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4 Quick Meals to Make After Sport Practice

  • March 1, 2021
  • Nutrition
EducatorsParents

Good news—research shows that kids who cook at home are more likely to eat more fruits and vegetables.

While getting in the kitchen and cooking healthy meals after practice might seem daunting and unreasonable, it doesn’t have to be hard with these quick and easy meals that will provide your young athlete with plenty of carbohydrates to refill glycogen stores, protein to promote rebuilding and recovery, and healthy fats that are essential to an athlete’s development—plus plenty of fiber and micronutrients to round out a healthy diet.

 

Breakfast for Dinner: Super Quick Scramble 

Egg scramble with a variety of vegetables.It’s hard to beat brinner—breakfast for dinner—for an easy, quick meal after practice. A single-pan scramble is also a simple way to ensure that your athlete is getting carbohydrates, protein, healthy fats, and plenty of vegetables for fiber and micronutrients in a delicious plate that takes minutes to prepare. With seven grams of protein per egg and the opportunity to mix up the vegetables in this scramble, as well as the toppings, you can tailor this to your athlete’s preferences. Big practice? Add an extra egg or chop up some sliced turkey or chicken lunch meat to add extra protein. You can also toss in another potato or add a side of whole grain toast.

Ingredients:

  • 2 eggs
  • 2 small yellow potatoes
  • Vegetables: spinach, tomatoes, peppers, onions, broccoli (whatever is in the fridge or freezer, this is a great recipe to use leftovers!)
  • Optional toppings: cheddar cheese, salsa, avocado slices, hot sauce

Directions:

  • Heat skillet on medium heat, add olive oil
  • Scrub potatoes, then chop or grate into pan and cover
  • Allow potatoes to cook while chopping vegetables
  • Add vegetables to pan once potatoes begin to soften, stir occasionally
  • Crack eggs over potatoes and vegetables once vegetables have begun to wilt or soften
  • Allow eggs to fully cook before scooping onto a place and serving with whatever toppings your athlete prefers

(Love breakfast? Get more easy breakfast ideas right here.)

 

Quinoa Bowl with Tilapia 

Grilled tilapia next to vegetable quinoa.Tilapia is one of the speediest protein options and has a mild flavor that even picky eaters often accept. Combined with the nutty flavor that protein-and-carbohydrate powerhouse quinoa provides, tilapia is a great base for building out a bowl designed to make any athlete happy. For harder or longer practices, increase the amount of quinoa on the plate, and always make sure there are plenty of vegetables! (Feel free to mix up the toppings here. There are two different flavor palettes below, but your athlete might prefer something different!)

Ingredients:

  • Rice cooker
  • Tilapia filets
  • Quinoa
  • Olive oil
  • Topping option 1: soy sauce, sushi ginger slices, frozen package of Asian stir fry vegetables, fresh kale
  • Topping option 2: salsa, avocado slices or guacamole, chopped tomatoes, cilantro, frozen onion and pepper mix, fresh spinach

Directions :

  • In the rice cooker, measure out your desired amount of quinoa and water in a 1:2 ratio
  • In a pan on the stove, sauté your frozen vegetables in olive oil
  • When vegetables are hot, add spinach or kale and cover until they have wilted
  • Add tilapia filets to pan and cook thoroughly
  • Scoop into a bowl with quinoa and add toppings as desired

 

Kitchen Sink Stew

A stew with macaroni noodles.You can’t beat a hearty stew for warming up an athlete after a hard outdoor practice in winter. Stew is also a great vehicle for all of those leftover vegetables wilting in the refrigerator, and the perfect way to provide hydration, protein, micronutrients, carbohydrates, and plenty of fiber in a single bowl. Added bonus: It’s a great make-ahead meal for a busy week, with minimal prep or mess.

Ingredients:

  • Slow cooker
  • One pack of frozen mixed vegetables (most brands offer a few different mixes, from Parisian to hearty stew to Italian medley, so choose the one that has the most vegetables that your kids like)
  • Vegetable stock bouillon cube (look for an organic, gluten-free option)
  • Frozen spinach
  • Frozen meatballs, pre-chopped chicken, or can of kidney beans
  • 2 cans of diced tomatoes
  • Whole wheat macaroni noodles (or use gluten-free version if your athlete has a gluten sensitivity)
  • Add any other vegetables you have in the fridge or freezer that are starting to go limp or that you need to use up—this soup is a great way to finish off leftovers!

Directions :

Morning:

  • Chop and wash any whole, fresh vegetables
  • In your slow cooker, add a quart of water and all the ingredients except for the noodles

After practice: 

  • Add noodles and allow them to simmer for the time required on the package
  • Salt and pepper to taste and serve

 

Healthier Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup

Grilled ham and cheese sandwich with a cup of tomato soup.It’s hard to beat the classic grilled cheese with a bowl of hearty tomato soup: Even as an adult, this meal is one of the ultimate comfort foods, and for a hungry athlete, it’s filling and satisfying any time of year. While the traditional option—white bread and American cheese with tomato soup from a can—is less-than-optimal from a health standpoint, there are a few tweaks to make this a perfectly healthy meal option.

  • Swap white bread for a whole-wheat or sprouted option for slower-burning carbohydrates
  • Add extra protein to your grilled cheese by putting a slice or two of turkey or chicken lunch meat into the sandwich
  • Add flavor by putting in chilis, pickled onions, chunks of tomato or other vegetables your athlete likes
  • Opt for a hard cheese like cheddar for the most flavor without using several servings of cheese per sandwich
  • Lower the amount of oil needed to fry your sandwich by getting a panini press
  • Stir a cube of frozen spinach into the tomato soup (or blend it in if you have a truly picky eater!)
  • Look for soups made with organic ingredients and skip the ones that are preservative and sodium-packed.

______________________

Takeaway

It’s no easy task to cook after getting home from your athlete’s practice, but these quick recipes will make it easier than ever!

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Goal-Setting Lesson Video Transcript

Hi. I’m Trevon, Trey, Jennifer. Team USA wheelchair basketball player, paralympian, and true sport athlete. Today, I want to talk to you about goal setting. And there are three things that I would like you to know. First, successful athletes set goals and a planned roadmap. Second, goals should be written down, assessed over time, and changed if necessary. And third, goals need to be challenging in order to be worthwhile. As a freshmen at Edinboro University, I was a part of a team that made the national championship game. And at that time I recognized I was the low man on the totem pole, but I felt in my heart that I knew my dreams were so much bigger than winning a national title. I wanted to make Team USA. I knew what achieving my lofty goal was not going to be easy and that I would need to work hard every day.

So, as a reminder, I created a pyramid of goals that I kept right above my bed. This pyramid reminded me of the accomplishments that I was working towards and visually represented my need to create a solid foundation underneath me before reaching the top. In the bottom roll of my pyramid of goals I listed goals such as obtaining my bachelor’s degree, becoming a scholar athlete award recipient, and becoming an All-American. The middle row listed winning a national title and playing for a professional team. And at the top row, the most challenging of them all, I listed becoming a gold medalist for Team USA.

By understanding that there are smaller stepping stones to achieving my ultimate goal of being on Team USA, I was able to stay motivated and to stay focused on completing the smaller stepping stones fully before moving onto the next one. Now I’ll be the first to admit that not every goal that I listed on my pyramid was accomplished, but seeing my goals every day when I went to bed, I was able to push through the days that I felt like doing nothing in hopes of achieving the bigger picture. Remember, create a clear goal roadmap, assess your goals often, and continue to challenge yourself. I hope that you never stopped dreaming big or reaching for the stars. And I look forward to seeing where your roadmap takes you.

Body Image Lesson Video Transcript

Hi, I’m Kara Winger, Olympic javelin thrower, and true sport athlete. Today I want to talk to you about body image and I have three things I’d like you to know. First, healthy thoughts often lead to healthier bodies. Second, there are varying body types and no one’s body is exactly like another. And third, true beauty goes deeper than the skin. As a multi-time Olympian, I’ve experienced a lot of variation and progression in my training. My coaches and I adapt to my training frequently, all with the goal of supporting my long-term success and health in the sport of javelin. I’m talking to you about body image today because sometimes even with the best of intentions and a common goal in mind, the changes you make to your training habits can prove to be detrimental if made for the wrong reasons. In the lead up to the 2012 Olympic trials, I was told in order to improve my performance on the field, I should try to become a leaner, skinnier version of myself.

So I changed my diet. I went along with what I was being told to do, even though I’d had great success at a slightly heavier weight and higher body fat percentage, and became much leaner than ever before. It seemed like a successful change at first, but I didn’t have nearly the results I’d had before. And I believe becoming leaner than my body naturally wanted to be was what caused my ACL to tear. In the end, it cost me heavily going into the 2012 London games. The takeaway for me, and hopefully for you, is that it’s important to know what works for you and your body and to not compare yourself to others. You should do your research and experiment with your diet to find what makes you feel the best, rather than focusing on what you look like. Today, if I feel like having a chocolate chip cookie, I have one, just not every day.

I’ve learned what a properly balanced meal for my body looks like and I recognize food as the fuel that keeps me throwing. I hydrate and allow myself time to recover. And I listen to and communicate with my body so that I can be the best version of myself. In the end, you are in control of how you see, treat, and respond to your body. We only get one and it’s amazing to discover how many things our bodies can do. Be a true sport athlete. Love who you are in this moment and get excited for all the places your body will take you.

A Good Sport Lesson Video Transcript

Hi, I’m Izy Isaksen, Team USA, Modern Pentathlon, Olympian, US Army Sergeant, and True Sport Ambassador. Today, I want to talk to you about being a good sport. There are three things I’d like you to know. First, real winners act the same toward their opponent, whether they win or lose. Second, follow the rules and be a gracious winner and respectful loser. And third, sportsmanship reveals your true character.

I started competing in Modern Pentathlon eight years after my older sister and three-time Olympian, Margaux Isaksen, began competing. I soon realized that people often compared the two of us. I would overhear spectators and teammates asking, “Who’s the better athlete,” and “Who’s going to beat the other.” Instead of letting outside pressures create a negative experience for us, I chose to practice winning and losing with grace and respect. I know that it would have been easy to let our hyper competitive mindset affect our relationship, but instead we decided to support and cheer for each other, regardless of our own performance. My experience of competing against and being compared to my older sister, taught me to focus on how to perform at my best, rather than putting wasted energy into wishing for others to fail.

I believe that sportsmanship reveals true character. So, no matter what situation I encounter during competition, I know it’s important to always treat people with respect and be a good sport. Remember, be a fierce competitor, find grace in all your victories and losses. And I hope to see you out there.

What Kind of Coach Do You Want to Be? Video Transcript

Edwin Moses: You’re a coach. Maybe what you want is very simple, for everyone to just run in the right direction, score for their own team, to try and try again and again. Maybe you want your athletes to become all stars. You want them to earn trophies, medals, win titles. You want them to reach the highest height their sport allows. And wanting all of that, of course, that’s good. But as every great coach discovers, developing a great athlete means nurturing, nurturing the even greater person within. Truth is, you have even more influence than you know.

You have the ability to affect even deeper change, to take what’s in your hands and do something even more extraordinary. You can be both the coach who provides the skills needed to win the game and the coach who helps them learn and succeed beyond the sport, to become all stars wherever they land in the future, and to enjoy their lives more now, because the confidence and courage they find working with you will stay with them when they need it the most. There are games to be won, lives to change. Coaches have the power to do both.

I’m Edwin Moses, and the lessons I’ve learned through sport have challenged me, guided me, and shaped my life forever. What kind of coach do you want to be?

THE SIMPLE TRUTH: DECODING THE SUPPLEMENT INDUSTRY VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

At first glance, dietary supplements look the same. They seem safe and healthy, but just because the label says a product is a dietary supplement, that doesn’t mean it’s safe. Unfortunately, you can’t tell whether a product is safe or not just by looking at the label. Most vitamins, minerals, fish oil, and other supplements containing nutrients are probably just fine, but supplements are not evaluated or approved by FDA before they are sold. Although it is rare for vitamins or minerals to be contaminated with drugs, there has been at least one case of a vitamin containing an anabolic steroid.

At the other extreme are products that contain drugs, stimulants, anabolic steroids, or other hormones. Even though these are not technically dietary supplements, many of them are labeled as supplements. For example, body-building products sometimes contain anabolic steroids or Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators, known as SARMs, or other hormones. Some pre-workout or energy products contain illegal stimulants like DMAA, ephedra, or other amphetamine-like stimulants. Weight loss products might contain prescription drugs like sibutramine, or hormones, like human chorionic gonadotropin, also known as hCG. All natural or herbal sexual enhancement products might contain hormones or Viagra-like drugs. Products like these can harm your health and career, but they’re for sale online, in some nutrition stores, and they’re labeled as dietary supplements.

When you pick up a supplement, especially one that promises performance enhancement, you don’t know if it belongs in the “Mostly O.K.” pile or in the “Dangerous” pile. After all, two products might look the same, but one might contain just amino acids and other legitimate ingredients, while the other also contains anabolic steroids. Because of this, FDA has issued a warning about certain categories of supplements: body building products, weight loss products, and sexual enhancement products. Be extremely careful when considering a supplement in one of these categories. We strongly recommend that you avoid products in these categories.

Even when FDA tests supplements and finds dangerous ingredients, companies sometimes refuse to recall them. Sometimes, they simply repackage their product and continue selling it under a new name. Just because a product is on a store shelf doesn’t mean it is safe. You need to do your research and be an informed consumer. The dietary supplement industry is enormous. Supplements that appear to be safe could actually be dangerous products in disguise. If you use dietary supplements without doing your research, you may be taking serious risks with your health and your career. Please visit USADA’s Supplement 411 for more information about dietary supplements.