After carefully selecting what to put into their bodies the whole week leading into a game, it’s common for athletes to grab something quick and easy on the way home after game day.
They are tired. They are sore. They are impatient. They are teenagers. Why not indulge in a little – or a lot of – comfort food?
This is an impulse that should be resisted.
Lindsay Langford, a dietician at St. Vincent Sports Performance in Indianapolis, said athletes are best served to refuel 30 to 60 minutes following a game.
One of the best ways to do so, she said, is to drink a protein shake that “can get into those (sore) muscles quickly.” Langford also said there is benefit to mixing weight protein powder with a commercial sports drink such as Gatorade.
Also helpful from a refueling standpoint are high-carb foods such as bananas and dried fruits.
Once the initial rejuvenation process has been handled, it’s on to the full postgame meal. According to sports-fitness-advisor.com, the best option is generally “a large, high-carbohydrate meal eaten within two hours of the finish,” one which “should consist of high (Glycemic Index) foods.”
One of the best foods at providing such a carbohydrate boost is pasta. Here are three effective pasta-based recipes from active.com that moms and dads can have ready for when their athletes arrive home.
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Basic whole wheat pasta
Original recipe: http://www.active.com/nutrition/articles/clean-eating-pasta-recipes-for-athletes?page=2
Ingredients: 2 cups whole-wheat flour; 3 eggs, ½ teaspoon sea salt; ½ teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
Directions
Mound flour on a clean surface. Make a well in the middle, keeping the sides steep.
Break the eggs into the well and top with salt and olive oil. Gently mix the eggs, olive oil and salt with a fork.
Begin incorporating the flour slowly by pulling it in from the sides of the well. As you mix in more flour, gradually add more flour until the dough comes together. If the dough becomes too dry, add a small amount of water. If the dough becomes too sticky, add a little more flour.
Once the dough comes together, knead it for about nine to 10 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. You can store the dough for 24 hours in the refrigerator, if needed.
When you’re ready to make pasta, remove the dough from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature. Take off the plastic wrap and divide the dough into four even sections. Keep each section you’re not working currently working with covered with a kitchen towel. Sprinkle flour on top of the dough piece you’re working with, on the rollers of a pasta roller (if using), rolling pin (if using) and your work surface.
Flatten one of the dough pieces into an oval disk. Dust the disk and your hands with flour. Sprinkle flour onto a baking sheet that will hold the finished pasta.
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Argula, shrimp and lemon pasta
Original recipe: http://www.active.com/nutrition/articles/clean-eating-pasta-recipes-for-athletes?page=3
Ingredients: 4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil; 2 anchovy filets; ½ pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 5 cups fresh arugula; Juice and zest of 2 lemons; ¼ teaspoon sea salt; 1/8 teaspoon sea salt; ¼ cup pasta cooking water; 1 tablespoon fresh basil, torn; 3 tablespoons organic whole wheat panko breadcrumbs.
Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt water generously.
Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add anchovy fillets and stir frequently until fillets dissolve into oil. Add shrimp and cook for three minutes. Turn shrimp over. Add garlic and arugula and cook for three to five minutes or until arugula is starting to wilt. Add lemon juice, zest, salt and red pepper flakes. Stir and cook until shrimp is just pink. Turn heat off but leave skillet on the burner.
Cook fresh pasta in boiling, salted water for three to four minutes. Remove with tongs and place into skillet with shrimp and vegetables. Add 1/4 cup of pasta cooking water and 2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil and toss. Remove from heat and sprinkle top of pasta with basil and breadcrumbs. Serve with red pepper flakes on the side. Serves four.
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Thai chicken and peanut pasta
Original recipe: http://www.active.com/nutrition/articles/clean-eating-pasta-recipes-for-athletes?page=3
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon canola oil, 2 organic chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized cubes; sprinkle of sea salt and black pepper; ½ red bell pepper, julienned; 1 small cucumber, skin and seeds removed, julienned; ½ cup shredded carrots; ½ cup bean sprouts; 2 tablespoons chopped scallions; ½ cup Thai-style peanut sauce; 1 tablespoon Thai basil, torn (optional); 2 Thai bird chilies or 1 jalapeno, thinly sliced (optional).
Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt water generously.
Heat canola oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Place chicken cubes in skillet and cook for four to five minutes or until browned on one side. Turn chicken cubes over and brown on the other side. Cook just until pieces are no longer pink in the center.
Cook fresh pasta in boiling, salted water for three to four minutes. Remove with tongs and place into skillet with chicken. Add Thai-style peanut sauce as well as a few tablespoons of pasta cooking water, as needed, to thin the sauce. Remove from heat and toss with fresh veggies and optional basil and hot pepper garnishes.
Tags:
nutrition
postgame meals
football parents advice
recipes
Clay Cunningham
category:
Health and Safety
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Author:
Clay Cunningham
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Active.com
Post date:
Thursday, October 1, 2015 - 13:30