5 Quick and Easy Snacks to Sustain Your Athlete’s Energy

 

Teaching your young athlete what healthy snacks look like – and ditching that reliance on fast food or ultra-processed snacks – isn’t just important for their athletic endeavors, it also impacts their overall health. For adolescents, research has shown that snacks, even when necessary, tend to detract from overall diet quality. But that doesn’t have to be the case with nutritious, balanced snack options.

When it comes to the best type of snack to fuel your athlete for long school days and practices, lead with a protein source and add carbohydrates to create a well-rounded recovery snack. Check out these simple options that you can pack for your athlete to eat before or after practice to fuel and recharge them throughout the day.

Scrambled Egg Rice Bars

For game day or right before a hard practice, topping off your athlete’s carbohydrate stores is key. Using sticky sushi rice, these bars are carb-focused, and by adding scrambled eggs (and some optional mix-ins according to your athlete’s preferences), you can add a small amount of fat and protein for more long-term fuel without impacting digestion. Bonus: Eggs have recently been shown to aid in children’s growth and development.

Ingredients:

2 cups sticky rice
4 eggs
Optional: low-sodium soy sauce, chopped shallots, shredded cheese

Directions: 

Use a rice cooker or cook sushi rice on stovetop according to directions
Scramble eggs in a frying pan, adding in any additions like shallots that need to be sautéed
Mix eggs, rice, and add-ons together in a big bowl
Spread evenly about 1-inch thick on a baking sheet covered in wax paper
Refrigerate
When cool, cut blocks (around 3x3 inches) and individually wrap
Keep refrigerated – these should be eaten within three days