Sep 16, 2016Adding Snacks
The available research on nutrition for high school athletes supports a meal plan that incorporates eating multiple times a day and balancing macronutrients to maintain performance. This often requires fueling and hydrating in a creative manner.
A big challenge is getting high school athletes to snack throughout the day. Approximately 25 to 30 percent of their total calories should come prior to lunch. For the athlete who needs 3,000 calories per day, this means 750 to 1,000 calories should come in the form of breakfast and a morning snack.
Snacks for the rest of the day should contain carbohydrates for energy and protein for repairing muscles and keeping athletes satisfied. Since time between classes is short and many schools limit eating and drinking, good snack options should be nonperishable and easy to store in lockers or book bags.
To build a winning snack that combines carbohydrate and protein, high school athletes should pick one item from each column.
CARBOHYDRATE ……………. PROTEIN
Fresh fruit ………………………. Yogurt
Bagel …………………………….. Turkey
Bread …………………………….. Almond butter and jelly
Crackers …………………………. Cheese sticks
Granola bar ………………………. Milk
Energy bar ……………………….. Peanut butter
Tortilla …………………………….. Smoothie
Fig Newtons ……………………… Nuts
Applesauce ……………………… Greek yogurt
Oatmeal ………………………….. Shredded cheese
A longer version of this article has appeared in Training & Conditioning, a sister publication to High School Athlete Performance. The full article can be accessed here.
