The Oklahoma Beef Council is proud to support high school athetes through our sponsorship of the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association. We are thrilled to also offer the Sports Nutrition Game Plan, a premier sports nutrition program designed specifically for high school athletes and created by a leading sports dietitian. This unique program is crafted to educate athletes, coaches, trainers and parents on proper nutrition principles and sports nutrition.
The resources of this free program include educational content pieces, videos, meal plans, snack lists, fueling schedules, blogs, social media, shorts sports nutrition tips for coaches to send to athletes and team challenges.
An athlete's day is busy and full. That is why it is so important to understand how to adequately fuel the whole day, not just pre-, during- and post-exercise. These protein and nutrient packed recipes are designed to support a young athlete's active schedule.
Breakfast is “kick-off” fuel for the whole day! Just like you fill your car up with gas before a road trip, it is essential that athletes fuel their bodies for the day and activities ahead. Starting the day without breakfast is like starting with your car on empty. It’s important to note that a “complete” breakfast is not a banana, bagel, or chewy bar. It should consist of as many food groups as possible to help fuel the body for the day. And for athletes, skipping breakfast is simply not an option. To perform optimally, you have to eat optimally and that starts in the morning.
What should be on an athlete's lunch tray? Simply put: high quality protein like beef, whole grain carbohydrates, colorful fruits and veggies and healthy fats. The good news is, these nutrients can be delivered in the form of our favorites, like quesadillas, burgers, and pizza! High quality beef protein will provide the amino acids needed to build and repair lean muscle mass after training, which is crucial to athletic growth and performance. There are so many ways to build a nutrient-dense lunch around beef, check out a few of our favorites.
Between school, practices, games, and extracurricular activities, student athletes are on the go, all day long. That is why it takes so much fuel to give your body the fuel needed to perform at it's best. As an athlete, three meals is not enough, which makes nutrient-rich snacks and recovery foods an important part of a healthy routine. This portable, packable, and flavorful recipe for Beef Jerky Trail Mix has everything it takes to make the most of a strenuous training session, and keep a well-rounded student athlete running to and through the next activity with energy and strength.
A well-balanced plate is essential to provide athletes the energy they need to power performance, enhance recovery, and tackle all of the components of everyday life like school, homework, extracurricular activities, and time with friends and family. Dinner is a fantastic time to catch up on food groups that were missed during the day. There are lots of nutrient-rich twists parents can make on their athlete’s favorite foods (like easy, delicious beef vegetable fried rice) to provide a meal that tastes good and is good for them. After all, dinner is designed to refuel athletes after a long day.