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Post Workout Snack Ideas {FAGE Total Split Cups}

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Whether your workout is a soccer game or a simple family hike, FAGE Total Split Cups make a great recovery snack!

This post is sponsored by FAGE, but all opinions are my own.

Whether your workout is a soccer game or a simple family hike, FAGE Total Split Cups make a great recovery snack! Post training meals should include carbs to replenish depleted glycogen and protein to build and repair muscles. The FAGE Total Split Cups fits our recovery requirements and it’s portable—my kids love it! #BetterDayFAGE #SplitCup #ad

I have three kids, and I live in Utah. Almost every weeknight, you can find us at a soccer game, dance concert, or football game. On weekends, we head up to the mountains for a family hike, or an epic adventure. We’re a busy, active family, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

It’s always been my goal to get kids excited about being outdoors and give them new opportunities to be active. It’s important to me that my family learns to ENJOY exercise, rather than just endure it. I LOVE how exercise makes me feel, during and afterwards. When my kids and I are active together, I do everything I can to help them feel the same way. That means making sure they’re well fed and comfortable, so they’ll have a positive experience, and they’ll want to do it all over again soon.

I’ve written a few articles about the food we take along on family workouts for energy. But many of you have been asking about our recovery food.

Here’s my take on that: post-training meals should include carbs to replenish depleted glycogen, and protein to build and repair muscles. Protein transforms a snack into a power snack, as it helps to rebuild muscle tissue and heal after exercise. A little sodium is good, too, because it replaces sodium lost through sweating. I also make sure our recovery food tastes great, and is something my kids WANT to eat, so that they actually eat it!

I bring our post-exercise food along in a cooler bag with ice packs to keep everything fresh. Recovery food serves three purposes for us:

  • It helps my kids recover from the activity.
  • It puts a smile on their faces, because they LOVE seeing cold food ready to eat.
  • It bridges the time between the activity and getting home (so we don’t have to stop at a gas station or fast food joint.)

Here’s a list of our favorite take-along recovery foods:

BEST POST WORKOUT RECOVERY SNACKS

  • Yogurt: Yogurt has the perfect mix of protein and carbs for recovery. We love FAGE Total 0% Split Cups because they have equal amounts of protein and carbs. The fruit-flavored cups we buy have 13 grams of protein, 14 grams of carbohydrates, and a modest 11 grams of sugar. They also have a little sodium (45 mg) to replenish some of what was lost through sweating.
  • Sandwiches: I like to make sandwiches to have after a game or hike.  We use whole grain bread and lean meat, tuna, or egg. The bread and fillings provide is with the balance of carbs and protein that I look for.
  • Smoothies: Here’s my smoothie tip: freeze it before you leave for your activity, and it’ll defrost by the time you’re ready to drink it. (Even if it’s a little slushy, it’s still delicious and refreshing!) We like yogurt, fruit, juice, protein powders, and berries in our smoothies.
  • Energy bar: We have so many energy bars and granola bar recipes on the blog! We’ll add nuts and seeds to increase the protein, which is balanced by the oats for some whole carbs.
  • Apples, nuts, and cheese: One of our simplest recovery snacks is fruit and a nut butter.  The nut butters have a small amount of protein, while the fruit is so good for replenishing glycogen stores!
  • Hard boiled egg and fruit: Eggs are an easy, quick dose of protein. We make a dozen at once and bring them wherever we go.
  • LOTS OF WATER: A return to hydration is key! We also enjoy coconut water for the electrolytes.

Of all the post recovery snacks I rotate through, Greek yogurt is the one my kids reach for when they have a choice. For some reason, yogurt (and even chocolate milk) is gentle enough that they can eat it quickly when they are starving. The thick, creamy texture and semi-sweet taste of FAGE Total Greek yogurt is super satisfying after working hard. They also love how you can control how much of the fruit you can eat with the yogurt. They like to dip their spoon into the fruit side, and then dip their spoon into the yogurt side. It’s fun to eat!

Of course, we don’t only eat FAGE Total yogurt after a workout. My kids often grab one for breakfast or an after-school snack. Have your kids tried the FAGE Total Split Cups? What flavor do they like best?

 

Natalie Monson

I'm a registered dietitian, mom of 4, avid lover of food and strong promoter of healthy habits. Here you will find lots of delicious recipes full of fruits and veggies, tips for getting your kids to eat better and become intuitive eaters and lots of resources for feeding your family.

Learn More about Natalie

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3 Comments

Great snack ideas. Would you mind sharing the brand of the multi-compartment snack container that is pictured in your post?

Wow! Thank you for these post-workout snack ideas. Those snacks recommended here are easy to find and always available. Keep sharing wonderful suggestions about workout ideas.