Busy Parents: What to Feed your 7-12 year old 1 Hour Before Hockey

You’re rushing to pick up the kids from school, and barely have time to breathe before heading straight to their hockey game. The car ride feels chaotic and you wish you had more time to prepare. You realize that in the frenzy you forgot to pack a snack for your child, and later at the game you notice they aren’t skating as hard in the last period of their game. You can’t help but wonder if they would have played better with the right nutrition leading up to hockey.

  As a parent, you wonder how to fuel your child before hockey when you are short on time. You know that good nutrition is key for energy and performance, but your busy schedule can make it hard to prepare healthy snacks before games. Every time this happens it seems like a losing battle. This problem is all too common for parents who have busy, active children. This guide will help you figure out quick and convenient options to give to your child on a busy hockey day.

In this article we will be discussing the best snack options to have 1 hour before hockey for busy parents. Having a snack before practices and games will help your child be the best athlete they can be!

What is the best time to have a snack before hockey games or practices?

Ideally we want to offer a snack 30 minutes to 1 hour before activity (1). I chose to discuss 1 hour before ice time because teams typically arrive an hour before games and start warming up even before hitting the ice. Eating a snack in the car or right when you get to the rink is the easiest and most practical option for young hockey players.

What type of snack should I give my child before hockey?

Carbs are the best energy source for movement like skating. Think of carbs like premium gas in a high-performance car—they help you go faster. Carbs keep them skating fast right until the end of the game. In a study by Hawk et al, they found that having a high carb snack 60 min prior to activity increased performance by 7-20% in participants (2).

We want the snack to be high in carbs, and a simple carb. Having a high carb, mostly carb snack will be easily digested to give your child the most energy on the ice. While fat, protein, and fiber are important for overall health, they won’t be used for energy in the body fast enough because they are slowly digested. Eating a heavier snack can cause sluggishness or cause a stomach ache—I’m sure some parents have seen this! That’s why simple carbs are the best choice before or during a game—they provide fast, easy-to-use energy so your kiddo can be stronger and quicker on the ice. 

• One hour before a game offer you child a high carb snack with little fat, protein and fibre
• Simple carbs are low in fibre and made mostly out of carbs – think bread or bagels. They  are used for energy quickly so your child will get that quick energy on the ice

What Can I Pack If We’re On the Go and I Don’t Have Access to a Kitchen?

Every parent has been there—you’re about to pick up your kid from school and suddenly you realize you need a snack for them. There’s no time for your kiddo to eat at home before hockey, they’re heading straight from school to hockey. The best choice? A high-carb snack like fruit or grain products. Bonus points if you remember a drink like a juice box for them to stay hydrated!

Grab-and-Go Options:

• Pretzels – convenient high carb option that comes in individual portion sizes, so easy to grab and go
• Fruit – Bananas, apples, or oranges are great options.
• Go Go Squeezes or fruit leather – Easy to pack and full of quick-digesting carbs.

The reality is that sometimes life gets busy and we don’t have time to grab something, or we simply forget until your child is complaining of hunger in the car.  If you are on the way to practice and need to stop for food, below are some great fast food snack options for 1 hour before hockey.

Fast-Food Picks:

• Juice & apple slices – Available at McDonald’s.
• Bagel with jam – Ask for no butter if your child has a sensitive stomach, available at Tim Hortons.
• Toast with honey or jam – A simple carb boost, available at A&W.

What Are the Best Quick and Easy Snacks My Child Can Make Themselves before Hockey?

So what if you do have time to stop by home? Pro tip: have grab and go snacks your child can make for themselves, and encourage them to prepare it so they get into the routine. Some quick snacks you can make at home 1 hour before hockey are:

• Smoothie with frozen fruit and juice or milk – buy your child’s favourite fruit for it to be extra delicious
• Bagel with jam – A simple, fast-digesting carb that packs a punch.
• Crackers and Nutella – chocolatey high carb snack

How Soon Before the Game Should My Child Eat? And Does It Change for Early Mornings or Late Afternoons?

A high carb snack should be given around 1 hour before ice time. The tips for fueling in a time crunch are the same whether it’s early morning or late evening. We want to stick with high carb options like fruit or grain products. The difference may be your child’s appetite – many kids are not hungry before early morning hockey. I remember waking up at 5:30am for some early morning practices and playing on an empty stomach. If you run into this situation it’s best to choose energy in the form of liquids. It’s easier to drink calories than eat solids when appetites are low. So choosing a large glass of juice or milk can be a good option. Even getting an orange juice through a drive thru is a good option for early mornings. 

•  Athletes may have a lower appetite for early morning hockey, so choose high carb liquids like juice or milk for morning hockey

What Snacks Can I Pack and Forget for My Child Before Hockey?

You can pack convenient snacks in your child’s hockey bag or the car if you have a heated garage. This way you can just take it from the bag before driving off. You can pack a box of granola bars, Go Squeezes or fruit leather into your child’s hockey bag or the car for a convenient snack while on the way to hockey.

We don’t want to pack snacks if they’re going to end up frozen from the cold weather. So make sure that you’re either parking in your garage or bringing your child’s hockey bag inside so snacks don’t wind up frozen. Here are some great pack and forget snacks your child can have 1 hour before hockey to make them faster on the ice:

• Box of granola bars
• Box of Go Go Squeezes
• Fruit Leather

How Do I Balance Giving Enough Energy Without Overloading on Sugar?

       Added sugar is not something we want to offer children regularly. If we can choose whole food, high carb options 1 hour prior to hockey that is ideal because it will have other important vitamins and minerals. For example, a large orange has over 100% of our daily intake of vitamin C which is great for immunity.

However, it may not always be possible to choose a whole food snack with busy schedules. Don’t aim for perfect – small steps make a big difference. It’s ok if at first the snacks you are choosing have added sugar. Over time you can graduate into whole food snacks. Getting the ball rolling is more important than making sure it’s perfect!

Final thoughts

         Feeding your child before a game doesn’t have to be stressful. With simple snacks, you can make sure your young athlete has the energy to skate their best at hockey! Even small steps in planning go a long way. If it’s easiest to throw a box of granola bars in your child’s bag so that you don’t even need to remember to pack them, then that is great. Eventually, these small steps will snowball into habits and become consistent, making your child the best hockey player they can be.

Your child will still see a difference in their energy levels once they start adding in pre hockey snacks, so your win is to just get started with high carb snacks 1 hour before hockey. Focus on keeping things simple for yourself, and remember progress over perfection.

Summary: 

• Snack Timing Matters – Give your child a high-carb snack 30 minutes to 1 hour before hockey to help them play their best (1)
• Choose Simple Carbs – Foods like fruit, bagels, crackers, and pretzels give quick energy without causing stomach aches.
• Grab-and-Go Options Work – If you’re busy, pack easy snacks like granola bars, GoGo Squeezes, or juice boxes, or grab fast-food options like a bagel with jam.
• Progress Over Perfection – Don’t stress about picking the perfect snack—small steps make a big difference! Just get started.

 

What high carb snacks will your child enjoy having 1 hour before hockey? Put your answer in the comments.

 

References:

1.     Kerksick, C.M., Arent et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: nutrient timing. Journal of International Society of Sports Nutrition 14, 33 (2017)

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-017-0189-4

2.     Hawley JA, Burke LM. Effect Of Meal Frequency And Timing On Physical Performance. Br J Nutr. 1997;77(Suppl 1):S91–103.
3.     Galloway SD, Lott MJ, Toulouse LC. Preexercise Carbohydrate Feeding And High-Intensity Exercise Capacity: Effects Of Timing Of Intake And Carbohydrate Concentration. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2014;24(3):258–66.

 

About the Author, Chelsea Verbeek:

Chelsea is a Registered Dietitian and Founder of Launch Nutrition. She is a former elite ringette athlete and studied sports nutrition under leading scientist and RD in the field. Set up a 15 minute chat with Chelsea here.

 

Images: From Unsplash and Pexels

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