The daily schedule of an athlete may seem like a circus balancing act. Swim practice, school, work and social events are like the flying balls of an experienced juggler: one wrong move, one more “ball,” and everything falls apart. Swimmers with busy lifestyles should rely on sensible snacking to keep energy levels high during the day.
Don’t feel guilty. Snacking is not a bad practice, as long as you choose nutrient-rich rather than high-fat or high-sugar foods.
Sensible Snacking SHOULD…
- Provide energy, vitamins and minerals to keep you alert, awake and strong throughout the day.
- Supply extra nutrients that you would not otherwise receive, especially when the intervals between meals are long or you skip a main meal.
- Help you meet daily energy goals. Growing athletes may not be able to meet their energy goals from meals alone.
- Fuel the body for high performance physical activity.
- Aid recovery time from high-intensity exercise and muscular soreness.
- Consist of pretzels, dry cereal, whole wheat crackers, peanut butter & honey sandwich, low fat yogurt or cottage cheese, string cheese, nuts (walnuts, pistachios, and almonds), granola, fresh or dried fruit, 100% fruit juice and sliced carrots or other vegetables.
Sensible Snacking SHOULD NOT…
- Be mindless eating when you are bored or stressed.
- Take place at vending machines or concession stands.
- Consist of potato chips, candy and soda.
- Occur while watching television or surfing the web. When a person snacks while watching television or engaged in other mindless activities, the brain fails to recognize messages sent by the body when it is full. Overeating commonly happens when watching television or when distracted by computer games.
Plan ahead so that you have a variety of nutrient-rich and tasty snacks available throughout the day. Stash some snacks in your backpack so that you have healthy snacks with you at all times. Make sensible snacking a part of your everyday plan to provide your body with the energy and nutrients it requires.
