Nutrition Tips for Young Athletes

Nutrition Tips for Young Athletes

Avoid the stress of deciphering complex nutrition information, and meal planning and dive into our top nutrition tips for your young athletes. These guidelines are sure to keep your energetic children fuelled and ready to master their favourite sports.

Balanced Breakfasts: A balanced breakfast is essential to kickstart your child’s day. Think balanced dishes containing carbohydrates, proteins and healthy fats. Options like porridge with berries and a dollop of full fat Greek yogurt, wholegrain toast with avocado and eggs, or for the more adventurous why not try the viral Weetabix cheesecake recipe. If your children don’t fancy breakfast, consider trying smoothies packed with mixed fruit and milk of your choice. Smoothies have endless flavour options, you can enhance with healthy fats like avocado, coconut oil or nut butters, and smoothies are also a great way to hide in vegetables and supplement powders like protein, bee pollen or spirulina.
Hydration is Key: Keeping hydrated is crucial, especially for active children. Encourage your kids to drink water regularly, aiming for at least six to eight glasses a day. During intense training sessions or games, water is the best choice, but for prolonged activities, consider a coconut water or homemade sports drink with water, a splash of fruit juice, and a pinch of salt to replenish lost electrolytes.
Mindful Snacks: Mid-morning and afternoon snacks should be nutritious and energy-boosting. Think about snacks like a handful of nuts and dried fruit, an apple with peanut butter, or carrot sticks with hummus. These options are not only delicious but also packed with the nutrients necessary for sustained energy and muscle recovery.
Lunchtime Fuel: Lunchtime is an opportunity to refuel for the second half of the day, opt for balanced meals that include lean proteins, whole grains, and plenty of vegetables, think chicken pesto pasta salad, smoked salmon and cream cheese bagels, or toasted pitta breads with hummus and crudites, all great ideas for both home and packed lunchboxes.
Dinner Inspiration: After a day full of activity, dinner should be nutritious and satisfying with lean proteins, complex carbohydrates and packed full or veggies for fibre, classics like spaghetti Bolognese with lean beef mince or Quorn with hidden vegetables in the sauce, stir fry’s with grilled chicken or tofu for protein, lentil dhal with brown rice, or even a simple baked potato with beans and cheese offers a great range of nutrients on time poor days, these combinations helps with muscle repair and energy replenishment.
The importance of Protein: Protein is an essential macronutrient for growing bodies and active muscles. Ensure your children are getting enough by incorporating a variety of protein sources such as lean meats, dairy, eggs, beans, and legumes. Aiming for protein at each meal will help with muscle recovery and growth. The protein needs of a young athlete can vary based on factors such as age, weight, gender, and the intensity of their physical activity but is around 0.5-0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day.
Savvy Sweet Treats: Cravings for sweet foods are natural, but it’s important to choose healthier options. Encourage treats like yogurt with honey and fruit, homemade flapjack, banana bread or a portion of dark chocolate. Get your children involved in making Home-made “ice cream” blitz frozen banana to get healthy instant ice cream and have fun experimenting with flavours our favourites are cinnamon and cacao powder or vanilla extract and raspberries. These options both satisfy sweet cravings while providing beneficial nutrients.

Which nutrition tip will you try first? Have any favourite healthy snacks or meals to share with us? Let’s keep our young athletes fuelled and ready for action!