- Mitzi Dulan, America's Nutrition Expert - https://nutritionexpert.com -

5 Back-to-School Tips for Parents with Young Athletes

IMG_8099 updateMy girls have been involved in sports for as long as I can remember, and I am so proud of
everything they have accomplished on their teams. That said, I know just how demanding it can be to juggle practice, games, proper nutrition and rest on top of an already busy class schedule. It’s important to keep kids healthy to play their best, but can often be a challenge for us as parents when we’re constantly on-the-go. With the help of Walmart Family Mobile, I’ve come up with a few ways to make staying healthy and connected easier than ever this back-to-school season!

  1. Recover right: Immediately following a practice or competition, help your athlete refuel their muscles to optimize performance the next time they train or compete. Consuming a beverage with carbs and protein within the first 30 minutes is ideal. Chocolate milk has a great ratio of carbs and protein, making it a smart, quick and easy choice to stock up on.
  2. Create a go-to grocery list: Get your athlete involved by having them help you create a go-to list of top fueling foods that you can save in your smartphone. Bring your child along for the first grocery trip to get their input and create a list of new options to replace old staples. Keeping this list handy in your smartphone will be helpful to keep their favorite foods stocked at home. WFM Phone 2
  3. Setup fueling stations at home: Organize “fueling stations” with grab-and-go options, such as string cheese, chocolate milk, sports drinks, protein balls, honey and more. You can also throw in whole wheat sandwich thins to make one of my favorites—an open-faced sandwich with peanut butter, banana and honey. Also keep a fruit bowl on your kitchen counter, filled with bananas, apples and other fruits. Fruit is great fuel and kids are more likely to eat it when it’s readily available.
  4. Equip yourself with the right tools: Staying connected is essential as a parent. My girls are very involved, which means there are plenty of practices and games to manage, so I rely on my smartphone to maintain it all with calendar and meal planning apps. Thankfully, Walmart Family Mobile offers Truly Unlimited talk, text and data plans at 4G LTE† speeds, so I don’t have to worry about running out of data. With Walmart Family Mobile’s new family plans, I can get two Truly Unlimited lines for less than $75 per month, making it easy and affordable for all of us to stay connected.
  5. Get plenty of rest: With a hectic schedule, it’s important to recharge. Sleep is an essential step to the recovery process and kids need time to hit reset after hitting the books and hitting the field. Make sure your athletes are getting enough sleep and have scheduled down time in between games and practices so they can let their bodies recover and build their energy back up.

As parents, making sure our kids are healthy and happy is our number one goal. These tips help me achieve that, even when we’re running back-and-forth between school, practice and competition. With affordable family plans and multi-line discounts, Walmart Family Mobile makes it easy for the whole family to stay connected and maximize on savings. To learn more about Walmart Family Mobile’s unlimited plans and multi-line discounts for families, visit your local Walmart or www.MyFamilyMobile.com [1].

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post in partnership with Walmart Family Mobile.

[2]