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The Best Nutrition For Athletes - Healthy Snacks That Taste Good, Too!

The options for healthy snacks that actually taste good are becoming more and more common when it comes to balanced nutrition for athletes. While there are still a lot of reasons to use protein powders and other traditional supplements, finding the right nutrition for athletes can be a much tastier experience than it was in the past. Whether you're looking to make your own healthy snacks or you want to buy something prepackaged, you're bound to find a treat that will appeal to your taste buds, as well as your athletic lifestyle.



Homemade Snacks

One of the simplest and most naturally nutritious treats is freshly-made fruit or veggie juice drinks. Making them yourself is not only easy, but it ensures that you are completely aware of everything that goes into your healthy snacks. Choosing organic apples, carrots, beets, and other produce ensures not only the best nutrition for athletes, but it also decreases exposure to pesticides and other potentially harmful chemicals. For an added treat, consider freezing your juice in popsicle forms for healthy snacks that cool you down in the summer. To increase the performance enhancement aspect of your homemade snacks try adding some technologically advanced all natural food concentrates that you can now find on the Internet.

Nuts and seeds provide more than just great nutrition for athletes. They're also extremely versatile and make a variety of delicious, healthy snacks. A simple granola mix with some raw almonds and raisins can give you a boost throughout the day. In addition to flavor you'll be getting a good mix of protein and essential fatty acids to keep you in top form. Keep in mind that raw nuts are much healthier than those that have been roasted, and of course, unsalted nuts have much less sodium.

Another way to create healthy snacks is to make your own smoothies. By mixing bananas, ice, and perhaps some other fruits, you can make a delicious treat that is also very healthy. Instead of the additional fruit, try adding in organic peanut butter or natural high fiber food bars. You'll be surprised at the great taste and the result is an increase in the "good" fats and fiber that are vital for performance. When it comes to great-tasting nutrition for athletes, smoothies are hard to beat.


Prepackaged Snacks

Purchasing prepackaged items aimed at health-conscious people requires careful consideration. Reading the nutrition information on any prepackaged food item should simply become second nature if you are really serious about only purchasing healthy snacks.

Things to look out for on the nutrition facts label include thinks like sodium and sugar - in addition to the standard protein and carb counts. Most nutrition for athletes focuses almost entirely on making sure that protein is high and carbohydrates are optimized for peak performance. However, many of the mainstream options also have high sodium and sugar, which can disrupt the balance of electrolytes in the body and actually work against an athlete. Also, too much protein is something that is causing unseen damage in some cases. Truly healthy snacks are those that consider all the angles.

Of course, it's also important never to overlook the benefits of portable food. Most prepackaged snacks are convenient and easy to take with you. Because it is so important to balance out your carbs, protein, EFAs, etc, prepackaged healthy snacks, with their printed ingredients and USRDA percentages right on the package, prove that nutrition for athletes doesn't always have to be overly complicated. It's relatively simple now to find online, pre-packaged all natural food concentrates that are powerfully healthy snacks providing serious nutrition for athletes.




Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cliff_Smith

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