Sporty Kids Will Love These Healthy Snacks!
Is your kid the next Olympic Gold Medalist, or does he play tennis with the same passion that he devours his candy? Well…candy might not be our favorite choice of nutrition, but your kid’s passion has inspired us to include these deliciously healthy snack options which will keep your child on track to success!
The Right Balance of Nutrients- The Right blend of nutrients, essential vitamins and minerals is key for proper recovery and strength building for your budding athlete. The most fundamental minerals for stronger bones and immunity are calcium and iron. Calcium helps build strong bones and can prevent fractures and extreme duress on your child’s body. You can include calcium in your child’s diet with dairy products like milk, yogurt, and cheese and use low-fat options. For vegans, or kids with a low tolerance for dairy, they can also include a lot of green leafy vegetables like broccoli and spinach for their calcium intake. Similarly, iron is also abundant in spinach and is an essential nutrient that carries oxygen, as and when your body needs it. Foods like fatty fish, chicken, dried fruits, tuna, and eggs have iron that can help build your child’s strength. Protein is one of the most essential nutrients that your sporty kid needs as that helps build and repair new muscles. Incorporating meat, chicken, eggs, fish or soy, and cottage cheese into their daily diet especially when they are involved in heavy physical exercise is key. You can make a healthy protein-rich snack at home like serving up some hummus and celery sticks, or peanut butter and apple slices is a hight with kids for something sweet, salty, and creamy!
Hydration is Key- Hydration is essential, there’s nothing you can say that will change this truth. It is important to drink a lot of fluids throughout the day to prevent dehydration as it can considerably reduce strength, energy and can quickly cause overheating in the body. You can’t let your child rely on thirst to get hydrated, make sure that they are drinking a glass or two of water often even if they are not practicing. You will be tempted to buy a whole carton of sports drinks as they come in a variety of flavors and will be easier for your child to be gravitated towards drinking them often. However, a lot of these carbonated beverages and sports drinks come with loads of sugar which will do more harm than good, so water is your best friend! Now water technically isn’t a snack but we would be remiss if we did not include this in our list. Trying to get your kid to drink their water, we’ll make it easy- Add these vitamins to your kid’s water, they come in delicious flavor and are extremely low in sugar. Not only does it flavor the water, but it makes sure that your kids come back to their water bottles every so often to keep their hydration in check!
Customize Food to Sport- Not every sport will require your child to bulk up and gain a considerable amount of weight. Listen to your child’s needs and understand the sport they are playing. If their coach is asking that they gain, have a discussion with them. In wrestling and boxing, some kids need to stay under a specific weight bracket to compete, so monitoring their weight in a healthy and achievable manner is key. For sports like tennis and football, which need more agility and speed, the focus will be on keeping your child lean and strong. Don’t resort to crash dieting and unhealthy eating habits just to attain a certain shape. As an athlete, your child will need extra fuel in terms of calories. The best way to plan the right meal for kids is to understand their bodies and the sport that they are playing! Some healthy snack options for kids who need an added boost of energy that doesn’t weigh them down are dry fruits, bananas, and peanut butter shakes. For kids who need boosts of strength, make snacks of boiled eggs and light seasonings of salt and pepper and you are good to go!
Game Day Meal Plan- Kids need the right nutrition and fuel to perform their best on meal days. You shouldn’t resort to elaborate meal plans, just stick to your basics and incorporate foods that your kids are used to. Choose healthy foods that enhance their performance in a particular sport. For example, kids playing football or running track need a lot of energy in form of carbohydrates that don’t slow them down. Prepare the meal from beforehand as they should ideally eat 3-4 hours before the game. It should have a lot of carbs and protein, and fewer fats as we don’t want them to be weighed down by the food. Eat light and healthy snacks in between games if they have a long duration. After the game, it is recommended that they eat immediately within 30 minutes of intense physical activity and then again in 2 hours. Make sure this meal is replenishing and rich in protein and carbs. Include plenty of fluids to replenish their electrolytes. However, healthy meals should be a part of your kid’s lifestyle just during training and game day. A great snacking option or munchies for them to chew on are nuts, roasted lentils, and fruits-they are instant sources of energy and will surely enhance their performance. Make sure that eating healthy is a lifestyle and a choice that is made every day!
We hope this article will help you in making healthy snacks for sporty kids.
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