10 Snack Ideas For After the Game

My mom always made me a giant bag of chex mix for our summer swim meets and I have fond memories of sitting around with my friends, playing cards and picking out all the peanut butter M&Ms. It was such a treat and we all loved it so much, she even took to making separate bags for some of my most insistent friends ;) - good times.

The way I view after game and sports snacks has changed a little now that I know more about food and nutrition - but snack time is still a fun, bonding time for kids and teammates and can be both fun and healthy!

Here are some of my favorite after-game snacks:

Fresh Fruit - bananas, orange slices, apples, etc. Pack a variety and let everyone grab what they like!

Pretzels & Cheese Sticks - my girls love the mini bags of pretzels. Combine the carbs with a little protein in a cheese stick or dippable wedge of Laughing Cow for a fun and balanced snack.

Veggies & Ranch - another favorite….Ranch dressing.

Mini Bagels w/ Cream Cheese - assemble mini bagel sandwiches ahead of time and keep them in a cooler bag for a yummy snack they’ll all love. You could even try a PB&J version if you don’t have any allergies to consider.

Protein Bars - there are so many different kid-friendly options out there now. My personal favorites are the Perfect Bar Kids - keep them chilled for a refreshing snack that will definitely fill their tummies.

Beef Jerky - a little extra protein for their little muscles - look for a jerky without added sugar, like Chomps.

Frozen Yogurt Tubes -like a nutritious popsicle, this is one of our favorites for warm weather sports. Again, I look for a low-sugar options like Siggi’s.

Popcorn - Salty and delicious, this snack will encourage them to down those water bottles and replenish their fluids.

Frozen Grapes - another warm weather treat every kid will love. Combine the sweet frozen grapes with the salty popcorn for a sweet and salty snack.

Trail Mix - probably going to skip the peanut butter m&ms in this one, but try my 5-ingredient mix instead! Just combine cashews, mini chocolate chips, Cinnamon Chex, Dried Cranberries and GF Pretzel Twists in a large bag and toss to combine. Pre-portion it in snack bags for an easy grab-n-go snack between a double-header.

Banana Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins 1.0

The stripped-down, straightforward cousin to my original Banana Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins - easy going with no fussy ingredients for a quick and easy breakfast or treat. These are gluten-free, dairy-free, and so so yummy.

As I was preparing for a quick trip away to the mountains this past week, I wanted to make something super easy that the grandparents could give the girls for breakfast or snacks that didn’t require any prep and was still healthy and delicious. I searched the internet for healthy chocolate chip muffins and came up with more than enough complicated recipes but after digging and combining landed on a recipe that smelled so good coming out of the oven, I had to taste it. These are amazing and their small size makes them oh-so-poppable. Mason & I considered taking them with us on our trip and no one would have been any the wiser…but we’re considerate parents so we let the girls have them ;) Here’s how I did them:

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour (I used GF baking flour)

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1 tsp baking soda

Pinch of sea salt

2 eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup oil (I used avocado but you could use coconut as well)

1 tsp vanilla

3 small-medium ripe bananas, mashed

1-2 scoops Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides (optional)

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (I used EnjoyLife Foods)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375F and spray a mini muffin pan with coconut oil.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Mix to combine.

In a separate bowl, combine eggs, oil, and vanilla. Whisk to combine.

Add mashed banana and stir until fully incorporated.

Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

Fill muffin tins 2/3 full.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

This recipe makes about 24 mini muffins.