pre, during, and post workout!
3. Ice. Ice helps reduce inflammation aka swelling. It also numbs sore tissues which helps with pain. Ice/cold therapy is most effective within the first 48 hours of injury. I am always sure to carry instant ice packs in my Sports Mama bag. In fact, I sent No. 1 to school with one today for his jammed finger!
4. Heat. Heat helps to increase blood flow to their muscles, allowing them to relax. It should not be used on acute/new injuries. My favorite ways to apply heat to my athletes' injuries are with a heating pad or those disposable heat patches. Warm epsom salt baths work great too!
5. Foam roller. They decrease muscle tension and increase blood flow which help ease the pain. No. 1 used his foam roller faithfully during football season. He would even throw it in his backpack to use pre-practice/game!
6. Biofreeze. Biofreeze is a menthol based topical pain relief formula. Menthol stimulates cold receptors that create a cooling sensation on and under the skin, helping to relieve pain. It was recommended to us by our pediatrician who says she prefers it over similar products such as Icy Hot. It comes in spray, gel, cream, roll-on, and patch formulas all of which can easily be thrown in your on-the-go first-aid kit!
7. Ibuprofen. Sometimes they need a little more than ice and a foam roller to ease the pain. When that's the case, I give my boys over-the-counter ibuprofen.  It helps with both pain and swelling. Just be sure to check the label for proper dosing and be sure that they take it with food to avoid a possible upset stomach!
8. Rest. They say time heals all wounds, don't they? Muscles need time to recover. Taking it easy for a couple of days works wonders!

I hope you found this post helpful! As previously mentioned, I'm a Sports Mama not a physician, so please be sure to take your athlete to a professional for any serious injuries.


How do you deal with muscle soreness?

Team Mama Idea: Soccer Post-Game Snacks (NEW!)

Soccer season is here! It's opening day for No. 3's soccer league and we seriously could not have asked for more perfect weather. It's suppose to be 76 degrees today! Hello Spring!!!


I volunteered to bring post-game snacks (shocker, I know!). I always try and get my turn out of the way early. Here's what I came up with:

I bought Gatorade Zeros (aka sugar free!), Teddy Grahams, and fruit snacks. I had planned to get Cuties, but the ones at my local Target were looking a tad sad. Fruit snacks have to have a little fruit in them, don't they?!

I also made these fun labels.

They say "WAY TO GOAL!!!" with a soccer ball underneath. (Click HERE for the free, printable template.)


I put everything in clear bags. Bagging snacks makes distribution SO much easier! I then stuck the labels on.

That's it! Super simple, yet still special.

Cheers to the weekend, Sports Mamas!

GO PHOENIX!!!






*** Want more soccer snack ideas? I've got you, mama! Click HERE!

15 Things Sports Moms Say- Part II

Last year I wrote a fun post entitled 15 Things Sports Moms Say. I thought it was about time for a part two, SO I enlisted the help of the awesome Sports Mamas in our Facebook Group!


Ready? Here we go!

1. We need instant replay. These referees are missing everything! - Tania C.
2. You're not getting in my car like that! - Kristy O.
3. Work on your homework now, please. You won't have time when you get home from practice. - Kelly V.
4. Quit chasing the butterflies!! - Erica H.
5. I drove all the way here for this?! - Kristy O.
6. OMG. Put your shoes back on! - Debra P.
7. Which dad decided on white pants? - Laura L.
8. Leave those cleats outside! - Alisa K.
9. Did you hear me yelling? - Debbie J.
10. Suck it up buttercup! - Amy R.
11. Put your cleats on or we'll be late.- Kim M.
12. Please don't get hurt, I don't have time to go to the ER today!- Trisha E.
13. You may not be the biggest or fastest, but you can definitely play the smartest! - Erica S.
14. Shake it off! - LaTarah C.
15. I LOVE WATCHING YOU PLAY! - Lisa M.

Ain't no mama like a Sports Mama... am I right?!?


What would you add to the list? Let us know in the comment section below or join myself and hundreds of other real sports moms just like yourself online!

Team Mama Idea: Oreo Cookie Basketballs

Coach Hubby is coaching No. 3's basketball team this Winter. We don't have the tallest or most talented team, but this group of 10 year olds has been playing their hearts out week after week. So much so that Saturday's game was for a spot in next week's championship game!


We got off to a slow start putting us behind by 16 points early on. Our boys continued to push through though and got it within 5 points with just under a minute to go in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, we committed a foul (we were in the bonus) and missed all of our shots. Ugh! Such a heartbreaker.


To brighten sweeten up the rest of their day, I made these fun Oreo cookie basketballs.

Seriously, how fun are they?! They were easy, quick, and yummy. Right up my alley! They'd be perfect for birthdays, end of season parties, March Madness, or even post-game snacks.


Want to make them yourself? Then just keep on reading!


All you need:

• Oreos (I used double stuffed but regular would work too. As would golden Oreos!)
• Orange candy melts
• Black cookie icing (it will set, making the cookies stackable)

That's it. Literally only three ingredients!


All you do:

• Melt candies according to directions on packaging (you should end up with a smooth, lump free consistency).

• Dip your Oreos, one by one, in the candy melts and place them on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Be sure to completely cover both sides.

• Place the cookie sheet in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes, until the candy melts set/harden.
• Once the cookies are completely set, begin drawing on the lines using the black icing. Start with a straight line down the center, followed by two curved lines on each side, and finally a horizontal one across the middle.

• Place the cookies back in the fridge for about 25 minutes to allow the lines to set.
• Remove the cookies. ENJOY! (Store cookies in a Ziploc bag. They should last for a couple of weeks. But let's be honest, when do cookies ever last that long?!)

That's it! Easy, peasy, huh?

For more fun, basketball themed treat ideas be sure to click HERE!

Sports Mama Tip: How to Take The Perfect Team Photo!

Maybe your kid was sick on Picture Day. Maybe he or she closed their eyes. Maybe your Coach thought Picture Day was on Saturday instead of on Sunday. Or maybe your league doesn't even do team pictures to begin with. Things happen. And because they do, I am here writing this blog post!


Here are my tried and tested tips to help you take the perfect team photo:

• Plan ahead. Pick a date and time, and notify your team. I usually schedule ours for practice days, but pre-game can work as well. Just avoid scheduling it post-game... think sweaty faces, dirty uniforms, and possible frowns if they didn't win. It's also a good idea to have a couple of extra jerseys on hand in case someone forgets theirs.

• Location, location, location. Location is everything! It will help to tell your team's story. If you're photographing a football team, take it outside on the field. For basketball teams, take it right on the court. You can even incorporate props such as a ball, helmet, a goal, or bleachers if photographing a high school team.

• Uniformity. There's no I in team! Be sure that everyone is uniformed. And I'm not just talking jerseys. Will the team smile or not? What about hands? Whether you go with hands behind their backs or in their pockets, you'll want to make sure that they are all doing the same thing.

• Strike a pose. Will they sit, stand, kneel? Whatever you decide you want to be sure that the entire team will fit in the shot. You also want to be able to see each individual player's face. If you're going for that traditional pose, you'll want to line the shorter players up in the front, and the taller ones in the back. Want a more modern pose? Check out Pinterest or your favorite pro team for some inspo!

• Keep clickin'. Chances are that at least one player will have their eyes closed or be looking in the opposite direction. I suggest shooting in continuous mode and taking several photos, just in case. The more you take, the greater your chance of getting that perfect shot!

• Have fun! I always like to finish the photo shoot with a "funny face" pic. And so do the players. These honestly always end up being my favorite!

I hope you find these tips helpful! Don't forget to share your photo(s) with the entire team. Your fellow Sports Mamas will be grateful that you did!

*** Click HERE for my youth sports photography basics!