Breakfast Ideas for Busy High School Athletes!

That’s right, young athletes need to eat breakfast and the excuse “I don’t have time” or “I’m not hungry” is not acceptable. Time for some tough love here. Way too many teens are staying up past midnight snacking and not getting quality sleep which disrupts the circadian clock, and hunger hormones like ghrelin and leptin leading to “appetite disruptions”. This is quite common because high-calorie, low-nutrient choices like Cheetos, candies, and snack foods were consumed at 1 am while playing Minecraft.

According to a study, parents identified time as the greatest barrier to breakfast consumption. To overcome this barrier, we must utilize our downtime outside of morning hours and throughout the week to prepare grab and go-options. This article will help decrease the concern parents also have about the healthfulness of some traditional breakfasts. I will provide some simple, high-nutrient options for that first meal of the day!

What does that mean? Well, it would be helpful for weight management and long-term health to consume a higher amount of nutrients at breakfast than at dinner according to a 2020 article published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

As the day progresses and schedules intensify there is left time to eat and fuel. If you’re new to my work, then please refer back to my where I break down the difference between eating and fueling. We eat for health first and fuel for performance second. Fundamental carbohydrate and protein information for young athletes can be found here . If you are a strength coach then check out this article as I have written it specifically for you.

Eating and fueling upon fasting while we are rested is key for supporting growth, development, and maturation. Then factor in practices, training, and conditioning. It’s a recipe for injury, blunted maturation, stress fractures, and consequences for long-term health if we skip meals. In my opinion, breakfast is not the most important meal of the day. That is right, nor is “lunch” or “dinner”. As a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and performance dietitian I educate and coach on the philosophy that ALL MEALS MATTER! A great resource on building a high-performance plate can be viewed here. One meal is not more important than another. I also reference pre-training and post-training nutrition in this statement. Many young athletes are so worried about that post-competition meal being perfect but fail to consistently do well at all the other meals leading up to the event. How you eat at each meal will produce much better results for growth and recovery than one meal. #EattheRainbow

When counseling my young athletes and recreationally active adults we go over the benefits consume four-five meals per day. When we go over their nutrition I ask, what was meal one? Referring to “breakfast” as meal one also helps young athletes feel like eating something before, they leave the house is realistic. Breakfast is often affiliated with a “sit down and eat approach”. Most young athletes and even adults do not have time to sit down and eat something and feel overwhelmed with a lack of planning or time in the morning. So, for a young growing, and developing athlete meal one is a grab-n-go option of a protein, fiber + or carbohydrate.

1. Eggs, are one of the most nutrient-dense, convenient, and inexpensive foods available. Eggs are rich in choline which helps support neurotransmitter production for cognition. 6-8 grams of high-quality protein and contain all essential amino acids for muscle mass, bone health, and promoting satiety. also contain lutein and zeaxanthin which are antioxidants that support eye health. Eggs are considered one of the most nutritious foods available containing several vitamins, minerals, and folate. Egg scramble, hard-boiled, or even a fried egg sandwich!

3. Whole-grains Oatmeal or Overnight Oats, a great way to attain some high-quality calories for optimal focus in the classroom and on the field. Oatmeal is a great swap for those breakfast cereal lovers, oatmeal contains more fiber, and less sugar and promotes satiety along with an abundance of B vitamins. Oats are also rich in antioxidants which help reduce exercise-induced inflammation and support heart health. Keep in mind 1 cup of oatmeal contains scant protein, 6-8 g to be exact. This is why it is important to incorporate some sort of protein option like Greek yogurt, string cheese, hard-boiled egg, milk, whey protein powder, or a high-protein nut butter like RX nut butter, 100% peanut butter, and almond butter Please check out my website for some ideas on overnight oats or view this great recipe via the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

4. Whole-grain toast, wrap, waffle, or even PANCAKES! That is right, whole-grain pancakes can be a great sit-down option, grab-n-go, or even snack later in the week. You can prepare them in bulk and wrap the leftovers in tinfoil. I have a great recipe here for you to try or Nuts’-n-More. Use discount code 143NWW for 15% off your next order. View the high-protein coconut pancake recipe here!

Use Code WENDI for 15% off Momentous third-party tested creatine and other supplements. We would never recommend anything we did not personally use ourselves as sports dietitians. Our clients and athletes can trust Momentous. Momentous products are third-party tested and NSF and Informed Choice approved! You won’t find another supplement company that matches their product quality or purity!

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We eat for health first and fuel for athletic performance second). Bear in mind that not every young athlete will always be an athlete. We must learn healthy habits early on which begin with meal one. As always, we need to get back to the basics. To be a champion you must be willing to execute healthy habits consistently to be successful. What are you willing to do today that will help you be better tomorrow? Plan to start your day with the intent of what you plan to accomplish which hopefully upon reading this article is meal one. If the pandemic is still overwhelming you please refer back to a previous blog I wrote on staying healthy during the quarantine found here .

Still, feeling a little hungry for more information on nutrition and even training? Check out an article I co-authored with Erica Suter available here. In the article, I provide a weekly sample menu for young athletes and Erica provides a sample week of strength and conditioning. I highly recommend Erica to anyone out there who works with young female athletes or is a young female athlete. Erica’s knowledge is next to none and she is someone I respect with significance in our field as a role model to both young men and women of all ages.

“Nutrition is a secret weapon! It can make a good athlete great or a great athlete good, the choice is up to you!” (Sm)

The Nutrition with Wendi team utilizes evidence-based science to tailor nutrition programs for athletes to optimize performance, minimize health risks, and enhance recovery from training while focusing on injury prevention. We partner with parents, athletes, health professionals, and individuals and offer elite nutrition and health guidance for optimal athletic performance, injury, and disease reduction. We provide virtual sports nutrition coaching, education, and presentations virtually in Texas, Florida, California, Minnesota, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Arizona, and Michigan. Our primary office is based in Nashville, Tennesse where we serve the greater Brentwood, Franklin, and Green Hills communities. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for more nutrition information. Services booking here to consult with Wendi for a team talk or QA session.