It is a lot to juggle, and it’s no wonder that about half of us… Including carbohydrate-rich foods before bed can help promote good sleep by helping to increase serotonin, which is a precursor to melatonin, the hormone that aids sleep. Tasty, portable, and delicious, snack foods help athletes get in crucial nutrients at the right time without the fuss of a whole meal.

Unfortunately, these don’t truly fuel with proper nutrition and satisfy your child, especially if he’s a growing young athlete. The teen years bring rapid physical growth, changing appetites, and increased independence around food. Many parents worry whether their teen is eating enough, eating too much, or getting the nutrients they need — especially during growth spurts or weight changes.

Easy Ideas For When You Don’t Know What to Eat

healthy snacks for athletes

Protein is available from meats, poultry, fish, hard-boiled eggs, and dairy products. Plant-based protein can be found in beans, for instance. Protein is key to building muscle and repairing it after strenuous exercise.

quick links

Avoid fast food options and look for sandwich shops instead. Or, if you opt for fast-casual food, go for simple, healthy foods with protein and grains. Children, especially young athletes, require a balance of carbohydrates and protein in their diet so they’ll have plenty of energy to run play and compete in their favorite sports.

What Are Some Healthy Snacks For Athletes?

Healthy examples include fish, low fat dairy, nuts, soy and lean meats and poultry. Simple SugarsProvide quick/instant energy for a workout that will occur in the next hour. They cause less GI distress because there is less of the grain to breakdown.

  • All these properties make it a good choice for athletes.
  • Second, goals should be written down, assessed over time, and changed if necessary.
  • Nutrient timing is a flashy buzz word that sounds cool when talking about daily fueling, but what does that exactly mean?
  • This pyramid reminded me of the accomplishments that I was working towards and visually represented my need to create a solid foundation underneath me before reaching the top.
  • It would probably leave you unfulfilled, hungry, or extra full for hours if we only relied on three meals.
  • However, you will have to buy organic vegetables and wash them properly before eating them raw.

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Busy, young athletes need healthy snacks for that window of time between the last school bell and the first whistle of practice. When it comes to the best type of snack to fuel your athlete for long school days and practices, lead with a protein source and add carbohydrates to create a well-rounded recovery snack. Check out these simple options that you can pack for your athlete to eat before or after practice to fuel and recharge them throughout the day. A common mistake I see athletes making is fueling up on high protein foods prior to a workout. While protein is helpful in your post workout snack, it isn’t a preferred fuel source in your pre-workout snacks.

Food Preparation

An athlete will need enough water to stay hydrated throughout. Another benefit of coconut water is that it has less sugar. Also, if is mad muscles legit you choose the wrong snacks, you will feel exhausted. You might want to take a rest instead of performing in your game.

A Good Sport Lesson Video Transcript

There are many factors to consider when selecting a snack—including hunger level, time of day, pre- or post-workout and weight goals. I went along with what I was being told to do, even though I’d had great success at a slightly heavier weight and higher body fat percentage and became much leaner than ever before. It seemed like a successful change at first, but I didn’t have nearly the results I’d had before.

The Bottom Line: Eat More Snacks!

You can have this snack with you and eat it after your workout sessions. If milk is not available, you can have it without milk. From practices to games, fall sports can be BUSY – and that often means eating on the go!

Apples with nut butter

And I believe becoming leaner than my body naturally wanted to be was what caused my ACL to tear. In the end, it cost me heavily going into the 2012 London games. The takeaway for me, and hopefully for you, is that it’s important to know what works for you and your body and to not compare yourself to others. You should do your research and experiment with your diet to find what makes you feel the best, rather than focusing on what you look like. Today, if I feel like having a chocolate chip cookie, I have one, just not every day.

High-protein snacks to build muscle and keep hunger at bay

The nutrients that are the most important for an exercising athlete are carbohydrates and protein. You can fix this by adding an afternoon snack in-between lunch and dinner. Eating this snack even if you don’t feel hungry can be a good strategy.