Parents need snack ideas

[mayestra12]

My DD practices directly after school two days a week for 2 hours. Since there is no time to go home I will have to have all her gym stuff with me when I leave the house in the morning for work.

I'm in need of some snack ideas that I can pack for her. Most of her favorites involve nuts (trail mix) or peanut butter which is forbidden at her gym. Any ideas for snacks that I can pack for her?

 

[bookworm]

Veggies and dip; pasta zapped in your microwave at work before you go to pick her up; a salad with chicken strips on it ( pack the spray kind of dressing for easier use); cut up fruit; apples and yogurt dip ( they now come pre-packaged) ....2 hours isn't too long so she shouldn't need too much to hold her over

 

[10.0]

Do they have access to a fridge? If so. String cheese, yougart. Also nutra grain bars, power bars if she likes them, trail mix, almonds are better than peanuts. Fruit.

 

[MamaofEnS]

I give my gymmie the small cups of applesauce, which are a great carb for workout energie. We had a college sports nutritionist come talk to the parents at the club, who recomended carbs (like applesauce) before workout, and protein and veggies for after. I hope that helps.

MamaofEnS

 

[MdGymMom01]

Bananas are great. Also mini bagels with some cream cheese or butter. Cheese and crackers is easy and quick as well.

 

[mayestra12]

Thanks for the ideas. I don't think they have access to a fridge. I can pack stuff in a small lunch bag. I know my co-workers will not want me taking up space in the office fridge with her stuff. They are picky about that. So until it cools off I'll have to take stuff that won't spoil and can be kept in her gym bag in the car. I'm sure she'll be starving after school! I don't know what time she eats lunch as her first day of school is Monday. Team practice starts Tuesday after Labor Day! She's so excited!

 

[IrenicMom]

We're in the same boat. Q eats three times while at school - a snack at 9, lunch at 11, and another snack at 2, so she's not famished when I pick her up, but she definitely needs something before heading in to a 2 hour workout.

She has about 5 minutes to spare between me picking her up, driving to gym, and changing, so she only has a chance for something small. I usually try to have her eat something in the car on the way there - it's been mostly a stick of cheese and water here lately, though cheese and crackers is a favorite, too. (Though, I try to steer clear of crumby things in the car - it gets dirty enough without food crumbs!)

I hadn't thought about the carb before/protein after - good point! We always have applesauce cups in the house - it would be easy to toss one of those and a nutrigrain bar in the car before I leave for school pickup.

I have a friend who is a nutritionist - I'll email her and see what else she can recommend.

 

[bogwoppit]

MY girls have trained this way for years. They take a school lunch and a gym supper to school with them every training day. BOth meals are identical but I for gym they can take PB and nuts so they often factor into gym suppers. They do have a microwave though and that helps.

Trail mix
granola
cliff bars
z bars
dried fruit mix are all easy and don't require much effort either.

 

[mayestra12]

We love z bars in our house! DD is picky about snacks....one day she loves something the next day not so much. She'll have about 10 minutes to eat something in the car on the way too. The coach said the girls usually bring a snack so maybe the get a snack break since all the girls will be coming after school but I don't know.

I'm certain she'll just want to eat the minute I pick her up.

 

[bluesocks]

I usually pack an extra large lunch with an ice pack. She chooses what she wants for lunch and what is left she eats in the car on the way. The ice pack really does keep the food cool enough.

 

[mumoftwogymnasts]

My kids are in the same situation. In summer I pack food in a small insulated bag with an ice brick and it stays okay until after school.

DD has to eat in the car on the way to gym, by the time we drive there she only has a few minutes to get changed. She trains for two hours and I find a small snack is enough to keep her going, she is always ravenous at the end of training though.
Fruit - apples, banana, strawberries, chunks of pineapple.
Yoghurt - spooned into a wide mouthed small insulated thermos to keep cool
cheese cubes and crackers
fruit buns
dried fruit and/or nuts
sandwiches - I pack an extra when I pack lunch

DS has an hour to spare once we arrive at gym so he can eat then, he doesn't finish until 7.30 pm so he needs more "filling up" before hand.
left over pasta that I zap in the work microwave and then put in a thermos
Soup
Microwaved oats with a flask of milk
fruit
cheese, small tin of tuna and salad
sandwiches
fruit buns
dried fruit

Both ds and dd's coaches like the gymnasts to have had an afternoon snack, but they do request that it not contain too much sugar, gymmies on a sugar high are not a lot of fun

Not sure how far from gym you live, but if you have a fair commute a healthy snack stashed in the car to eat after gym can save you from listening to cries of "I'm starving !!!" all the way home.

 

[LizzieLac]

We are also big fans of dry cereal to much on (like cheerios or other not so sugary cereals), pretzels (which are good when it is so hot b/c the little bit of salt helps the body hold water - this is a strategy distance runners often use), granola bars, carrots and dip, apples w/peanut butter, hummus with crackers, bananas, nuts with raisins or dried cranberries, dried banana chips, applesauce, cheese, bagels, goldfish.

 

[MaryA]

Our snack-packing just got more complicated... a new level 4 has severe nut allergies... nothing with peanuts or tree nuts allowed anywhere near the gym. Luckily, since my daughter is level 5, she can still bring nut snacks to meets.

 

[Future Elite Mom]

Power bars and Gatorade. That's all she needs

 

[LMV]

I try to offer and help guide our girls in the direction of balanced snacks [ie. something that has complex carbs, protein, and some fat] because those seem to help avoid blood sugar swings and give them sustaining energy. Nuts are great [unless you have an allergic child in the family, carpool, gym etc] with some fruit or 100% juice. We also do vegetables with hummus or peanut butter. I'll also do smoothies sometimes which they like. Milk isn't a bad option either if you have access to refrigeration or you invest in the UHT pasteurized kinds that can be stored at room temperature until opened.

 

[Blackie6]

I try to sent granola bars or I freeze go gurt bars (tube of yogurt)and send one of those. Sometimes grapes, some strawberries cut in half or small container of watermelon. String cheese is a nice little portable snack too!

 

[mayestra12]

Our gym is peanut free (due to allergies) but she will eat most snacks in the car on the way to practice.