4 Tips for Young Athletes When choosing foods to fuel your body for optimum performance, here are four things Dikos recommends for all young athletes:
3XW ZKROH IRRGV ŤUVW Choose fresh and dried fruit, nuts and seeds, lean proteins, beans and lentils, avocado and other whole-food sources over prepackaged counterparts. Plan ahead: Keep the pantry and fridge stocked, prepare food in bulk ahead of time and purchase ingredients such as plain frozen brown rice to keep meal time fresh, nutrient dense and convenient.
Eat balanced meals: Aim for a source of quality carbohydrates, lean protein and healthy fat with meals and snacks as often as possible.
Hydrate: As a sign of proper hydration, urine should be clear or light, not bright, yellow.
“You can’t out train a bad diet.” —Indianapolis Colts’ nutritionist 32
edible INDY Fall 2017
Photo courtesy the Indianapolis Colts
Almond Granola Sweet Potato Recipe and photograph courtesy of Finish Line Fueling Here’s a simple, quick-to-fix option as breakfast, an afternoon treat, or even before a demanding workout or practice. Dikos suggests baking sweet potatoes in advance and storing in the refrigerator to make preparation easy, and fast.
1 large sweet potato baked 1 tablespoon almond butter ¼ cup plain grass-fed, whole milk yogurt ¼ cup buckwheat oat granola* Dashes of cinnamon, nutmeg, or allspice (optional) Drizzle of honey or maple syrup (optional) Salt to taste
Warm a leftover sweet potato in the microwave. (If baking fresh, pre-heat the oven to 425° F. Wash a sweet potato, poke it with a fork on several sides, place on a baking sheet, and bake until it reaches the desired softness.) Slice potato down the center and top with almond butter and any spice desired. Top with yogurt and granola. Serve immediately.
