Young athletes are NOT just smaller version of adult athletes. There are some very specific differences that need to be considered because of the different developmental stages they go through (pre-puberty, puberty and post-puberty).

The overall nutritional goal for young athletes is to optimize blood sugar by pairing the right types and amounts of carbohydrates, protein and fat for most meals and snacks. Doing this will support cognitive and physical development while supporting athletic performance and recovery goals.

Here are the steps you can use (and teach your young athlete) when planning meals and snacks to help them succeed with their nutrition:

• Step 1: choose a quality source of lean protein such as salmon, chicken, pork, lean ground beef, eggs, cottage cheese, plain Greek yogurt, nuts, seeds and nut butter.

• Step 2: choose a colorful food like a fruit and/or vegetable. Fresh is great but if not possible, frozen is a close second in terms of nutrient density.

• Step 3: choose a whole grain that is darker in color. Examples include whole grain bread, tortillas and crackers, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, quinoa, farro and steel-cut oats.

Young athletes blood sugar ebb and flow more frequently than adults, about every 2-3 hours. This is important because they will need to snack more often to make sure their energy level is steady and they have adequate carbohydrate stores in their body to support optimal brain functioning and athletic performance. It is normal for young athletes to snack between 2-4 times per day, depending on their developmental stage and sport needs.

Good snack choices include:

• carrots with hummus
• Blackberries with cashews
• plain Greek yogurt with raspberries
• cheese and whole grain crackers
• fruit smoothie with protein (milk, Greek yogurt)

By pairing carbohydrates, protein and fat together during almost all meals and snacks, blood sugar and energy level will be steady, which will have positive effects on young athletes cognitive functioning and development, physical performance and recovery from training.