Answer provided by High School Sports Nutrition.
Great questions and parents are always looking for the right foods to fuel their children with before games or matches. Here are my suggestions.
Breakfast: Between 9-10 am and nice blend of complex carbs, lean protein, and a little healthy fat. Here are some examples. I don't know your kid’s food preferences but will give you a few examples to choose from.
1) 1-2 Whole Eggs (Eggland's Best or Nature's Harmony as they have more Omega 3) (if they want 1 egg, add 2 egg whites as well)
1/2 cup of oatmeal (Can add ground cinnamon and splenda for added taste) or 1 packet of Quaker Weight Control (it's low in sugar)
1 cup or piece of fresh fruit
1 piece of turkey sausage or 2 pieces of Center Cut Bacon
** If they are not a fan of oatmeal - use 2 slices of 100% whole wheat toast with a little real butter (1 tsp on each)
Hydrate with water
2) 2 slices of wheat toast with Natural Peanut butter or Almond Butter (I like Smart Balance or School Kids Cafe Brand). Jiffy, Jif, and
Peter Pan now have Natural PB options if she prefers those.
Fresh fruit
1 piece of turkey sausage or 2 slices of Center Cut Bacon (lean)
Glass of low fat milk, soy milk, or Almond Milk
3) Nutrition Shake (3/4 scoop of a Protein Powder, 1/2 cup of oats, 1 tablespoon of protein powder, and 8-12 ounces of low fat milk or
Almond Milk). Mix all in a blend or Magic Bullet with 3 ice cubes and serve. Water to hydrate.
I'm a big fan of a drink called Generation UCAN for her hydration and to sustain energy. This is the only product I recommend during activity and Half-time as it will stabilize blood sugar and insulin unlike typical sports drinks (Gatorade/Powerade). It also has 2-3 times more electrolytes than the commercial sports drink. Here's a link where you can purchase it.
http://store-812d5.mybigcommerce.com/
We are recommending young athletes drink a 1/2 packet before a match and the other 1/2 packet at half-time.
Post Game – They will probably not be too hungry because of the UCAN but will still need to eat around 2:30 or 3:00 pm. Here are some options. They may not want a full meal and may want a light snack.
Options
-Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich with Fresh Fruit (Polaner All Fruit Jelly is your best option for Jelly) - water to hydrate
-Turkey or Lean Ham Sandwich on whole grain bread with fruit or a small handful of nuts or trial mix
- 6 inch wheat sub from Subway (if nearby) - any low fat sandwich option, baked chips or apple slices, water
- Trail Mix with fresh fruit (apple, banana, orange)
- Turkey or Ham Wheat Wrap, green salad with light dressing (if eating from a restaurant)
In regards to preventing muscle cramps - the key here is to make sure they have enough sodium in their diet. I like including turkey sausage or lean bacon for added sodium. Cramping is more of a result of sodium loss than potassium and why bananas will not cure cramping issues.
