Best Diet Plan For Athletes – Learn about the foods athletes should be eating to be at the top of their game. Support elite athleticism, optimal growth and good health. These foods can fuel a young athlete’s success on and off the court.
The mystery behind what should be part of your young athlete’s diet is endless, in part because miracle foods keep surfacing while other foods fall from grace.
Best Diet Plan For Athletes
Remember the hype surrounding coconut oil? Yeah, not such a great idea if you want to have a healthy heart.
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When it comes to the foods that athletes should eat, it is important to consider their nutritional requirements for growth and development as well as their athletic performance requirements.
As a mom who has raised her own young athletes, I also know the struggle of feeding and supporting them with a nutritious diet.
In this article, I look at some unhealthy eating habits among young athletes and dive into some key foods for elite athletes.
It’s no secret that many children and adolescents are missing out on important nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D, fiber and potassium.
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Skipping breakfast, snacking on nutrient-poor foods, or using weight control measures such as dieting will not only limit nutrient intake, but also impair athletic performance.
First, the timing and regularity of meals throughout the day helps the athlete satisfy his appetite and meet his overall nutritional requirements.
Second, a balance of nutrients, especially protein and carbohydrates, can be particularly helpful for continued muscle development and efficient recovery.
I’m not saying you have to be 100% organic or junk food free, but child and teen athletes need a balanced diet.
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In fact, I believe there are certain foods that are powerful additions to an athlete’s diet. They help support healthy nutrition and optimal sports performance.
If you can start incorporating these foods into your athlete’s diet, you can be sure that you are incorporating optimal nutrition for training and performance.
Here you will find my list of the 10 best foods for athletes, why I recommend them and how to incorporate them into your diet.
Include the following foods in your athlete’s diet and your athlete will be well on his way to better energy supply.
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All nuts are packed with healthy fats, fiber, protein, magnesium and vitamin E. Use them as an ingredient in yogurt or cereal, or grab a handful on your way to your workout.
If you don’t have a nut allergy, stick a small package of peanuts, almonds or cashews in your gym bag for a quick and tasty snack.
Similar to nuts, seeds are full of fiber, healthy fats, magnesium and vitamin E. Eat them like nuts.
Cereals are fortified with nutrients such as folic acid, iron, calcium and vitamins A and E, making them a good source of nutrients.
Healthy Meals For Athletes
Have it for breakfast, snack or dinner in a pinch, but be careful about choosing cereals with too much sugar.
Increasingly, you’ll find OJ fortified with calcium and vitamin D, and it’s also a good source of folic acid and vitamin C.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), kids ages 7-18 should stick to a juice limit — no more than one cup (8 ounces) a day.
Really magical! Packed with fiber, protein, iron, zinc and magnesium, find ways to incorporate beans into your athlete’s diet.
Nutrition For Young Athletes
Fry them as a crunchy snack, add to a salad, layer on a burrito, or add them with diced tomatoes as a hearty pasta dish.
Cheese is a quick and easy snack, especially when packaged in sticks or blocks. Mix cheese into casseroles, pasta and layer on sandwiches.
Yogurt is a good source of calcium, vitamin D, potassium and protein. If you’re looking for extra protein from whole foods, choose the Greek variety (although most young athletes don’t need a lot of protein in their diet).
Dairy milk is a natural source of calcium, potassium and protein and is enriched with vitamin D. These nutrients are present in all milks with variable calorie content according to the amount of fat contained in the milk.
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Some teenage athletes choose to drink whole milk because they have trouble meeting their nutritional and caloric needs during the day, especially when they are in a growth spurt or a high-calorie-burning sport.
If you’re not sure which milk—whole, low-fat, or skim—would be best for your athlete, I’ve done the research and summarized the pros and cons for you in this whole milk article.
If soy milk is your go-to, make sure it’s fortified with calcium and vitamin D, and shake the carton so the minerals don’t settle to the bottom.
There’s plenty of research to suggest it’s an effective way to refuel and recover after more than an hour of sweaty exercise.
Intermittent Fasting Schedules
The combination of carbohydrates and protein helps to replenish the muscles with energy in the form of glycogen and uses protein to repair the muscles.
Pair them with foods high in vitamin C, such as red bell peppers, tomatoes, or citrus fruits, or serve them with meat to maximize iron absorption.
Want to learn more about iron and athletes? Read 8 facts about iron and young athletes you should know.
Welcome to the nurtured child! I’m Jill Castle, a pediatric nutritionist and mom of four. I created this website to help parents nurture and raise healthy children through food, feeding, and monitoring child development. I’m glad you’re here! Does your nutrition change based on your activity level or your training days? I love teaching athletes about “Athlete Plates” created by nutritionists at the USA Olympic Committee. The plates are intended as a guide and can be adjusted according to the athlete’s nutritional choices. As an athlete, I like that the plates support different nutrition depending on the activity level.
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You might be thinking, “I’m not an athlete.” If you consistently exercise, play sports, consistently train, work toward physical goals, you should call yourself an athlete. Kristen Dieffenbach, a sports psychologist and associate professor of athletic training at West Virginia University, suggests that everyone consider themselves an athlete. I agree that this status is not reserved only for those who get paid. The way you think about yourself affects your performance, how you train and how you fuel your body.
The physical demands of your practices, workouts, races, etc. vary from day to day. And your diet should reflect these differences. One way to adjust your plate and maintain your performance level is to listen to your body. This takes practice and can be tricky, especially if exercise reduces hunger and appetite levels. Another reason I love these plates.
The plates consist of a light practice plate, a medium practice plate and a hard practice/game day. With a mild training plate designed to be your base plate, you can add more or less food to your plate depending on your training level.
An easy day is a short or low-intensity workout. Because this plate focuses on fruits and vegetables, it packs a lot of nutrients. Easy day plates are also good for sports that do not require a lot of energy.
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A moderate plate is good to use on days when there are higher intensity workouts or double workouts. A moderate board is designed to be your baseline. Note the amount of food on the moderate plate and you can use it to adjust up or down depending on how much energy (calories) you need for the day.
A hard day includes endurance training, dual training or competitions. If your competition requires extra fuel from carbohydrates, a hard training plate is a good idea. This board dedicates half of that to grain. This board gives you the energy you need to get through a tough training day and perform at your best.
My nutrition philosophy is: if we tune into our hunger and fullness signals, our bodies are good guides and will help us make healthy food decisions.
These plates will give you flexibility and guidance, as well as the principles of intuitive eating. So combining intuitive eating principles with athlete plates can really help athletes understand what to put on their plate.
Nutrition Tips For Vegan Athletes With Sample Meal Plan
Did The Athlete’s Plates help you? Do you adjust your food intake based on your training days and rest days? In my last post I talked about the nutrients needed for recovery after injury. I’ve given you some sample meals and sample snacks. Now I want to give you a little more detailed picture of what it looks like to get these nutrients in your meals and snacks every day. What does leucine intake look like every 3 hours? What does whey protein intake look like before bed? How to incorporate this while pushing out other nutrients to promote the best recovery possible? I’ve outlined a sample day for you below. I haven’t gone into much detail with the portions other than the leucine foods because every athlete has different needs for calories, protein, carbs, etc. However, this is a great place to start and you can customize your portions
