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Gameday Nutrition Tips for Young Athletes

By Karen Ansel, MS, RDN, Monique Ryan, MS, RD, CSSD, LDN and Jill Castle, MS, RDN, Eat Right, 11/09/17, 12:00PM PST

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Have young athletes in your family? Feeding them requires knowledge and planning. Not only do they need optimal nutrition for fueling and recovery from training, but they also must meet energy demands of growth and maturation.

Help your kids refuel with the nutrients they need by focusing on family mealtimes before and after practice or game day.

Nutrition for Everyday Athletes

  • Focus on carbs for energy. Choose whole-grain bread, crackers, cereal, pasta and potatoes for lasting energy. Save sports drinks for an energy boost during endurance sports or training sessions lasting more than an hour.
  • Spread out protein foods. Active bodies need protein to support growth and build and repair hardworking muscles. Young athletes should spread protein foods throughout the day, having some at each meal and with most snacks, such as eggs and whole-grain toast with fruit for breakfast or a sandwich with low-sodium deli meat on whole-grain bread with yogurt and raw veggies for lunch. Plant-based protein foods like tofu and beans also are great choices.