After an intensive workout, your child’s
muscles are crying for protein, carbohydrates and sugars, because she spent
much energy and burned a lot of calories in the gym. Go ahead and treat her to
a something tasty – some junk foods that are considered unhealthy can be as
beneficial as healthy protein meal after the workout as they aid muscle
recovery and growth. Eating the foods listed below is beneficial up to two hours
after a workout. Of course, they should not replace your child’s normal post-workout
snacks, but an occasional eating of these foods should be worry-free.
Ice Cream
Kids love ice cream because it’s sweet, but there is another sweet thing about ice cream aside of its taste. Ice cream can be a very refreshing post-workout treat as it contains sugars and proteins that prevent protein breakdown and promote muscle building. A half-cup serving of vanilla or chocolate ice cream has about 140 calories, 7g fat and 14g sugar and provides your child’s body with a handful of key nutrients, including bone-strengthening calcium and phosphorus, blood-pressure-lowering potassium and energizing B vitamins.
Kids love ice cream because it’s sweet, but there is another sweet thing about ice cream aside of its taste. Ice cream can be a very refreshing post-workout treat as it contains sugars and proteins that prevent protein breakdown and promote muscle building. A half-cup serving of vanilla or chocolate ice cream has about 140 calories, 7g fat and 14g sugar and provides your child’s body with a handful of key nutrients, including bone-strengthening calcium and phosphorus, blood-pressure-lowering potassium and energizing B vitamins.
Chocolate Milk
Very similar to ice-cream, chocolate
milk can be a great post-workout meal due to a perfect combination of protein
and carbohydrates. Milk
protein contains about 20% whey protein, which is quickly digested, and 80%
casein protein, which provides a steady stream of energy for a long period of
time. Chocolate milk also
contains 20 to 25 grams of carbohydrates, which makes it ideal for recovery. Some
studies even claim that chocolate milk is a better recovery drink than protein
shakes and similar sports drinks.
Peanut Butter Jelly Sandwich or Bagel
The bagel itself is a great source
of dense carbohydrates to help refuel muscles for recovery while the jelly
boasts sugars that help send
nutrients to your child’s exhausted muscles. A quality peanut butter in the
sandwich turns it into a protein-packed meal with 20 - 30 grams of protein in
addition to 50 - 65 grams of carbohydrates that refuel your child’s body after
work-out in no time.
To get more ideas on gymnasts
nutrition, please, check out our Nutrition Guide.
