Fuel your growing athlete: A nutrition plan for youth

Imagine being an age where you're burning triple your daily calories and spending half the day training and exercising. Your muscles are still developing and need premium fuel to perform properly. How would you adjust your diet to fit your body's needs? This situation describes where your youth athlete currently is in their development. Creating an ideal child athlete nutrition plan begins by knowing when and how to fuel.

You can break down a nutrition plan for athletes by meal, or by pre- and post- game meals and fuel. IMG Academy's nutrition team, including Jackie Barcal, head of nutrition for IMG Academy, provides daily advice for campers and student-athletes on how to fuel, refuel, and properly hydrate pre-, mid-, and post-game. Let's begin with a recommended athlete diet plan for a typical day:

Breakfast

Include starch/grain, starch/fruit, protein, and fuel. This meal should be consumed before the mind and body begin working at their full capacity (i.e. school and fitness/sport).

Ideas for breakfast include:

• Oatmeal
• Egg white and spinach omelet
• Spinach, feta and egg white wrap
• English muffin breakfast sandwich
• Egg and meat flatbread

Fuel and hydration should always begin at the beginning of each day as well.

Mini meal

Include carb/fruit and protein.

Ideas for a mini meal include:

• Fruit
• Protein bars
• Trail mix

Lunch

Include starch/grain, vegetables, protein, and fluid.

Ideas for lunch include:

• Meat and cheese sandwich
• Grilled fish
• Sirloin steak
• Burrito or other veggie/protein bowls
• Meat and cheese wraps
• Sushi

Snack

Include carb/fruit and fluid; This meal should be after fitness and before sport, as your body has already started working its muscles and need fuel to repair, rebuild, and to grow.

Ideas for a snack include:

• Fuel/protein bars
• Bananas
• Protein shake

Dinner

Include starch/grain, vegetable, protein, and fluid; This meal should be post-sport at the end of the day in order to continue rebuilding and fueling the body. Barcal suggests that both lunch and dinner should include 3-4 different and brightly colored foods to ensure a balanced and healthier plate. 

Ideas for dinner include:

• Meat and cheese sandwich
• Grilled fish
• Sirloin steak
• Burrito or other veggie/protein bowls
• Meat and cheese wraps
• Sushi

Snack

Include card/fruit and protein; This meal should be post-dinner and pre-bed, perhaps between homework and studying in order to continue fueling the body in preparation for tomorrow.

Ideas for a snack include:

• Greek yogurt
• Cereal
• Meat and cheese sandwich

In addition, drinking water throughout the day also enables growing athletes to stay hydrating and be better prepared for their next activity or commitment. Youth athletes should be fueling every 3-4 hours, according to Barcal. Essentially, 3 meals and 2-3 snacks per day will do the trick and lead to optimal performance and growth all around!

Gameday Meal Prep

Now, onto game day! According to Barcal, pre-game meals should occur 3-4 hours before competition so that your body has enough time to digest the food.

Meal 3-4 hours before the game

Include healthy fats, whole grains, low-fat protein, and fruits/veggies, such as:

• Lean deli meat sandwiches
• Baked chicken or grilled seafood
• Rice and vegetables
• Omelet
• Toast and fruit
• Oatmeal
• Yogurt and banana
• Almonds/trail mix
• Protein and granola bars
• Yogurt parfaits
• Gatorade

Note: eggs, chicken, or turkey sausage are leaner than pork and better for a pre-game meal.

Snack 1-2 hours before the game

Include fruits, low-fat protein, moderate-fiber grains (avoid high-fat and high-protein foods), such as:

• Gatorade Prime fuel bars
• Fig bars
• Goldfish
• Bagel with peanut butter
• Clif bar
• Apple slices and yogurt
• Low-fiber granola bar

Snacks under 30 minutes before the game

Include fast-digesting cards, fruits, low-suger fluids (avoid high-fiber, whole grains, protein and fats, as the body may still be digesting after competition has already started), such as:

• Mini pretzel bags
• Raisins and dried fruit
• Gatorade Prime energy chews
• Plain crackers
• Fresh apple, orange banana or grapes
• Sports drinks

Once competition has ended, don't forget that post-game meal either! Barcal recommends a fruit smoothie with protein powder to support muscle recovery or a meal inclusive of carbohydrates, protein and fluid! Now, it's game-on and go-time with planning a healthy and proactive nutrition plan for youth athletes!