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If your child is practicing, conditioning, and competing in sports, you may start to notice their dietary needs changing along with their bodies. Social media and other outlets emphasize the importance of protein, but there are other key nutrients that young athletes need.

Your child’s protein needs depend on many factors. Read on to learn tips from a sports nutritionist for creating balanced meals for young athletes and bust some misconceptions about protein.

What Is Protein?

Protein is an essential macronutrient that supports growth, tissue maintenance, and immune system health. Proteins comprise 20 amino acids that link together to help the body function by supplying energy, regulating hormones, and transporting nutrients throughout the body.

Along with other macronutrients, carbohydrates, and healthy fats, your body needs a consistent daily intake of complete protein to function properly. That’s especially the case when a child is growing fast and participating in regular physical activity.

When planning meals for the day, including a source of protein in every meal and snack is beneficial. For example, you could eat meat, seafood, or a plant-based protein, such as tofu or lentils, at every meal. In between meals, snacks can include nuts, seeds, or hard-boiled eggs.

Protein is especially important for muscle recovery. You should eat some within an hour after exercise to help repair muscles and keep them strong.

How Much Protein Does My Child Athlete Need?

Understanding the appropriate amount of certain nutrients, including protein, for your child athlete depends on many factors, including their:

• Age.
• Athletic goals.
• Current weight and health status.
• Level of competition.
• Sport.

“A middle school cross country runner and a high school football player are going to have different sports needs, training schedules, practice intensities, and dietary needs,” says Michael DiBiasi, MS, LD, RDN, director, Sports and Performance Nutrition, UPMC Sports Medicine. “It’s important to understand the starting point, what the sport dictates, and what the child’s goals are before building a nutrition plan.”

In general, young, adolescent athletes should strive for between 1.2 and 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. For a child weighing 90 to 100 pounds (approximately 45 to 50 kilograms), the recommended daily protein intake is 70 to 80 grams.

However, this number can change as a child’s body matures and the demands of their sport change. It’s important to talk with a professional nutritionist about your child’s dietary needs and only use this guide as a reference.

What Are Whole Food Protein Sources?

When building meals for young athletes, focus on filling one-third of the plate with a whole food protein. These protein sources include:

• Chicken.
• Eggs.
• Fish.
• Lean beef.
• Pork.
• Shellfish.
• Soy-based protein, such as tofu and edamame.
• Turkey.

Some other sources of protein that you can add to meals or snacks include:

• Avocados.
• Cheese.
• Milk (including dairy milk and nondairy alternatives).
• Peanuts, tree nuts, and nut butters.
• Quinoa, farro, oats, beans, and lentils.
• Vegetables such as broccoli, edamame, spinach, and asparagus.
• Yogurt (dairy or nondairy).

Common Misconceptions About Protein

Misconception: More protein is always better

“Social media tells people to consume more and more protein, that it’s always better,” Michael says. “But it’s actually about balancing macronutrients. Too much protein can start to cause adverse effects, such as fatigue (due to consuming overall less carbohydrates), constipation, and digestive issues.”

Instead, it’s important to focus on balanced meals that include carbohydrates, healthy fats, and protein.

This can look like pairing lean meats, fish, or beans with whole-food carbs, such as pasta or rice, and unsaturated fats, like olive oil, nuts, seeds, or eggs.

“In general, too much protein without a reason or goal doesn’t usually benefit the athlete in overall performance,” Michael says.

Misconception: Plant-based proteins are inferior to animal product proteins

“Vegetarian athletes can achieve the same level of protein as their omnivorous counterparts. It just takes a bit more education and skill,” Michael says.

Many plant-based proteins lack the full spectrum of essential amino acids that lead to lean mass synthesis on their own. As a result, they require other protein sources to make a complete protein.

For example, you can combine rice, beans, and corn to make a full protein source. Or, you can add a peanut or nut butter to a whole-wheat product.

“We want vegetarian athletes to optimize their vegetarian lifestyle for the rest of their lives,” Michael says. “It’s important that we educate them on how to combine foods to form whole protein sources.”

Misconception: Timing protein intake is more important than daily intake

“The total daily protein amount is more important than the timing,” Michael says. “We focus on a steady intake of macronutrients throughout the day so that young athletes aren’t under-fueled too early or overconsuming too close to training.”

Though consuming protein after physical activity helps with muscle recovery, it’s more important that young athletes stay properly fueled all day long. Focus on getting 20 to 30 grams of protein at each meal, combined with adequate carbs and healthy fats. This will serve a young athlete better than strictly focusing on the time of day they’re eating.

Educating Parents of Young Athletes

A huge part of a young athlete’s diet and eating habits starts at home. Parents who learn how to cook and prepare whole-food-based meals and snacks at home can make lifestyle changes that improve the health of the entire family.

“Parents are going to be the individuals that the child looks up to, to some degree, so it’s important that they understand healthy eating from the perspective of the sport and health of their child,” Michael says.

An educated parent can model healthy eating, which helps their children adhere to these guidelines.

“Understanding this information not only helps the whole family’s eating habits improve, but it can improve family dynamics, trust, communication, and end up saving money,” Michael says.

Easy Protein-Rich Snack Ideas

For young athletes, Michael says it’s important to build meals and snacks around foods the child likes to eat. This will also ensure they’re getting the proper nutrients throughout the day.

One example of a simple snack at night is a homemade protein trail mix. You can create this by combining your child’s favorite nuts, seeds, dried fruits, and dark chocolate.

The nuts and seeds provide healthy fats and a source of protein. The dried fruits and dark chocolate provide antioxidants for recovery (and some sweetness).

Paired with a higher-protein drink, such as hot chocolate (dark chocolate mixed with a dairy or nondairy milk), this provides a great snack. It can even aid with improving sleep — which is the single best recovery tool we have for our bodies.

Another easy snack idea is a yogurt bowl in the morning. You can easily make this by combining:

• A dairy, coconut, or soy-based yogurt base.
• High-carb granola that may include oats, nuts, seeds, or dried fruits.
• Fresh fruit such as blueberries, strawberries, or bananas.
• A drizzle of honey or a splash of maple syrup for sweetness.

Nutrition Takes Time

“Nobody eats healthy every day, every meal, and that is fine,” Michael says. “But if we can create a positive relationship with food and healthy eating with our younger population, that’s way more important to living an overall healthy lifestyle.”

That positive relationship can take time, though. Michael reminds us to have patience with yourself and your young athletes when it comes to understanding nutrition.

“I can go into the gym and get bigger muscles, and I can run on the treadmill and get faster,” he says. “But nutrition is not really tangible; it’s retrospective. You have to do it better consistently over a period of time and then look back and see the benefits from doing it.”

However, the results from proper nutrition — especially for young athletes who are still growing — are undeniable.

“Athletes who eat better — not perfectly, just better across the board — get better sleep, have better body composition, have better overall health, and can train harder, get stronger, and become faster,” Michael says.