by Amy Mullins, PhD, RDN | Aug 27, 2021
Healthy snacks fuel the athlete! Photo credit: Amy Mullins
When it comes to your kids, you’d do anything to help them succeed… in the classroom, in their relationships, in life. So, why not on the basketball court, soccer field, swimming pool, or whichever sport they’ve fallen in love with? They may have the best equipment, participate in extra training lessons, and put in 110% during every practice and event. But, is this enough? Is there something missing?
It’s no secret that your child is growing. In order to function in their sport, improve performance, and promote recovery, kids need food to help support the increased energy requirements. This ultimately means more planning and more groceries!
Follow these guidelines to fuel your superstar during the week, before the game/event, and after the game/event.
Pre-Game Meal/Snack
Eat a good-sized meal at least three hours before the event. This gives the tummy time to process all the food to prepare it as fuel. Have a light balanced meal with some carbs and fats. These will sustain you throughout your exercise! Carbs and fats are both great fuel sources, and the fats digest slower to help keep you feeling full. Pick foods that digest well to avoid any nausea or upset stomach. Don’t forget to drink some water to start off hydrated!
- Breakfast Ideas: fruit, lightly sautéed potatoes, scrambled eggs, or toast with nut butter or smashed avocado
- Lunch Ideas: turkey or ham sandwich (avoid fatty cheeses and condiments), peanut butter and jelly, fruit, pretzels, or cereal
- Snack 30 minutes before the event: peanut butter crackers, granola bars, fruit snacks, or goldfish crackers
During Practice and Games
For exercise lasting less than an hour, sip on some water to stay hydrated. For exercise lasting longer than an hour, a sports drink like Gatorade or Powerade will help replenish lost carbohydrates and electrolytes. For longer lasting activities or day trips, bring along some easy to eat snacks with lots of carbs, and some fats and proteins. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and granola bars are great options!
Post-Game Snack
After exercise, it’s important to recover, refuel, and re-hydrate. Protein will help our muscles recover while carbohydrates will help refuel for the next activity. Drink plenty of fluids to rehydrate! Good choices for quick, easy snacks include chocolate milk, peanut butter crackers, cheese sticks, bananas, apple slices with peanut butter, or smoothies with or without protein.
Dinner Plate After Practice and Games
- Grains/Carbs: Should take up roughly 35% of the plate
- Lean Protein: Should take up roughly 25% of the plate
- Fruits and Veggies: Should take up roughly 40% of the plate
- Hydration: Focus on replenishing lost electrolytes and fluid loss
Components of a well-balanced meal include:
- Meat & poultry – great protein sources for recovery. Pair it with a carb!
- Whole grains, fruit, pasta, rice, potatoes – great carb sources to complement your protein. These will help replace the energy you burned during exercise.
- Water, milk, and fruits will help replenish fluids lost during exercise.
Eating right not only on game day but throughout the week will do wonders for your child’s athletic performance. Not only that, it will set them up to be successful and healthy adults in the future!
Guest contributors: Patrick Burns and E. Jane Watts, Dietetic Interns from Florida State University’s Department of Food, Nutrition, and Exercise Sciences
The use of trade names in this post is solely for the purpose of providing specific information. It is not a guarantee, warranty, or endorsement of the product.
References:
Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics. Ellis, E. (2020). Hydrate Right. https://www.eatright.org/fitness/sports-and-performance/hydrate-right/hydrate-right
American Dietetic Association, Dietitians of Canada, American College of Sports Medicine,
Rodriguez, N. R., Di Marco, N. M., & Langley, S. (2009). American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Nutrition and athletic performance. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 41(3), 709–731.
https://performancepartner.gatorade.com
https://www.eatright.org/fitness/sports-and-performance/tips-for-athletes/gameday-nutrition-tips-for-young-athletes
by Amy Mullins, PhD, RDN | May 28, 2015
Super Summer Snacking
Can you believe that the kids are almost out of school for the summer? With kids in the house all summer, get ready for those constant snack attacks, followed by “mom (or dad)…there’s nothing good to eat.”
Just because its summer break doesn’t mean we should take a vacation from healthy eating. Having easy and nutritious snacks on hand is important for keeping those growing appetites in check.
ChooseMyPlate.gov recommends using snacks to help children get the nutrients they need to grow and maintain a healthy weight, but to limit sweets and sugary beverages to reduce excess calories that could lead to an unhealthy weight.
Follow these great ideas for snacks that are sure to please this summer:
- Save time by slicing veggies. Store veggies in the refrigerator and have tasty dips ready-to-go, such as hummus or low-fat dips (or even yogurt or peanut butter).
- Mix it up. For older kids, mix dried fruit with unsalted nuts and popcorn to make a great homemade trail mix. Also try blending low-fat yogurt with 100% fruit juice and frozen fruit for a refreshing and nutritious smoothie.
- Fruits are quick and easy. Fresh, frozen, dried, or canned fruits can be easy options that need little preparation.
- Nibble on lean protein. Choose foods such as low-sodium deli meats and cheeses, unsalted nuts, or eggs. Try pairing deli meat with apple wedges in a whole wheat tortilla wrap.
Check out Snack Tips for Parents at http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/downloads/TenTips/DGTipsheet24MyPlateSnackTipsforParents.pdf for more great ideas and the 10 Tips Nutrition Education Series from ChooseMyPlate.gov for tips on a wide variety of nutrition and healthy lifestyle topics.
Amy Mullins is a Registered Dietitian and Family and Consumer Sciences Agent II with UF/IFAS Leon County Extension. If you have additional questions about nutrition, contact Amy at mullinsa@leoncountyfl.gov.
by Ricki McWilliams | Dec 11, 2014
Thank You for a Wonderful Year!
As we come to the end of our 100th year of serving the citizens of Florida, the University of Florida/IFAS Extension Faculty located in the 16 county offices of the Florida Panhandle thank you for making 2014 another great year!
Extension has come a long way assisting farmers and their families with relevant information since the beginning of the 20th century. Today, 100 years later, UF/IFAS Extension continues to provide science-based information to the citizens of Northwest Florida.
This year our County Extension Faculty provided valuable information and educational programs to 1000’s of individuals, families, businesses, and agricultural producers across the panhandle. As you know, our educational programming includes topics in areas such as Agriculture, Natural Resources, Horticulture, Family and Consumer Sciences, and 4-H Youth Development. UF/IFAS has a Solution for your Life!
We are excited about, and dedicated to providing our clients the most recent and science-based information on a wide range of topics such as:
- agricultural production and marketing,
- providing youth with exciting opportunities that develop life skills, teamwork, and responsibility
- food preservation, cooking
- helping individuals and families with health and wellness, parenting and manage budgets,
- consumer assistance within the home,
- wildlife and land management,
- coastal and inland fishery management,
- home gardening and commercial landscaping,
- acquiring Continuing Education Units for a variety of licenses.
Though the first 100 years of UF/IFAS Extension have been very productive we do not plan on sitting back and resting on the accomplishments of the past. We will continue to provide you and your family the best information and education available to provide “Solutions for Your Life!”
Thank you once again for participating in our Extension programs! We look forward to seeing you in 2015, and as always, if you have a question on any topic, or a suggestion to help us help you better, please do not hesitate to contact us. You can find your local County Extension office on the web at http://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/IFASNW.
Happy Holidays & Best Wishes for the New Year!
From,
Dr. Pete Vergot III, Professor, and Northwest District Extension Director and your County Extension Faculty and Staff of the UF/IFAS Extension Northwest District serving Panhandle Florida
