It’s back to school time. As an athlete, it’s important to think about everything you eat throughout the day in addition to your post-exercise meals and snacks.
You must constantly be fueling up with nutritious foods in order to reach peak athletic performance. If the question of “what should I eat for lunch?” has you stressed out, here are 5 tips for simplifying the task of healthy back-to-school lunches:
- Review the school lunch menus (and breakfast menus too, if your school offers breakfast) – take time to go over the weekly (or monthly) menu, making note of the days you will purchase breakfast or lunch at school. School meals are designed to be balanced and nutritious, and purchasing lunch at school can provide a nice break from packing your lunch.
- Keep MyPlate top of mind – Regardless of whether you are purchasing or packing lunch, think in terms of MyPlate. Make sure to include dairy foods, grains and meats, fruits and veggies. For example, an easy lunch is crackers (grain) and lunch meat and cheese roll-ups (protein and dairy), carrot sticks (veggies), and some strawberries and grapes (fruit). Throw in a Greek yogurt for a little extra protein and you’ve got a balanced meal. A great tool for packing lunches is the Bento box lunch boxes, which have separate compartments for the various food components.
- Aim for milk with meals, water with snacks (and throughout the day) and 100% fruit juice in moderation. Water is calorie-free and great for hydration. Milks has key vitamins and minerals that athletes need for healthy bones and bodies – including calcium, vitamin D and potassium, 3 nutrients many of us fall short on. Milk can be packed from home, but can also be purchased at school. 100 percent fruit juice can be part of a healthy eating plan, but keep in mind that the recommended serving size is just 4 to 6 ounces daily.
- Lastly, make wise choices when eating out – If you find yourself eating out with friends over lunch, we’ve got a whole blog post on healthy fast food choices. Keep those recommendations in mind when out to eat so you can make the healthiest choices possible.
Fueling right during the school year doesn’t have to be daunting. With these simple tips and a little preparation, you can enjoy the nutrient-rich foods you need to fuel your athletic performance and learning throughout the school year.