Getting peckish a few hours before your game? We’ve got you covered with these 5 great choices to stave off the hunger.

There’s nothing worse than turning up to rugby feeling ravenous. Your body needs fuel to score those winning tries, so rather than grabbing a pack of crisps or a chocolate bar in a race to get to your club night, get your mitts on one of these snacks that your body will thank you for.

Apple and peanut butter

Simple but effective. Cut an apple into pieces and pair it peanut butter. Around 2 teaspoons or 30-35g is a great portion size to make you feel satisfied and full while keeping the calories on the lower side.

Be careful though, peanut butter can have added sugar, salt and oil so pick your brand carefully and go for one that’s purely peanuts.

Nutritional benefits:

  • Ticks off 1 of your five a day
  • Source of fibre and protein to keep you feeling full
  • Source of monounsaturated fat – the good sort of fat we need in small amounts

Banana on toast

Grab a medium sized banana, chop it up and spread it over a slice of toast. An average banana and one slice of toast keeps the calories down but again is geared to help you feel topped up. Want an even healthier option? Go for wholemeal bread.

Nutritional benefits:

  • Ticks off 1 of your five a day
  • Source of fibre (for fullness)
  • Source of potassium (for energy and endurance)

Almonds

Around 20 almonds count as a serving. Perfect snack for having on the go and the health benefits are well worth considering.

Nutritional benefits:

  • Packed with magnesium (improves exercise performance) and potassium (for energy and endurance)
  • Source of monounsaturated fat (good fats)

Hummus

Hummus is so good, and it’s so versatile. Slice up a few raw veggies (carrots, peppers, cucumbers are all good shouts) and dip away, or pair with a few breadsticks or a toasted pita.

Nutritional benefits:

  • Source of protein (great for building muscle)
  • Source of fat (giving you energy aplenty)
  • 1 (or more) of your five a day

Protein products

Protein and exercise go hand-in-hand, and with good reason. It helps you build muscle and keeps you feeling full.

You can get protein from lots of sources, but bars, shakes, and other protein-added products can be convenient if you’re in a rush, and they can be a tasty treat too. Just be sure to check the labels as bars can be higher in sugar and calories than you’d expect.

Here are a few of our favourites and how they stack up.

  • Trek Power with Lotus Biscoff protein bars – 191 calories, 12g protein per bar.
  • Danone GetPro chocolate protein mousse – 170 calories, 20g protein per pot.
  • Arla Protein blueberry yoghurt – 142 calories, 20g protein per pot.
  • MyProtein chocolate chunk protein brownie – 284 calories, 23g protein per brownie.
  • Grenade Carb Killa chocolate chip salted caramel protein bar – 222 calories, 21g protein per bar.