3 Quick Healthy Meals for Kids Who Compete in Sports!

Children that participate in sports on a regular basis will require a well-balanced diet in order to excel and it is necessary for proper development and peak performance.

Food and Physical Activity

Sports performance requires proper nutrition. Glucose and fat provide energy for your muscles to function properly. While resting, fat reserves are used for energy, but glucose is the predominant source of energy for high-intensity sports and activities. Glucose is stored as glycogen, which depletes quickly and must be supplied often. 

Carbohydrate eating is the greatest approach to increase glycogen levels in your body before workout. Carbohydrates are easier to digest than protein and fat because they stay in the stomach for a shorter amount of time.

Glucose from carbs enters the bloodstream and is available to be used as energy during exercise. Carbohydrates are indeed a useful source of energy both before and after exercise.

Ideas for Pre-Exercise Meals:

The following are some pre-event meals that are well-balanced and give enough of energy for optimal performance during activity.

Scrambled Eggs with Toast and Sliced Fruit on the side!

Serves 1 - Time to make: 3 mins

Ingredients:

2 eggs

Pinch salt and black pepper

1 tablespoon skim milk

2 slices toast - Swap your usual bread for Wholegrain or Rye and you’ve

improved it even more.

Fresh Italian parsley or chives, chopped, to garnish (optional)

Instructions:

Place the eggs and milk in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To blend, whisk everything together.

Set a small frying pan over medium-high heat and spray with oil or use 1/4 tsp butter.

Place the eggs and milk in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. To blend, whisk everything together.
Set a small frying pan over medium-high heat and spray with oil or use 1/4 tsp butter.

Pour the eggs into the heated pan and stir regularly until eggs are cooked through.

Add a dash of parsley or chives or both!

Add some fruit slices on the side and Water, apple or orange juice for a drink!

Banana Oatmeal Pancakes

Serve these scrumptious Banana Oatmeal Pancakes with a balanced blend of complex carbohydrates and protein. Plus, the leftovers reheat well!

Highly ripe bananas are very sweet and contribute moisture to pancakes as well as great flavor.

These healthy pancakes have a delicate texture that even little children can chew on, and they are filling for adults as well!

Whole grains from rolled oats, banana with potassium and fiber, eggs with protein and lipids that kids need for optimum growth, and whole grain flour are all included in these banana pancakes. And creating them is as easy as mashing the bananas and mixing the ingredients together!

While there is no protein powder in these, there is enough of protein to help nourish small bodies. The protein from the eggs and milk helps to balance out the complex carbs, with roughly 10 grams per dish. This guarantees that the energy from this meal will endure until the following snack or meal.

Oats Can Help Energize Your Body and May Boost Its Immunity!

Banana Oatmeal Pancakes Recipe:

Serves 6 - Prep time 10 mins - Cook time 15 mins

Ingredients:

2 very ripe medium bananas (about 2 cups sliced)

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 eggs

1 cup milk (dairy or nondairy)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons butter

Instructions:

Mash the bananas until smooth, add bananas to a bowl with the rest of the ingredients except the butter. Gently stir together.

Warm a nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add a small bit of the butter, melt, and spread it around the pan.

Drop ¼ cup of batter onto the pan and spread out thinly. Cook for about 3 minutes or until you see bubbles on the surface of the pancake. Flip and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.    Continue to cook the rest of the batter.    

Add some caramelized bananas, maple syrup, yogurt, nut butter, or any toppings to your pancake!

Serve with pineapple juice or apple juice on the side and water.

To store leftovers, let pancakes cool and store for up to 3 days in an airtight container!

Fresh Fruit and Oatmeal

It is important to begin your day with a meal that will provide you with long-lasting energy. 

This delicious meal is enhanced with cinnamon and topped with your favorite fresh fruit. We also like how inexpensive and simple it is to make.

When you belly up to a bowl in the morning, you’re serving up B vitamins, plus minerals including manganese, iron, magnesium, and zinc!

Fresh Fruit and Oatmeal (Serves 1-2 kids)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup instant oatmeal or oat bran

3/4 to 1 cup boiling water (more or less to preference)

1/2 cup diced fresh fruit like fresh berries and sliced ripe banana.

2 tablespoons chopped nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, or cashews (optional)

2 tablespoons dried fruit, such as raisins, cranberries, chopped apples, and chopped Apricots.

Dash of cinnamon

Drizzle of honey

Instructions:

Fill a mixing bowl with oats. Pour hot water over the oats, beginning with 3/4 cup of boiling water (add more based on preference). Stir the water and oats, together. Allow oatmeal to cool for 2-3 minutes.

While your oatmeal cools, prepare sliced fresh fruit, dried fruits and nuts.
Divide oatmeal into 1/2 cup servings. Add in the fruit, dried fruit, nuts, cinnamon and honey.

Stir well and serve with a refreshing drink of fresh juice or water!

The best breakfasts have carbohydrates, protein, healthy fats and fiber. In this combo, the oatmeal gives you complex carbs and fiber, keeps your blood sugar under control, and helps maintain an ideal balance of bacteria in your gut.

Give these recipes a try, no matter what your age!

Check out our previous articles!

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How To Encourage Kids To Exercise

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