sports nutrition 101
Healthy Weight Gain
Gaining weight alone is not the only goal; the
goal should be to gain lean muscle mass. In
order to gain a pound a week, an athlete has to
consume 3,500 extra calories that is not burned
off in exercise. Increasing daily caloric intake by
500 calories/day for 7 days should result in one
pound of weight gain in a week. The additional
food should come from quality calories which
are nutrient rich whole grains, lean proteins,
and healthy fat. If you add lots of unhealthy
fat to your diet in order to get calories (cream
sauce, dressing, fried food, etc), you will likely
add unwanted fat to your body too. So, the goal
is to consume healthy calories often!
Large whole wheat bagel w/2 Tbs. peanut butter
400
calorie
snacks
Homemade Trail Mix: 1 cup dry cereal, ¼ cup granola, 20 nuts
1 pack Nature Valley™ Granola Bars, 1 fruit & 2 string cheese
Quaker Oatmeal™ Square & 12 oz 2% milk
Peanut butter & banana sandwich on wheat bread (2 Tbs. PB)
1 yogurt with ¼ cup granola, ½ cup fruit & 15 nuts
Large whole wheat bagel with 3-4 slices ham, 2 slices 2% cheese &
1 serving wheat crackers or pretzels
20 oz low-fat chocolate milk & peanut butter sandwich on wheat bread
(1 Tbs. PB)
600
calorie
snacks
300 calorie energy bar, 1 banana & 16 oz 2% milk
20 oz Smoothie King Smoothie with protein & 250-300 calorie energy bar
Peanut butter and jelly sandwich on wheat bread (2 Tbs. PB & 2 Tbs. jelly),
1 bag Baked Lays & 1 fruit
2 cups cereal w/2% milk, sprinkle 3 Tbs. almonds in cereal & 1 yogurt
Examples of Adding Healthy
Calories:
or 2% string cheese
2 cups high calorie cereal (~200 calories/serving) w/2% milk,
1 banana & 2 pieces wheat toast w/1 Tbs. peanut butter on each
✦ Add peanut butter, butter, and/or jelly
to toast, bagels, whole grain waffles, etc.
Homemade Shake: 2 cups 2% milk, 1 Yoplait™ Thick & Creamy vanilla
✦ Add peanut butter, nuts, and a banana
to oatmeal
✦ Eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich
on thick wheat bread as dessert after
meals
yogurt, 1 scoop ice cream, 1-2 Tbs. peanut butter
800
calorie
snacks
3 Eggo™ whole wheat waffles w/1 Tbs. peanut butter on each, 1 fruit &
16 oz low-fat chocolate milk
1 whole wheat bagel w/ 2 Tbs. cream cheese, 1 pack Nature Valley™
granola bars & 16 oz low-fat chocolate milk
✦ Add 1 cup granola and dried fruit to
your morning cereal or yogurt
High calorie energy bar (250-350 calories),16 oz low-fat chocolate milk
✦ Add avocado to sandwiches, wraps,
and salads
2 Whole Grain Hot Pockets™, 1 individual bag reduced-fat Sun Chips &
w/1 scoop whey protein mixed in & 1 banana
16 oz 2% or low-fat chocolate milk
✦ Snack on high calorie trail mix (high
calorie/whole grain cereal, granola,
nuts, and dried fruit)
1 whole wheat bagel w/ 2 Tbs. peanut butter, 1 cup high calorie cereal &
1 cup granola w/ 2% milk
High calorie energy bar (250-350 calories), 1 individual bottle (20 oz)
✦ Cook your meat and vegetables with
olive oil
✦ Drink low-fat (2%) milk or low-fat
chocolate milk with meals
✦ Drink a shake with high calorie
powder (Muscle Milk Collegiate™)
and low-fat milk twice a day, once right
before bed (can also mix peanut butter,
honey, a banana, etc. for more calories)
2% milk, 1 pack peanut butter crackers & a banana
1000
calorie
snacks
2 Yoplait Whips™ or Thick & Creamy yogurts w/1 cup granola mix in,
2 pieces whole wheat toast w/1 Tbs. peanut butter on each & 16 oz 2% milk
2 Quaker Oatmeal Squares™, 1 individual bottle (20 oz) low-fat
chocolate milk & cup nuts
Subway™ 12” sandwich w/meat, cheese, sauce, & veggies, 1 bag
Sun Chips™, 1 bag apples & 1 individual bottle juice or 2% milk
2 peanut butter & jelly sandwiches on wheat bread (2 Tbs. PB & 2 jelly
Some helpful tips
✓ Eat 6-7 meals a day; do not go longer
than 2-3 hours without eating
✓ Do NOT skip breakfast
✓ Maximize each eating opportunity;
make sure you have whole grains, lean
protein, & healthy fat; don’t settle for
fried food or skipping a meal
on each), 16 oz 2% milk & 1 banana or chewy granola bar
✓ Be prepared; bring snacks from home
so that you can eat between classes in
addition to before and after practices
✓ Consume an energy bar or shake during
your workout and drink a sports drink
✓ Eat immediately after a workout (4:1
carbohydrate to protein snack)
✓ Consistency is key! You will not be
able to gain weight if you only try
4-5 days/week; you have to make it
a priority and maximize eating
7 days/week
Healthy Bites
Recipe of the Month
Tasty Trail Mix
Lean & Mean Weight Gain: “Fuel up with more calories in less bites!”
One easy way to add calories is to try to get more calories per bite! So if you choose foods
that are nutritious, but also high in calories, you can eat less while getting more. Trail mix is
full of ingredients that are nutrient dense and fulfill the requirement of more calories in less
bites! Fill up a bag, keep it in your backpack and snack on it throughout the day!
Let’s breakdown this “Lean & Mean Weight Gain Snack’s” ingredients… Nuts are not only a healthy
fat, but also a protein. They are rich is fiber and vitamin E and increase satiety helping you stay full for a
longer period of time. Dried fruit is a carbohydrate which is they body’s #1 source of energy. Fruit is also
rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals. Starch like pretzels, granola, goldfish and pita chips are also in the
carbohydrate family and thus important for energy throughout the day and for your workouts. Finally
sweet treats like M&M’s, dark chocolate chunks, peanut butter chips and coconut are a great addition to
spark your taste buds. These items should be the smallest part of your trail mix mixture.
Tired of the same old trail mix? It is so easy to make your own
trail mix; you just need some ideas of where to begin. Check out
these ingredients to find out how to add more protein, more sweet,
more fruit, and a higher carbohydrate content…or just make
something different than the same old thing!
THE FRUIT
• Dried apples
• Dried tropical fruit
• Banana chips
• Apple chips
• Raisins
• Craisins
• Dried pineapple
THE SWEET
THE STARCH
• M&M’s
• Reese’s Pieces
• White chocolate chips
• Dark chocolate chunks
• Milk chocolate chips
• Chocolate/yogurt covered
raisins
• Peanut butter chips
• Coconut
• Pretzels
• Chex
• Cheerios
• Goldfish
• Pita chips
• Cinnamon Life
• Granola
• Kashi Honey Almond Flax
cereal
THE SALTY
• Dry roasted Edamame
soybeans
• Soy nuts
• Peanuts
• Honey roasted nuts
• Mixed nuts
• Cashews
• Glazed walnuts
• Almonds
• Pistachios