Celebrate Physical Sports Month by Fueling Your Activity

Did you know that only 1 in 5 US adults meet the guidelines for physical activity? May is Physical Sports Month, a time for increasing awareness of the importance of physical activity and how to make it fun by participating in sports. Adults or youth teams alike are often provided unhealthy foods – think candy, hot-dogs, and chips – for events. Dietitians offer expert advice on staying hydrated and well-nourished while increasing activity to keep them safe and healthy. Here are some tips and a recipe to help celebrate National Physical Sports month in the healthiest and most fun way possible:

• Healthy Snacks for your Team: Community building and an increase in physical activity combine when you join a league. Softball, soccer, kick-ball, ultimate Frisbee, basketball or even golf can be a fun and competitive way to increase activity for adults or kids. Instead of offering high sugar or high fat processed foods for games, support physical activity and healthy weight management by bringing foods that provide energy naturally. High fiber snacks that combine a healthy fat source plus protein will fuel your team as we head into sports season to keep everyone happy and performing well.  No Bake Chocolate Energy Bites are a delicious and healthy option for team events. Adult or children’s sports teams alike will enjoy these bite-sized healthy treats. On-the-go portable snacks are key for physical activity and ball games so finger foods packed with high fiber carbohydrates are perfect fuel without any mess. Dates are a naturally sweet source of energy that digests quickly into fuel the body can easily use. Almonds balance this quick burst of energy with sustainable fat and protein that keeps athletes going for hours. Each participant can choose to have just one bite or a few more depending on their level of hunger. Features 90 calories each, 5 grams fat, 11 grams carbs, 2 grams fiber, 2 grams protein in each bite.
  No Bake Chocolate Energy Bites (Yields 40)

   Every sports team needs a snack – hours of activity requires hydration and fuel to keep everyone performing well.  A lot of classic sports-team foods offer unhealthy foods like soda, drinks with added sugar, and non-nutritious snacks. This recipe is perfect because it uses unprocessed, natural ingredients with no added sugar that is an easy on-the-go snack.

  Ingredients:
  2 cups pitted medjool dates
  1 cup hot water
  1 cup unsalted almonds
  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut + more for coating

  Preparation:
  Place dates in the bowl of a food processor. Pour 1 cup hot water over them and let stand until cool, about 30 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients and pulse until dough forms. Add more water if needed for consistency. Roll into 1-inch bite-sized balls and coat with additional shredded coconut.  Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and refrigerate for 60 minutes until firm

References:
¹ http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs385/en/
² http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/adults/
³ http://www.gatorade.com/products/g-series/thirst-quencher