At TrueSport, we know that proper nutrition is a key component in helping your young athlete train, compete and recover. Here are five tips for family meal planning:

1. Create Your Grocery List

List out each day of the week either on a calendar, chalkboard or piece of paper so you know what meals are scheduled for what days for the week. On a separate piece of paper, begin compiling your grocery list with what is needed for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Watch out for duplicate items like milk or eggs.

Because you’re only buying what you need, there will be little to no waste and a huge savings on your grocery bill each week.

2. Meal Prep on Sundays

Before the week gets started, choose Sunday to select your meals, grocery shop, cook and portion out the meals for the week. If certain dishes and snacks require fresh prep, you can also set aside a day mid-week to prep the rest of the week’s dishes. You’ll be amazed how much time this saves during the week.

Imagine pulling out a Ziploc bag of stew and popping it in a pot for dinner? Or opening the fridge and handing Tupperware to your child for lunch? So easy! Don’t be afraid of leftovers either. Dinner leftovers can be lunches for the next day.

3. Stock Up on Food Storage

By cooking meals on Sunday, you can then portion out the meals and save them either in the refrigerator or freezer for the week.

Purchase reliable Tupperware and containers, for both the freezer and fridge, so your food will be kept fresh. This also helps with portion control by providing enough fuel for your athlete, without slowing them down.

4. Find a Trusted Healthy Recipe Resource

Like we mentioned before, meal planning is a huge trend. Finding a reliable resource for meal ideas, meal planning tips and proper nutrition is key.

We have developed a science-backed Nutrition Guide for athlete performance available for download that discusses carbohydrates, protein, hydration and supplements, as well as several expert blog posts with meal ideas and nutrition tips.