Got a young athlete who loves KFC?
This crispy KFC-style chicken is an easy homemade alternative that the whole family can enjoy - and with around 30g of protein per serve, it can also make a great meal for active, growing kids and teenagers.
Serve it with pasta, rice or potatoes and vegetables and you've got an easy high-protein, carbohydrate-rich meal for young athletes, including the night before training or game day.
Why is this a good meal for young athletes?
Young athletes have a lot going on.
They're not only fuelling training, matches and recovery - they're also fuelling normal growth and development.
That means getting enough overall energy and a good balance of protein, carbohydrates, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals is important.
This homemade crispy chicken can form the protein component of a balanced sports meal.
Protein for young athletes: growth and recovery
Protein is important for everyone, but it has a particularly important role during adolescence.
It provides amino acids that the body uses to build and repair tissues and supports muscle recovery after exercise.
Protein requirements for young athletes vary depending on age, body size, training load, growth and overall diet. Research commonly suggests adolescent athletes may require approximately 1.3-1.8g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, with protein ideally spread across meals and snacks rather than consumed all at once.
For example, a 50kg young athlete may require roughly 65-90g of protein across the day, depending on their individual needs and activity levels.
With approximately 30.6g of protein per serve, this crispy chicken can make a substantial contribution to a young athlete's daily protein intake.
What should a young athlete eat the night before a game?
When people think about sports nutrition, protein often gets most of the attention.
But for young athletes playing sports such as football, soccer, rugby, basketball, netball, hockey or athletics, carbohydrates are also incredibly important.
Carbohydrate is an important fuel source for exercise, particularly during running, sprinting and repeated high-intensity efforts.
That's why a good pre-game dinner for young athletes will usually include a carbohydrate source alongside protein.
Try serving this KFC-style chicken with:
- Pasta
- Rice
- Potatoes
- Sweet potato
- Bread or wraps
Add vegetables or salad and you have an easy, balanced meal that can work for the whole family.
A simple way to think about it is:
Protein = growth, repair and recovery
Carbohydrates = energy and fuel for training and competition
The amount a young athlete needs will vary according to their age, body size, sport, training duration and intensity.
Is takeaway KFC bad for young athletes?
No food needs to be labelled as simply "good" or "bad".
There's absolutely room for takeaway foods as part of an overall balanced diet.
For young athletes in particular, creating an overly restrictive attitude towards food isn't the goal. Food should provide nutrition and fuel, but it should also be enjoyable.
This recipe is simply another option.
It gives you the flavours and crispy coating kids love while making it easy to prepare a high-protein meal at home and pair it with the carbohydrates, vegetables and other foods your athlete needs.
Healthy KFC-Style Crispy Chicken
Serves: 4
Prep: 15 minutes + marinating
Cook: 35–45 minutes
Ingredients
Chicken
- 4 chicken drumsticks, skin removed
- 4 chicken thighs, skin removed
- 1 cup low-fat buttermilk
- 1 egg
Crispy coating
- 1 cup wholemeal flour
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper, optional
- ½ tsp salt
- Olive oil spray
Method
- Whisk the buttermilk and egg together in a large bowl. Add the chicken, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. If you have time, leave it to marinate overnight.
- Combine the wholemeal flour, panko breadcrumbs, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, cayenne and salt in a separate bowl.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- Remove each piece of chicken from the marinade and allow the excess to drip off. Coat thoroughly in the crumb mixture.
- Place the chicken on a wire rack positioned over a lined baking tray. Lightly spray with olive oil.
- Bake for approximately 35-45 minutes, or until the coating is golden and crispy and the chicken is completely cooked through. Chicken should reach a safe internal temperature of 74°C.
Turn it into a pre-game meal
If your young athlete has a game or demanding training session the following day, don't serve the chicken on its own.
Add a generous carbohydrate source such as pasta, rice, potatoes, sweet potato or bread, along with vegetables.
For example:
Crispy chicken + pasta + tomato-based sauce + vegetables
or
Crispy chicken + roasted potatoes + corn + salad
or
Crispy chicken + rice + avocado + vegetables
The goal isn't to create a "perfect" sports meal. It's to provide enough food and a useful combination of carbohydrates, protein and other nutrients — in a meal your young athlete will actually eat and enjoy.
Nutrition per serve
Approximate nutrition per serve:
Calories: 370 kcal
Protein: 30.6g
Carbohydrates: 32.8g
Fat: 15g
Nutrition will vary depending on the size and type of chicken pieces and exact ingredients used.
Good sports nutrition for young athletes doesn't need to be complicated.
Growing athletes need enough total food to support both growth and sport, with carbohydrates providing important exercise fuel and protein supporting growth, muscle repair and recovery.
And importantly, they need food they actually enjoy eating.
This homemade KFC-style crispy chicken ticks that box.
Fuel the work. Fuel the growth. Keep loving the game.
General nutrition information only. Individual requirements vary according to age, growth, body size, sport and training load. Young athletes with specific nutrition or medical requirements should seek personalised advice from an appropriately qualified health professional.