Kids that are active need carbohydrates to refuel their bodies. Adding a protein or healthy fat helps to increase their endurance as well as being important for healthy growth and development.

Healthy & Quick Snacks

•  Fresh fruit
• Dried Fruit
• Granola or dry cereal w/ low sugar
• Carrot sticks or other veggies
• Rice Cake
• Apple Sauce
• Smoothies
• Oatmeal
• Hummus
• Eggs
• Cheese
• Avocados

Quick Recipes

1.  Ants on a log

Celery with nut butter & raisins

2. Blueberry bear

Rice cake with nut butter and blueberry for eyes and strawberries for mouth

3. Smoothies

Fruit smoothies with a little kale or spinach are great for boost of energy

4. Banana Roll up

Banana rolled up with tortilla

Hydration

Active kids don’t need a lot of power drinks with sugar and artificial food colors.  Water is the best thing for hydration and keeping their bodies healthy!

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These are 5 simple tips to stay healthy while traveling

 1.  Water

Dehydration is the number one problem to fatigue, crankiness, headaches and even constipation.  Making sure to hydrate yourself at all times, especially if flying is important.  Before getting on the plane it is best to buy at least one bottle of water.

2.  Magnesium

Magnesium is a great mineral that helps with insomnia.  It can also help with muscle cramping that can happen either from long flights or from sightseeing.  It can also help you avoid becoming constipated. The best dosage is 400 mg.

3.  Antioxidants

Traveling has a way of wearing down the immune system.  Airports, rest stops and planes are loaded with germs.  Our immune system also gets compromised depending on what time of year you are traveling and climate change. It is best to travel with emergency C or NUUN. Having fruits and vegetables as much as you can is a great way to get in vitamin C and boost the immune system.

4.  Probiotic Drinks

Fermented drinks like Kombucha, Got Shot or apple cider vinegar are great to help boost the good bacteria in the gut.  Probiotics in fermented drinks work to help with tummy trouble while traveling.

5.  Tea Bags

There are teas that help with relaxation and sleep.  The tiny tea satchels are perfect for travel because they take up very little space.  They can also be used to sooth tired eyes and puffiness that can happen from long flights.

**Always remember to wash your hands as much as you can or carry with you natural hand sanitizers.  Enjoy your trip and stay healthy!**

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The great thing about making homemade popsicles is you can combine different fruits and veggies to make delicious and healthy treats.

Tips to Making Delicious Popsicles:

Fruit

• Using puree fruits with lemon or lime helps to reduce the icy texture
• Natural juice such as orange, mango, pineapple, apple, grape and lemon help to enrich flavor without the need to add a lot of sugar

Creamy

• Yogurt or coconut milk helps to incorporate probiotics & healthy fat. Making it creamy and rich.
• Adding whole fruits creates a creamy popsicle

Protein

• Using PB 2 or Collagen powder is a great way to add extra protein

Sugar

• Instead of using cane sugar, try using honey or natural maple

Popsicle Molds

For popsicle molds, try using Lebice or Zoku brands.  The Popsicles are much easier to remove and they stand stable inside the freezer.

Healthy Homemade Fruit Popsicle:                                 

Peach Strawberry Yogurt Popsicles

• 3 cups strawberries, pureed to 1 1/2 cup
• 3 cups peaches, peeled and sliced, pureed to 1 1/2 cup
• 2 tablespoons honey, divided
• 2/3 cup vanilla greek yogurt/ non dairy substitute

INSTRUCTIONS:

1     In a blender, puree strawberries with four teaspoons honey then set aside. Clean blender, puree sliced peaches with two teaspoons, honey, set aside.

2     Layer the popsicles as follows; 2 teaspoons strawberry puree, one teaspoon yogurt, two teaspoons mango puree and repeat. Make a fruit puree your last layer.

3     Tap the mold on the counter to make sure all of the layers settle. Use a small spoon to drag vertically from the bottom to the top of the mold a few times to create a swirled pattern.

4     Gently tap the molds on the countertop to remove any air bubbles. Insert the popsicle sticks, and then freeze for at least 6 hours, or overnight

Orange Mango Collagen Popsicles

• 4 cups mango, divided
• 1 Tbsp. of Great Lakes Collagen
• 3 tablespoons orange juice
• 3 tablespoons honey

INSTRUCTIONS:

1     Puree 3 cups mango slices, 1 Tbsp. of Collagen, orange juice and honey.

2     Cut the remaining 1 cup mango slices into 1/4 inch cubes. Evenly divide them among the popsicle molds.

3     Add 3 tablespoons of mango coconut mixture, gently tapping mold on the counter to make sure liquid fills in the diced mango spaces.

4     Add 1 tablespoon of coconut milk, or until the mold is filled. Insert the popsicle sticks, and then freeze for at least 6 hours, or overnight

Carrot Delight Popsicle

3 carrots cut into chunks and steamed until soft

1 cup strawberries fresh or frozen

1 mango sliced

1/2 cup water

4 TB honey

INSTRUCTIONS:

Puree all the ingredients and pour into mold. Freeze at least 6 hours & enjoy.

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Majority of teams play multiple games during a day (back-to-back at times), it’s essentially impossible to perform well in every game if you are not taking in food and fuel.  Whether it’s you participating in a softball summer league or your kids involved in soccer tournaments, it’s essential for everyone in the family to keep nutrition in mind for optimal enjoyment and performance.

A good rule of thumb is to eat 2 hours before exercising, allowing your body enough time to digest all the essential nutrients.  It can be difficult to know what and when to eat so here are some tips to help you fuel your body adequately.

Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Try to balance your meals with a protein and a high complex carbohydrate that will keep the body’s endurance lasting longer.

Breakfast ideas:

• Toast or a bagel with peanut butter, and a piece of fruit
• Two eggs, toast and 1 fruit
  • High protein smoothie

Snacking all day

When it comes to snacking, try to fuel your body with real food over processed foods.

Many sports bars & drinks are processed with loads of preservatives, sweeteners and additives.  Snacks should be around 200 calories. It’s important to stop snacking half an hour before competing.

Snacks should be balanced between carbohydrates and protein, and low in fats to keep the body nourished for a longer time.  If you are the type of person that can’t handle large quantities of food before a tournament then fat-burning or high glycemic index carbs (nuts, pretzels, breads, dried fruit) are the way to go. They digest much faster than slow-burning carbs and easier to tolerate.

Focusing on getting enough calories from high quality foods is the key. Aim to get

carbohydrates, healthy fats, and protein in every snack to provide sustained energy.

Snack ideas:

• Banana or apples w/ almond or peanut butter
• Granola w/ nuts & seeds
• Cheese with fruit
• Yogurt w/ fruit
• Nut butter w/ crackers or bagel
• Veggies & dip
• Cereal w/ nuts
• Kind bar
• Snap peas
• Dried fruits

Hydration

It’s important to keep the body hydrated, especially during hot summer days.  Electrolyte enhanced drinks such as Nuun tablets that offer sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium with no added sugars are better options than many other sports drinks.

Recovery eating

After a long day of competition, it’s important to eat a balanced meal. Meals should be balanced between carbohydrates, protein and fat.  Ideally it is best to have a carbohydrate-to protein ratio of 4:1.  It basically means that for every ounce of protein there should be 4 ounces of carbs.  It’s optimal to eat a recovery meal within one hour of competition.

Dinner or Post recovery meal choices:

• Spaghetti with meat sauce, veggies, dinner roll and a piece of fruit
• Grilled chicken with potato, rice, side salad & a piece of fruit
• Salmon with roasted potatoes, rice medley, asparagus and salad rich in nuts & seeds

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