Need ideas for heavy snacks or quick meals

[missypie]

DD has just moved up to a level of gymnastics where she practices from 4:45pm-7:45pm, 3 days a week. We need to fix her either an early dinner (before everyone else eats) or a very heavy snack. Most of the upcoming levels practice these same hours, so I think we will be on this schedule for years.

Does anyone have any ideas for very quick meals, or heavy snacks that we can feed her?

 

[gymnasticsmom68]

I feel your pain, my daughter practices 3 and 4 hours a day, 3 days a week (at least). I usually make her a sandwich or a chicken patty sandwich, mac and cheese, give her some yogurt and another snack type thing. Then she eats dinner when she gets home. Our gym is 30 minutes away too. So I pick her up from school, take her straight to the gym and most days she gets home at about a quarter after 8. She loves it though, she's made it her life.

 

[Emmyfaye]

Because all sorts of food (and too much of any food) can upset an athlete's tummy if eaten too close to when she or he begins a workout, you should talk to the coach or coaches, to see what they recommend.

My immediate reaction to your query is a snack of a small banana and perhaps a bit of cheese as soon as school's out, with an athlete's drink, to be taken to the gym with her. Then she'd eat her meal after gym.

 

[stinkerbelle]

my favorite pre-gym snack is either a stick of cheese or a half a peanut butter sandwhich (carbs and protein)

I find the sandwhich usually sustanes me for a while.

 

[gymnasticsmom68]

Carbs and protein are good before a gymnast's workout. A piece of cheese is no way going to cut it for a gymanstics practice, they practice hard. She needs something that will keep her going for 3 hours. There is no down time during practice, they are some of the hardest workers you'll ever find.

 

[missypie]

You're right about the lack of down time. I asked one of the other moms if they bring snacks for a mid-practice break and the answer was a firm no. No snacks, no breaks. But, yesterday was the first day she went for 3 hours and she said it felt like one hour.

 

[gymnasticsmom68]

My daughter's coach gives them a 5 minute break to grab a snack during practice, usually an apple or a yogurt. If she loves it as much as my daughter, you'll never get her out of there. Will she compete next season?

 

[Beth76]

How about peanut butter on whole wheat toast or bagel. I only eat "Natural" peanut butter or cashew butter (no Peter Pan or Jif). It's so good and there's no added sugar or fat. Very filling!

 

[missypie]

DD has competed in about 6 Level 4 meets. She loves it...it makes me very nervous.

 

[gymnasticsmom68]

My daughter competed Level 4 this year also. Are they sanctioned in Level 4 in Texas?

 

[missypie]

To show you what a gymnastics newbie I am, I don't know what "sanctioned" means in your question. Here the level 4s are "achievement", which means that they get real scores, but then everyone gets a participation medal and blue or red ribbons, instead of being ranked 1-3, etc.

 

[Sheree Bobbins]

How about chicken and cheese quesidillas?

 

[gymnasticsmom68]

Sanctioned means they get real scores. Here, Level 4 is not sanctioned, we have to leave the state to go to a sanction meet for the Level 4's. We went to Niagara Falla and Kentucky this year. All the meets in the state are 'fun' meets. They get ribbons, usually not scores though. Although at my daughter's last meet a couple of weeks ago, the judges were giving scores also.

 

[HeyMickey]

Some pasta with chicken in it is also good before practice. It's good hot or cold, and you can use different sauces or mix-ins to make it different every time. Yogurt and fruit are good snacks, or baked potatoes (you can make them quickly in the microwave) topped however she likes. Fruit juice or water to drink.

The important thing is that you not fix "heavy" foods... like pizza, a definite yuck before practice. The last thing you want is for her to get to practice feeling like she couldn't possibly get herself off the ground.

(And watch out... my parents put me in gymnastics when I was 3 because I was really flexible, and I ended up competing until I was 17 and level 9. )

 

[gymnasticsmom68]

Hey Mickey, you sound like my daughter, the first day she walked into a gym, it was love at first sight.

 

[missypie]

Thanks, gymnasticsmom68, you've taught me my word for the day!

Great food ideas so far...of course, DH is the one home during the day, so I have to sell him on making this stuff. I could definitely cook some chicken breast over the weekends that they could add to stuff.

And Heymickey, if we're still doing this when she's 17, she's making her own food!!!

 

[mommytotwo]

I would make her different wraps,pita sandwiches, and yogurts are good. If she wants to just snack on something, you can put together bags of trail mixes into her gym bag so that when she wants and is allowed to eat, she can munch on them.