21 Healthy Snacks for Athletes to Support Performance

Healthy snacks can be an important part of an athlete’s sports nutrition meal plan.

Let’s take a look at how to build healthy snacks for athletes. Then we will explore 21 healthy snack ideas athletes can enjoy to support performance.

Healthy Snacks for Athletes

I encourage athletes to view snacks as an important opportunity to help meet their sports nutrition needs.

Well-planned snacks can provide athletes with the energy needed for activities throughout the day. In addition, snacks can help fill nutrient gaps in an athlete’s diet.

Building Healthy Snacks for Athletes

Athletes should take time to plan healthy snacks in advance to ensure they have nutritious options available during the day.

When athletes are building snacks they should aim to pair carbohydrate-rich food items with foods that provide a lean source of protein. 

In addition, athletes should select snack foods that provide vitamins and minerals and that are low in saturated fat.

Adding Carbohydrates to Healthy Snacks for Athletes

Carbohydrates provide athletes with the energy needed to perform at their best. Similar to gas in a car’s gas tank, carbohydrates provide the fuel for the body to run on.

Athletes can get carbohydrates in their diet from a variety of food groups, including:

• Grains: Bread, pasta, rice, cereal, oatmeal, crackers
• Fruit: Fresh, frozen, dried, canned in natural juices
• Starchy vegetables, beans, legumes
• Dairy: Milk and yogurt

Adding Lean Protein to Healthy Snacks for Athletes

Consuming protein throughout the day with several meals and snacks is important for athletes (1). Protein provides athletes with the building blocks needed to build, repair, and maintain lean muscle mass. Including protein with snacks can help athletes with meeting their overall protein needs for the day.

Athletes can add protein to their snacks from a variety of food sources, such as:

• Greek yogurt
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Deli Meat: Turkey, ham, roast beef, chicken
• Cheese: String cheese, sliced cheese, cottage cheese
• Low-fat milk or high-protein milk
• Tuna or salmon (packed in water)

There are a variety of ways athletes following a plant-based diet can add protein to their snacks. 

Consider ideas such as:

• Nuts and nut butters
• Hummus
• Beans
• Soy milk
• High-protein, plant-based yogurts
• Tofu
• Edamame
• Seitan

21 Healthy Snack Ideas for Athletes

Putting this together, let’s look at healthy snack combinations that athletes can enjoy to help meet their sports nutrition needs.

Here are 21 of my favorite snack ideas for athletes.

1. Greek yogurt with berries and granola
2. Peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a banana
3. Fruit smoothie
4. Turkey and cheese wrap
5. Hummus with pita chips
6. Whole grain breakfast cereal with high-protein milk
7. Cottage cheese with pineapple and chia seeds
8. Trail mix (made with pretzels, dried fruit, nuts, seeds, whole grain breakfast cereal)
9. Hard-boiled eggs and breakfast bars
10. Tuna fish and whole grain crackers
11. Jerky and crunchy granola bars
12. String cheese and fig bars
13. Kodiak Cakes® waffles with nut butter and sliced banana
14. Black bean dip with baked tortilla chips
15. Sliced deli ham, whole grain crackers, orange wedges
16. Protein overnight oats (great to enjoy as a snack!)
17. Cheese stick with pretzels
18. Greek yogurt guacamole with pita chips (recipe from Oikos®)
19. Nuts with fresh fruit (i.e., almonds with apple slices)
20. Protein muffin and grapes
21. Bagel with sliced avocado and turkey

Healthy Snacks for Athletes with Nut Allergies

Athletes with nut allergies can substitute seeds in place of nuts. Also, athletes can consider trying SunButter® products. 

SunButter® spreads are made with sunflower seeds, thus they are nut allergen free. 

Hydration with Snacks for Athletes

Hydration should be a daily priority for athletes. Dehydration can negatively impact health as well as sports performance.

Including a beverage with a balanced snack can help athletes with meeting their fluid needs.

Ideas for healthy beverages athletes can enjoy with their snacks include:

• Water
• Low-fat milk or high-protein milk
• Low-fat chocolate milk
• 100% fruit juice
• Sports drink (post-workout)
• Sparkling water
• Infused water

When Should Athletes Eat Snacks?

Now that you have a variety of snack and drink ideas, let’s take a look at ways athletes can add snacks to their days.

Adding Healthy Snacks to an Athlete’s Day

When visiting with athletes about sports nutrition, I commonly find that athletes will go for long periods of time during the day without eating.

Packing healthy snacks can help athletes fill these gaps with nutritious options that can support their sports nutrition needs.

Here are some time periods when athletes can consider adding snacks to their day:

• Before a workout
• After a morning workout before heading to class or work
• Mid-morning snack (~2-3 hours after breakfast)
• Afternoon snack (~2-3 hours after lunch)
• Following an afternoon workout
• Evening snack

Snacks for Athletes to Eat Before a Workout or Competition

When athletes have limited time prior to a workout or competition they should focus on eating carbohydrate-rich snacks to provide energy for the upcoming activity. 

Eating foods that are high in fat, fiber, and protein too close to the competition may cause GI distress during the activity (2).

Example high-carb snacks to eat before activity may include:

• Fresh fruit, dried fruit, applesauce squeeze
• Pretzels, pita chips, dry cereal, snack crackers
• Mini bagels
• Low-fat granola bar, fig bar
• Sports drink, chews, gels

Recovery Nutrition Snack Ideas After a Workout or Competition

Following a workout or competition, athletes should plan snacks that can help them meet their recovery nutrition needs.  This includes snacks containing:

• Carbohydrates to refill energy stores used during the competition
• Protein to support building and repairing muscle mass
• Fluid and electrolytes to replace sweat losses

The healthy snack ideas discussed above are all great options for athletes to enjoy after a workout. Athletes should also make sure to prioritize hydration with their post-activity snack to replace sweat losses.

Make sure to check-out my blog on post-game snacks for additional easy recovery nutrition snack ideas.

Post-Workout Snack for Athletes: Recovery Nutrition Smoothie

A post-workout smoothie can be a healthy snack option for athletes to enjoy following a workout.

I find many athletes are not hungry after a workout, thus a smoothie can be an easy solution for helping them meet their recovery nutrition needs.

Athletes can build a healthy smoothie with a variety of frozen fruits, sliced banana, high-protein milk, and Greek yogurt – creating a high-carb, protein-rich recovery drink.

Healthy Snack for Athletes Before Bed

I often recommend that athletes who desire to gain or maintain muscle mass aim to consume an evening snack that provides a good source of protein. 

Consuming protein before sleep can help promote muscle protein synthesis during the overnight recovery period (3). 

Athletes looking to gain weight may consider enjoying a high-calorie smoothie prior to bed.

Make Healthy Snacking Easy for Athletes

It can be helpful to take time on the weekend  to ingredient prep or meal prep snacks for the upcoming week.

Easy meal prep steps for snacks may include:

• Chopping fresh fruit and vegetables
• Packing individual bags of pretzels, pita chips, dry cereal, or trail mix
• Make turkey and cheese or other deli sandwiches/wraps in advance
• Hard-boiling eggs
• Pre-making muffins using a high-protein baking mix. Kodiak Cakes® has a variety of protein muffin mixes available.

Consider creating a snack basket in your refrigerator and pantry where healthy snacks are easily accessible and can be grabbed on the way out the door.

I also encourage athletes to pack their gym bags and backpacks with healthy snacks to help keep them fueled throughout the day.

Healthy Snacks for Athletes to Support Performance

You are now set with ideas for building healthy snacks for athletes. As a reminder, well-planned snacks can help athletes with meeting their sports nutrition needs and support optimal performance.

For additional sports nutrition tips, check out my blog: 5 Hydration Tips for Athletes.

Join the Nutrition By Mandy Email List & Get a Free Athlete’s Grocery List

Click HERE to join the Nutrition By Mandy e-mail list. When you join you will receive a free athlete’s grocery list to print and take with you to the store.

About the Author

Mandy Tyler is a Sports Dietitian Nutritionist in the San Antonio, TX area. She is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian, a Board-Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics, a Licensed Athletic Trainer, and is a Certified Exercise Physiologist through the American College of Sports Medicine. Mandy has experience working with athletes at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels. She believes the key to reaching one’s full potential, both in everyday life and in sports performance, relies on a healthy nutritional foundation. 

If you are looking to take your performance to the next level, make sure to check out my new Sports Nutrition Game Day Guide. This downloadable guide is written to help athletes develop an individualized plan to achieve peak performance on game day.