Top 3 Reasons to Create An Athlete Breakfast Schedule

For anyone that parents a young athlete, balancing school, sports, and nutrition can be a never ending task.  Here are three great reasons to create an athlete breakfast schedule.

1. Make Mornings Easier

Knowing what's for breakfast allows everyone to start on the same page in the morning.  Having a schedule simplifies the question, "what's for breakfast?".  Whether you have kids that are hard to wake or early risers, knowing how to start the day makes for a smooth transition from bed to bus.  Athletes are very schedule oriented.  Having a breakfast schedule for your athlete starts them off right foot each day. 

Another added bonus, the kids can help prepare for breakfast!  Once the kids know the schedule, you can encourage them to get out the silverware, dishes, and even get biscuits into the oven.  Athletes are responsible and are typically more mature than their peers.  Start by teaching them simple tasks and add more complicated tasks as they are ready. 

2. Simplify Your Shopping List

Whether you buy groceries online or shop three different stores to find the best deal, knowing what's on your list can take the stress out of groceries.  Even better, if you shop online or have an electronic list, you can simply leave those items on your list or add them quickly to your cart from the frequently purchased item list.  

With less time spent on worrying about breakfast foods, more time can be spent focusing on total athlete nutrition.  Focusing on including foods in your young athlete's diet such as prepared snacks versus snacking on-the-go can lead to improved overall wellness.  This leads to our last reason to create an athlete breakfast schedule. 

3. Improve Your Family's Wellness

Creating a breakfast schedule can help you take a look at your overall nutrition.  Putting together a weekly schedule can allow you to check the amount of sugar, protein, and healthy fats in your family's diet.  Cinnamon Toast Crunch has 9g of sugar in just 3/4 cup of cereal.  An average bowl of cereal can have three servings or 27g of sugar!  Grabbing a bowl of cereal for breakfast can be a dangerous sugar trap.  

Many children do not get enough protein in their diets.  Finding easy proteins to sneak into breakfast from eggs, yogurt, and milk can stabilize your metabolism for the day.   For young athletes, protein is an important building block for developing muscles.