Aspirational me: brings pasta salad with chickpeas and veggies to evening meets, and homemade oatmeal bars w/ dried fruit and nuts, and fresh fruit to morning meets.

Reality me: gives them some toast or a bowl of cereal before the morning meets, buys them a donut and candy between heats (they tend to swim the first event and the 4th, so there's a long break), and a breakfast sandwich or whatever else they are selling when finished swimming (kids are always starving by that time). For evening meets, gives them a Quaker chocolate chip granola bar or two on the way, chips between heats, then buys them a hamburger and candy when they're done swimming.

Aspirational me usually shows up once a season. Maybe twice if work isn't too crazy. It's OK. Nobody has ever puked in the pool, and they are healthy as can be (swimming 2.5 hours every weekday helps). Concessions are a huge fundraiser for the team, so I'm happy to buy overpriced hot dogs to support everything they do for my kids.

A lot of small things they could grab quickly when they were hungry and didn’t have much time to eat: sandwiches cut into quarters, cut up fruit, cheese and crackers, so much ice cream.

OP here, such great suggestions! Thanks everyone.