Spring and summer means lots of trips to the local ballpark to watch your favorite budding major leaguer step up to the plate. But, many times trying to get to the game on time and fit in all those extra practices leaves you starving for both time and a meal. Growing up, my family lived at the baseball field during the spring and summer. All five of us played baseball and softball with my dad always coaching at least one of our teams. Our games were typically around dinnertime as is the case of many still today. My mom was pretty good at making sure we had healthy home cooked meals, but many families nowadays live a much faster pace, with mom and dad barely making it home by dinnertime. If meals are left to the concession stands at the ballpark, it usually means a hot dog, hamburger and lots of candy and soda for both parents and kids. Below are some great trail mix recipes and on-the-go snack suggestions from my Fitness Answer Meal Plan.
SPICY TRAIL MIX
• 1 tsp. of olive oil
• 1 tsp. of chili powder
• 1 tsp. of garlic powder
• ½ Cup of Unsalted Peanuts
• ½ Cup of Sesame Sticks
• ½ Cup of Wasabi Peas
• ½ Cup of Cashews
Mix together all ingredients. Portion into ½ cup servings.
SESAME TRAIL MIX
½ cup of sesame sticks
¼ cup cashews
¼ cup of unsalted peanuts
¼ cup of ready to eat pumpkin seeds
¼ cup of sunflower kernels
Makes 6 servings - serving size – ½ cup
(Mix all ingredients together and serve. I usually portion this out and keep in handy baggies.)
KASHI BERRY TRAIL MIX
• ½ Cup of Kashi Crunch Cereal
• 1/4 cup almonds
• ¼ cup of carob chips
• ¼ cup of unsalted peanuts
• ¼ cup of dried cranberries
Makes 6 servings - serving size – ½ cup
(Mix all ingredients together and serve. I usually portion this out and keep in handy baggies.)
ON THE GO SNACKS
• balanced nutrition bar (at least 15 grams of protein, 20 grams of carbs only)
• 100 calorie sugar-free yogurt and ½ cup of cottage cheese
• 1 piece of fruit (small apple, orange, peach, nectarine, ½ banana, 1 cup grapes) mixed with ½ cup cottage cheese
• ready to drink shake (at least 15 grams of protein, 20 grams of carbs only)
Joanne Sgro is a Television Fitness Expert, Certified Personal Trainer and Sport Nutritionist. She is Certified in Pilates, Pre-natal/Post-Partum, Yoga and Senior Fitness. She specializes in Weight Loss, Post-Rehab and Post Cancer Training. Joanne's fitness plans and recipes are available globally on her website www.fitnessanswer.com. She resides in the Phoenix, AZ, where she runs her personal training business, Fitness Answer, LLC.