Kitchen prep
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl, mix 2 tbsp. coconut oil and 1 tbsp. maple syrup and set aside. In a large bowl, combine 1 cup oats, ½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut, ½ cup chopped hazelnuts, ½ cup slivered almonds, ½ cup chopped dried figs, ½ cup chopped dried apricots, ½ tsp. chia seeds, a pinch of Himalayan salt, and a pinch of cinnamon. Add the coconut/maple syrup blend. Mix well—use your hands if you like! Spread on a baking sheet and bake until golden, stirring occasionally. Let cool. To serve, put 3/4 cup granola at the bottom of a half-pint mason jar, and fill with yogurt and mixed fresh berries. Drizzle honey on top.
Deciphering Dairy
Consider dairy as an alternative protein source for your mornings. Yogurt, cottage cheese or quark cheese are good choices, as is a dairy-based protein shake like whey or casein if you’re in a rush. You still need to get your carbs, too, so make a fruit salad with strawberries, mango, pineapple and grapes and pour yogurt over the top. Or, mix blueberries, dry oatmeal and walnuts into cottage cheese. For high-carb protein shakes, try blitzing your protein powder with a banana, some dates or dried figs and almond or rice milk.
Oatmeal mole
“I used to not eat before running,” says Shelton, a Patagonia-sponsored athlete (and rock star of ultramarathoning). “Over the years, as I started adding more distance to my runs, that had to change.” But she never in a million years expected oatmeal to be her morning meal of choice: “I’d camped way too much in my life to ever eat [the stuff] again,” she jokes. But then Shelton discovered savory oatmeal dishes, and after some tinkering, came up with this recipe that calls for bacon, avocado, eggs, broth, and mole sauce (the ready-to-eat kind).
Grab and Go
While the 500 to 750 calorie guideline is a good bet for most teen athletes, if you have less than two hours between breakfast and training, you might want something a little lighter. Try a small snack containing 100 to 150 calories, instead, suggests dietitian Nancy Clark. A few rice cakes with peanut butter or a cereal bar would fit the bill. Depending on your goals, you may also want to shoot for less than 500 calories, if you need to drop weight for an upcoming contest, or even go higher than 750 if you’re gaining mass in the off-season.