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Fueling Young Athletes
232 Pages
Young athletes are always on the go. School, family, and sports eat up a lot of time. For parents and coaches, it can be a challenge to make sure kids are eating healthfully enough to perform at their best on and off the field. Fueling Young Athletes provides the help you need.
In this practical guide, Heather Mangieri—a sport dietitian and mother of three active kids—breaks down the nutrition needs of young athletes and explains what the latest research suggests. You'll analyze current eating habits and preferences and how and where these can be improved. You'll learn how healthier meals and snacks can equate to improved performance while still being convenient and appetizing.
Fueling Young Athletes addresses the issues that families and athletes most often face, such as late-night practices, inconvenient school lunchtimes, demanding tournament schedules and travel leagues, and lack of sleep. Best of all, you'll find a collection of easy recipes for smoothies and sport drinks, all with common ingredients and nutrition information.
Weight management, supplementation, fueling, hydration—it's all here. Fueling Young Athletes is practical and realistic. If you are a parent or coach, it's the one guide you should not be without.
Part I Sports Nutrition for Today’s Athlete
Chapter 1 Building a Champion
Chapter 2 Day-to-Day Nutrition for Healthy Growth
Part II Nutrition Needs for Sports and Individual Goals
Chapter 3 Fueling and Hydrating for Your Sport
Chapter 4 Adjusting Body Composition to Reach Your Goals
Chapter 5 Fueling Your Game Day Performance
Chapter 6 Understanding Supplements
Chapter 7 Identifying and Dealing with Disordered Eating
Part III Customize Your Sports Nutrition Plan
Chapter 8 Creating Your Personal Plan
Chapter 9 Breaking Down Healthy Eating Barriers
Part IV Recipes
Chapter 10 Liquid Fuel Recipes
Chapter 11 Solid Fuel Recipes
Heather Mangieri, MS, RDN, CSSD, LDN, is an award-winning food and nutrition expert, registered dietitian, and board-certified specialist in sport dietetics. She is the founder of Nutrition CheckUp, a nutrition consulting practice with expertise in sport nutrition, weight management, and disordered eating. She consults with a variety of clients, including casual exercisers, competitive athletes, and families looking to eat well while navigating busy schedules. She specializes in helping active adolescents eat well for proper growth, development, and sport performance.
Since 2010 Mangieri has been a national media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She has built a reputation for delivering evidence-based messages in sport nutrition, adolescent sport nutrition, weight management, ergogenic aids, dietary supplements, fad diets, and lifestyle modification. Mangieri frequently writes about sport nutrition, including in the professional publications of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, as well as in Stack magazine and Food and Nutrition magazine. She has been quoted in hundreds of national publications, including Fitness, ESPNW, ESPN Kids, Runner’s World, Women’s Running, Women’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Men’s Health, New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, and USA Today. In addition to national recognition, she has a strong local following, appearing frequently on KDKA Pittsburgh’s show Night Talk.
Mangieri speaks regularly to athletes, consumers, and professionals about sport nutrition, dietary supplements, weight management, and disordered eating. In June 2014 she spoke on disordered eating in athletes at the first Eating Disorders in Sport conference and spoke on the same topic at the 2015 annual meeting of the Collegiate & Professional Sports Dietitians Association.
In 2008 Mangieri was recognized as Pennsylvania’s Young Dietitian of the Year. In 2012 she received the Keystone award in recognition of her leadership in demonstrating outstanding professional standards to serve and advance the aim of Pennsylvania dietitians. She serves on the executive committee of Sports, Cardiovascular, and Wellness Nutrition (SCAN), a dietary practice group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Mangieri studied human nutrition with an emphasis on research at Pennsylvania State University, earning a BS degree in 1996. She earned her master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh in wellness and human performance in 2007. Before entering private practice, she was an instructor at the University of Pittsburgh in the department of sports medicine and nutrition and a part-time faculty member in the department of exercise science at Chatham University, teaching nutrition and exercise classes to undergraduate students.
She lives in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area.
"Fueling young athletes is certainly a topic that deserves more attention from parents and coaches alike. Too many kids endure needless fatigue. Don't let your child be one of them!"
Nancy Clark, MS, RD, CSSD-- Author of best-selling Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook, Fifth Edition
“Heather Mangieri excels at helping athletes, parents, and coaches understand the healthy habits that allow young athletes to succeed and perform at their best.”
Donald Hooton Sr.-- Founder and President, Taylor Hooton Foundation
“Heather Mangieri is not only a sport nutrition expert, but she’s also a parent of active kids. She knows how challenging it can be to eat right when managing crazy schedules, multiple practices, and travel. She shares her extensive experience here through practical, realistic nutrition guidance that every athlete and parent can use.”
Dawn Jackson Blatner, RDN, CSSD-- Author of The Flexitarian Diet (McGraw Hill), Winner of ABC hit TV show My Diet Is Better Than Yours
Day-to-day nutrition for healthy growth
Because I counsel young athletes, I work with a lot of parents and families. Most parents have very specific questions about fueling for sports. They want to know what to eat before an event, how much to drink during a game, and what the best meal is for recovery.
Because I counsel young athletes, I work with a lot of parents and families. Most parents have very specific questions about fueling for sports. They want to know what to eat before an event, how much to drink during a game, and what the best meal is for recovery. Although these are all important questions that are addressed in this book, the foods that are eaten day to day play a much larger role in health and athletic performance. Adequate day-to-day nutrition is what supports healthy growth and development, boosts the immune system, and works to heal sport injuries.
This book begins with a discussion of the basics, because a solid diet foundation needs to be the number one priority. Athletes are unlikely to be the best they can be if they are sick or injured. A healthy, injury-free athlete equals a winning athlete. Just as athletes who participate in different sports have different energy requirements, growing children have different energy requirements from those of adults. Daily nutrition requirements vary based on developmental age, sex, body type, and body composition. Adding in a recovery meal, for example, when athletes' day-to-day nutritional requirements have not been met will do little to help them meet their athletic goals. Once daily nutritional needs are met, then the extra foods and fluids needed to support sport training become the focus.
Nutrition Basics
The body gets its energy from food, which should provide a variety of vitamins and minerals. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Some foods provide the calories needed for growth but do not provide the nutrients needed for supporting development. The result is usually an overweight yet undernourished body.
The best food supports the growth, development, and maintenance of muscles, bones, organs, skin, and blood to cleanse, oxygenate, and nourish all parts of the body. The day-to-day diet should provide adequate amounts of all six essential nutrients that the body requires to function properly: water, carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. Athletes should understand the role and function of each of the essential nutrients, and they should have a general understanding of how much they need of each. See figure 2.1 for each nutrient's role.
The six essential nutrients.
The essential nutrients are divided into three categories: macronutrients, micronutrients, and water. The macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, and fat) supply the energy needed to fuel working muscles. For that reason, they are referred to as the energy-yielding nutrients. That energy is measured in calories. Vitamins and minerals (also called micronutrients) do not supply energy, but they are vital to life and needed for normal growth and development. Finally, water does not supply energy, but it is a component of all cells and is vital for life.
In addition to providing the nutrients vital for life, foods provide phytochemicals (i.e., compounds that give the foods classified as superfoods their superpowers). Phytochemicals are believed to help protect against certain diseases. Aside from the potential health benefits, many phytonutrients may help reduce inflammation, thereby boosting immune function and improving focus and concentration, all things that help athletes perform well.
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Learn more about Fueling Young Athletes.
Learn to categorize foods
In early chapters you learned why you need to incorporate each of the macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, and fat) into your meal plan. Now, you need to make sure you understand which foods fit into each category.
In early chapters you learned why you need to incorporate each of the macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, and fat) into your meal plan. Now, you need to make sure you understand which foods fit into each category. I can tell you that most youth athletes - as well as their parents - are surprised to find out which foods are considered sources of carbohydrate. Learning how to categorize foods is the first step to building a meal plan that will properly support growth, development, and sport performance.
Which Foods Are Carbohydrate Sources?
Recall that carbohydrate is divided into complex and simple. In terms of the U.S. government icon MyPlate discussed in chapter 2, all five areas of the plate can provide carbohydrate, although some offer more choices than others. Choices from the grain, fruit, and vegetable sections all have carbohydrate. Milk and yogurt, which fall under the dairy group, are also sources of carbohydrate. From the protein section of the plate, we get carbohydrate from beans and legumes. Foods with added sugar also have carbohydrate. These foods, such as the sugar in a sport drink or candy, may not have a place on the MyPlate icon, but they are foods that youth athletes may consume on occasion. As you learned, some of the engineered sport foods have added sugar on purpose to provide the energy needed for long-distance or high-intensity activity.
Which Foods Are Protein Sources?
Remember that protein contains amino acids, which are used to build and repair body tissues. Protein occurs in most animal-based products such as red meat,poultry, fish, milk, eggs, and cheese as well as some plant-based foods such as soy, beans, and legumes.
Some foods are categorized as containing only protein (e.g., egg whites and boneless, skinless chicken breast that is very lean). Foods considered sources of both protein and fat include chicken thighs and whole eggs. Some foods are categorized as containing both protein and carbohydrate (e.g., beans and legumes).
The protein foods you choose should depend on your needs, goals, and training. You can choose foods that are either complete or incomplete proteins, but most, if not all, of your meals and mini-meals should include a source of protein.
Which Foods Are Fat Sources?
Dietary fat is an important fuel source for youth athletes. In chapter 2 you learned that dietary fat can be categorized as unsaturated fat, saturated fat, or trans fat. Many foods contain naturally occurring fat; many of the protein sources just mentioned fall into that category. Other foods have added fat (e.g., buttery crackers or a slice of birthday cake). Some foods have no or very little carbohydrate or protein and are considered fat sources only. These include oils, butter, nut butters, nuts, seeds, and salad dressings. When filling in your meal skeleton, make sure that all of your fat sources, both naturally occurring fats and all added fats, are included within your total fat servings.
Table 8.1 provides a quick glimpse into how to categorize foods. Remember that many carbohydrate sources are made with fat and fall under both categories, and many protein foods have naturally occurring fat and fall under both categories.
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Save
Learn more about Fueling Young Athletes.
Family differences
When two of my kids were in third and fifth grades, they both had early school lunch periods and came home from school extremely hungry. They did not need an after-school snack; they needed a meal. My solution was to serve dinner at 4 p.m. and then a mini-meal around 7:00 p.m.
When two of my kids were in third and fifth grades, they both had early school lunch periods and came home from school extremely hungry. They did not need an after-school snack; they needed a meal. My solution was to serve dinner at 4 p.m. and then a mini-meal around 7:00 p.m. Between dinner and the evening mini-meal was swimming practice, gymnastics, religious education, and my third son's therapy (he has severe autism, so his evenings are filled with therapy rather than sports). Every day was go-go-go! I was lucky enough to have a flexible job so that I could be home when my kids got off the bus. However, not all parents are. Whether your kids go to after-school care, stay after school for practice, or go home to a babysitter, they need a balanced meal. It might be a mini-meal, but it is still a meal. If kids are not taught to eat meals when they are hungry, they will fill up on quick snacks.
Remember the discussion in chapter 1 about what makes a star athlete: Champions do not decide their future. Champions decide their habits. Their habits decide their future.
This year, things changed. My fourth-grade daughter eats lunch early, but my sixth-grade son eats lunch later. That means that she comes home hungry, but he doesn't. My solution is to feed my daughter dinner at 3:45 p.m. and then heat my son's dinner a little later, around 4:30 p.m. My third son has difficulty gaining weight, so he eats on a very structured schedule. His mealtimes fall at 3:30 and 7:00 p.m.
So, what do you do when kids are on different schedules? You get flexible. Sometimes even in the same family, meal skeletons (patterns) have to be set up differently. That is the reality of a sporting family! Having multiple kids running in multiple directions is often a reality, but it does not mean that the family's health has to be sacrificed.
Barrier:
The kids are very hungry as soon as they get home, but I can't make dinner that quickly.
Solution:
Bulk-cook ahead of time.
Open my refrigerator on a Monday, and you would think I was ready to feed an army. That's because I take three to five hours on Sunday evenings to prepare and cook seven or eight full meals for the week. I use all of my kitchen resources to make it work: slow cooker, oven, stovetop, microwave - even my outside grill is getting action. I chop and dice vegetables for the week, and I clean and cut up fruit so it is ready to go. Everything goes into glass containers in the refrigerator. This works for us because between homework and extracurricular activities, I do not have time to cook a healthy meal every night.
Take a minute to think about the foods you visualize when you hear the word snack? For many kids, the word refers to a quick, often salty, crunchy food (e.g., popcorn or chips) to eat to stave off hunger. Snack foods can fill kids up quickly, but many do not provide proper nourishment.
Having meals ready in the refrigerator prevents kids from grabbing low-nutrient snacks to satisfy their after-school hunger. Get them in the habit of eating a healthy meal; then they can have a balanced mini-meal later in the day.
Barrier:
I have no time to cook during the week, and on the weekends we are always traveling for my daughter's traveling league.
Solution:
Plan ahead and get creative.
When it comes to eating well, options other than spending lots of time in the kitchen are available. Here are a few examples:
- Use a slow cooker. A slow cooker is the answer to a busy family's prayers! Before you leave for work in the morning, toss all of the ingredients in the cooker, turn it on, and go to work. When you get home, the meal is ready. You will need to do some prep work the evening before. I recommend having everything ready to go so that the morning is as easy as possible. Clean and trim chicken, have potatoes cleaned and ready to cut, chop vegetables, and so on. If you are adding spices, have them measured and ready to add to the dish.
- Stop for a healthy fast-food meal. Eating out is a reality for many busy sport families, and that is OK. Today, it is possible to find a healthy option at most restaurants, even fast-food establishments. Table 9.1 earlier in this chapter offers tips for eating well when traveling. Those same foods can be used when the travel is only from school to practice.
- Load up your cooler and take your food with you. If you cooked in advance as I suggested, this is a time to cash in on your preparations. Grab a few of those homemade meals from the freezer, put them in a cooler, add a few ice packs, and off you go.
- Have a frozen meal. I don't often encourage frozen meals (unless they are homemade), but busy times call for easy solutions. If you have a favorite frozen meal or entrée that you know your youth athlete will eat, keep a few in the freezer as a backup. On a day when all else fails, that frozen meal is better than nothing at all.
Barrier:
I make a healthy dinner, but my kids won't eat it.
Solution:
Serve two dinners;or serve the meal before they fill up on snacks.
A major complaint from parents is that their kids will not eat what they make for dinner. If kids are filling up on low-nutrient snacks after school (e.g., chips, cookies, crackers), when dinnertime rolls around, they may not be hungry for your well-balanced meal. Forget snacks; youth athletes need meals. Serve the meal first.
Barrier:
All of my kids are picky and like different foods.
Solution:
Offer choices.
Just like adults, kids and teens have likes and dislikes. They also strive for control (some more than others). One way to help them have control is to offer food choices - not 10 choices, but 2. Cooking meals in advance makes this very easy because the food is already in the refrigerator. Think of a meal that is well accepted by most members of the family, and have it available. For example, I always have turkey burgers in my refrigerator. If my son does not like the meal I prepared for dinner, I allow him to heat up a turkey burger and have it with a side of fruit and vegetables.
Barrier:
My kids always complain about what I make for dinner.
Solution:
Create a meal rotation.
It would be nice if kids just ate what was made for dinner every night, but that is not the reality. As a parent, you have the benefit of not buying or cooking food that you do not like; kids are not so lucky. It is important for kids to try new foods and eat a variety, but it is not necessarily fair that you get to make all the decisions. To increase the chances that your kids will eat what you cook, involve them in the process. Children like to be included in decisions, and it helps them learn about food, nutrition, and meal planning. Have them help you create a meal rotation for the week that includes their favorites. Have each member of the family choose a day of the week and write down what he or she wants to eat that day. When one child complains that she doesn't want to eat that, you can remind her that it is not her night to choose, and that another night everyone will have to eat her selection. With everyone's help, the weekly menu is made.
If everyone agrees, the meals can be simple and repeat weekly. Have the family decide on five meals that everyone loves, such as spaghetti and meatballs, tacos, stir-fry, chili, and sandwiches. During the busy season, rotate through these meals if necessary. The goal is to eat a healthy, balanced meal without causing stress to the chef.
Learn more about Fueling Young Athletes.
Energy bars
Many parents and athletes want to know the best nutrition or energy bar to take to school or eat after exercise. What’s best depends on what you are using it for.
Many parents and athletes want to know the best nutrition or energy bar to take to school or eat after exercise. What's best depends on what you are using it for. Are you eating it as your breakfast? Is it to satisfy hunger after school? Are you looking for a preworkout bar, or do you need something convenient for immediately after activity?
Bars with high carbohydrate receive a lot of negative press, but a bar with quick-digesting carbohydrate, low fiber and fat, and just a bit of protein is what a cyclist on a long-distance ride really needs. It can also be a good option for a swimmer who has to fuel up before the next event. That same bar, however, would not be the best choice as you are running out of the house for school. A good bar for breakfast includes complex carbohydrate, fiber, protein, and even a little fat.
A bar to have after activity should contain a balance of nutrients, but the size depends on how exhaustive the exercise was. After an hour-long training session, a smaller 150- to 200-calorie balanced bar might be enough; for athletes with high calorie needs, a 300- to 400-calorie bar might be more appropriate.
Because I get so many questions about the best bar, I want to address how different bars fit into the meal plan. And because not many bars have the balance of high-quality nutrients I want, I share how you can make them as well as how they will fit into your meal plan. This way you can also compare their nutrition facts and ingredients lists to those of other bars on the market. I purposely use a lot of the same ingredients in these recipes so that you can have them on hand.
Balanced Breakfast Bar
2 CHO + 1 PRO + 2 FAT
- 1 tsp (5 g) cinnamon
- 1/3 cup brown rice syrup
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup almond butter
- 1/4 cup almonds, whole, unsalted, chopped
- 1/4 cup tropical fruit, dried, chopped
- 1 cup crispy rice cereal
- 1 cup oats, old-fashioned
- 1 1/2 scoops (32 g) whey protein powder, vanilla
- 1/8 tsp (0.6 g) table salt
Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Line an 8- by 8-inch (20 by 20 cm) pan with parchment paper. Cut the paper long enough so that it hangs over the sides.
Combine rice cereal, oats, protein powder, cinnamon, salt, and chopped almonds in a large bowl. Mix well and set aside.
Place the brown rice syrup, vanilla, almond butter, and diced fruit pieces in a microwavable bowl and microwave for 30 seconds on high. Stir with a spoon until evenly blended.
Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients, and use a sturdy spoon to mix. Using a bit of cooking spray on the spoon will help prevent sticking. You can also use your hands to stir. Mix well so that everything is moist.
Once it is mixed, spread evenly into the pan. Use another piece of parchment paper to press the mixture firmly and evenly into the pan using a heavy steel spatula. If the mixture isn't pressed firmly enough, the bar will crumble after cooking. Press firmly around the edges and all areas of the pan. Once it is pressed, remove the parchment paper you used to press. The mixture should appear tight, flat, and even in the pan.
Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool. Once cooled, refrigerate for one to two hours, remove from the pan, and cut into eight bars. Refrigerate or freeze.
Save
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Learn more about Fueling Young Athletes.
Day-to-day nutrition for healthy growth
Because I counsel young athletes, I work with a lot of parents and families. Most parents have very specific questions about fueling for sports. They want to know what to eat before an event, how much to drink during a game, and what the best meal is for recovery.
Because I counsel young athletes, I work with a lot of parents and families. Most parents have very specific questions about fueling for sports. They want to know what to eat before an event, how much to drink during a game, and what the best meal is for recovery. Although these are all important questions that are addressed in this book, the foods that are eaten day to day play a much larger role in health and athletic performance. Adequate day-to-day nutrition is what supports healthy growth and development, boosts the immune system, and works to heal sport injuries.
This book begins with a discussion of the basics, because a solid diet foundation needs to be the number one priority. Athletes are unlikely to be the best they can be if they are sick or injured. A healthy, injury-free athlete equals a winning athlete. Just as athletes who participate in different sports have different energy requirements, growing children have different energy requirements from those of adults. Daily nutrition requirements vary based on developmental age, sex, body type, and body composition. Adding in a recovery meal, for example, when athletes' day-to-day nutritional requirements have not been met will do little to help them meet their athletic goals. Once daily nutritional needs are met, then the extra foods and fluids needed to support sport training become the focus.
Nutrition Basics
The body gets its energy from food, which should provide a variety of vitamins and minerals. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Some foods provide the calories needed for growth but do not provide the nutrients needed for supporting development. The result is usually an overweight yet undernourished body.
The best food supports the growth, development, and maintenance of muscles, bones, organs, skin, and blood to cleanse, oxygenate, and nourish all parts of the body. The day-to-day diet should provide adequate amounts of all six essential nutrients that the body requires to function properly: water, carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. Athletes should understand the role and function of each of the essential nutrients, and they should have a general understanding of how much they need of each. See figure 2.1 for each nutrient's role.
The six essential nutrients.
The essential nutrients are divided into three categories: macronutrients, micronutrients, and water. The macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, and fat) supply the energy needed to fuel working muscles. For that reason, they are referred to as the energy-yielding nutrients. That energy is measured in calories. Vitamins and minerals (also called micronutrients) do not supply energy, but they are vital to life and needed for normal growth and development. Finally, water does not supply energy, but it is a component of all cells and is vital for life.
In addition to providing the nutrients vital for life, foods provide phytochemicals (i.e., compounds that give the foods classified as superfoods their superpowers). Phytochemicals are believed to help protect against certain diseases. Aside from the potential health benefits, many phytonutrients may help reduce inflammation, thereby boosting immune function and improving focus and concentration, all things that help athletes perform well.
Save
Save
Save
Save
Learn more about Fueling Young Athletes.
Learn to categorize foods
In early chapters you learned why you need to incorporate each of the macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, and fat) into your meal plan. Now, you need to make sure you understand which foods fit into each category.
In early chapters you learned why you need to incorporate each of the macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, and fat) into your meal plan. Now, you need to make sure you understand which foods fit into each category. I can tell you that most youth athletes - as well as their parents - are surprised to find out which foods are considered sources of carbohydrate. Learning how to categorize foods is the first step to building a meal plan that will properly support growth, development, and sport performance.
Which Foods Are Carbohydrate Sources?
Recall that carbohydrate is divided into complex and simple. In terms of the U.S. government icon MyPlate discussed in chapter 2, all five areas of the plate can provide carbohydrate, although some offer more choices than others. Choices from the grain, fruit, and vegetable sections all have carbohydrate. Milk and yogurt, which fall under the dairy group, are also sources of carbohydrate. From the protein section of the plate, we get carbohydrate from beans and legumes. Foods with added sugar also have carbohydrate. These foods, such as the sugar in a sport drink or candy, may not have a place on the MyPlate icon, but they are foods that youth athletes may consume on occasion. As you learned, some of the engineered sport foods have added sugar on purpose to provide the energy needed for long-distance or high-intensity activity.
Which Foods Are Protein Sources?
Remember that protein contains amino acids, which are used to build and repair body tissues. Protein occurs in most animal-based products such as red meat,poultry, fish, milk, eggs, and cheese as well as some plant-based foods such as soy, beans, and legumes.
Some foods are categorized as containing only protein (e.g., egg whites and boneless, skinless chicken breast that is very lean). Foods considered sources of both protein and fat include chicken thighs and whole eggs. Some foods are categorized as containing both protein and carbohydrate (e.g., beans and legumes).
The protein foods you choose should depend on your needs, goals, and training. You can choose foods that are either complete or incomplete proteins, but most, if not all, of your meals and mini-meals should include a source of protein.
Which Foods Are Fat Sources?
Dietary fat is an important fuel source for youth athletes. In chapter 2 you learned that dietary fat can be categorized as unsaturated fat, saturated fat, or trans fat. Many foods contain naturally occurring fat; many of the protein sources just mentioned fall into that category. Other foods have added fat (e.g., buttery crackers or a slice of birthday cake). Some foods have no or very little carbohydrate or protein and are considered fat sources only. These include oils, butter, nut butters, nuts, seeds, and salad dressings. When filling in your meal skeleton, make sure that all of your fat sources, both naturally occurring fats and all added fats, are included within your total fat servings.
Table 8.1 provides a quick glimpse into how to categorize foods. Remember that many carbohydrate sources are made with fat and fall under both categories, and many protein foods have naturally occurring fat and fall under both categories.
Save
Save
Learn more about Fueling Young Athletes.
Family differences
When two of my kids were in third and fifth grades, they both had early school lunch periods and came home from school extremely hungry. They did not need an after-school snack; they needed a meal. My solution was to serve dinner at 4 p.m. and then a mini-meal around 7:00 p.m.
When two of my kids were in third and fifth grades, they both had early school lunch periods and came home from school extremely hungry. They did not need an after-school snack; they needed a meal. My solution was to serve dinner at 4 p.m. and then a mini-meal around 7:00 p.m. Between dinner and the evening mini-meal was swimming practice, gymnastics, religious education, and my third son's therapy (he has severe autism, so his evenings are filled with therapy rather than sports). Every day was go-go-go! I was lucky enough to have a flexible job so that I could be home when my kids got off the bus. However, not all parents are. Whether your kids go to after-school care, stay after school for practice, or go home to a babysitter, they need a balanced meal. It might be a mini-meal, but it is still a meal. If kids are not taught to eat meals when they are hungry, they will fill up on quick snacks.
Remember the discussion in chapter 1 about what makes a star athlete: Champions do not decide their future. Champions decide their habits. Their habits decide their future.
This year, things changed. My fourth-grade daughter eats lunch early, but my sixth-grade son eats lunch later. That means that she comes home hungry, but he doesn't. My solution is to feed my daughter dinner at 3:45 p.m. and then heat my son's dinner a little later, around 4:30 p.m. My third son has difficulty gaining weight, so he eats on a very structured schedule. His mealtimes fall at 3:30 and 7:00 p.m.
So, what do you do when kids are on different schedules? You get flexible. Sometimes even in the same family, meal skeletons (patterns) have to be set up differently. That is the reality of a sporting family! Having multiple kids running in multiple directions is often a reality, but it does not mean that the family's health has to be sacrificed.
Barrier:
The kids are very hungry as soon as they get home, but I can't make dinner that quickly.
Solution:
Bulk-cook ahead of time.
Open my refrigerator on a Monday, and you would think I was ready to feed an army. That's because I take three to five hours on Sunday evenings to prepare and cook seven or eight full meals for the week. I use all of my kitchen resources to make it work: slow cooker, oven, stovetop, microwave - even my outside grill is getting action. I chop and dice vegetables for the week, and I clean and cut up fruit so it is ready to go. Everything goes into glass containers in the refrigerator. This works for us because between homework and extracurricular activities, I do not have time to cook a healthy meal every night.
Take a minute to think about the foods you visualize when you hear the word snack? For many kids, the word refers to a quick, often salty, crunchy food (e.g., popcorn or chips) to eat to stave off hunger. Snack foods can fill kids up quickly, but many do not provide proper nourishment.
Having meals ready in the refrigerator prevents kids from grabbing low-nutrient snacks to satisfy their after-school hunger. Get them in the habit of eating a healthy meal; then they can have a balanced mini-meal later in the day.
Barrier:
I have no time to cook during the week, and on the weekends we are always traveling for my daughter's traveling league.
Solution:
Plan ahead and get creative.
When it comes to eating well, options other than spending lots of time in the kitchen are available. Here are a few examples:
- Use a slow cooker. A slow cooker is the answer to a busy family's prayers! Before you leave for work in the morning, toss all of the ingredients in the cooker, turn it on, and go to work. When you get home, the meal is ready. You will need to do some prep work the evening before. I recommend having everything ready to go so that the morning is as easy as possible. Clean and trim chicken, have potatoes cleaned and ready to cut, chop vegetables, and so on. If you are adding spices, have them measured and ready to add to the dish.
- Stop for a healthy fast-food meal. Eating out is a reality for many busy sport families, and that is OK. Today, it is possible to find a healthy option at most restaurants, even fast-food establishments. Table 9.1 earlier in this chapter offers tips for eating well when traveling. Those same foods can be used when the travel is only from school to practice.
- Load up your cooler and take your food with you. If you cooked in advance as I suggested, this is a time to cash in on your preparations. Grab a few of those homemade meals from the freezer, put them in a cooler, add a few ice packs, and off you go.
- Have a frozen meal. I don't often encourage frozen meals (unless they are homemade), but busy times call for easy solutions. If you have a favorite frozen meal or entrée that you know your youth athlete will eat, keep a few in the freezer as a backup. On a day when all else fails, that frozen meal is better than nothing at all.
Barrier:
I make a healthy dinner, but my kids won't eat it.
Solution:
Serve two dinners;or serve the meal before they fill up on snacks.
A major complaint from parents is that their kids will not eat what they make for dinner. If kids are filling up on low-nutrient snacks after school (e.g., chips, cookies, crackers), when dinnertime rolls around, they may not be hungry for your well-balanced meal. Forget snacks; youth athletes need meals. Serve the meal first.
Barrier:
All of my kids are picky and like different foods.
Solution:
Offer choices.
Just like adults, kids and teens have likes and dislikes. They also strive for control (some more than others). One way to help them have control is to offer food choices - not 10 choices, but 2. Cooking meals in advance makes this very easy because the food is already in the refrigerator. Think of a meal that is well accepted by most members of the family, and have it available. For example, I always have turkey burgers in my refrigerator. If my son does not like the meal I prepared for dinner, I allow him to heat up a turkey burger and have it with a side of fruit and vegetables.
Barrier:
My kids always complain about what I make for dinner.
Solution:
Create a meal rotation.
It would be nice if kids just ate what was made for dinner every night, but that is not the reality. As a parent, you have the benefit of not buying or cooking food that you do not like; kids are not so lucky. It is important for kids to try new foods and eat a variety, but it is not necessarily fair that you get to make all the decisions. To increase the chances that your kids will eat what you cook, involve them in the process. Children like to be included in decisions, and it helps them learn about food, nutrition, and meal planning. Have them help you create a meal rotation for the week that includes their favorites. Have each member of the family choose a day of the week and write down what he or she wants to eat that day. When one child complains that she doesn't want to eat that, you can remind her that it is not her night to choose, and that another night everyone will have to eat her selection. With everyone's help, the weekly menu is made.
If everyone agrees, the meals can be simple and repeat weekly. Have the family decide on five meals that everyone loves, such as spaghetti and meatballs, tacos, stir-fry, chili, and sandwiches. During the busy season, rotate through these meals if necessary. The goal is to eat a healthy, balanced meal without causing stress to the chef.
Learn more about Fueling Young Athletes.
Energy bars
Many parents and athletes want to know the best nutrition or energy bar to take to school or eat after exercise. What’s best depends on what you are using it for.
Many parents and athletes want to know the best nutrition or energy bar to take to school or eat after exercise. What's best depends on what you are using it for. Are you eating it as your breakfast? Is it to satisfy hunger after school? Are you looking for a preworkout bar, or do you need something convenient for immediately after activity?
Bars with high carbohydrate receive a lot of negative press, but a bar with quick-digesting carbohydrate, low fiber and fat, and just a bit of protein is what a cyclist on a long-distance ride really needs. It can also be a good option for a swimmer who has to fuel up before the next event. That same bar, however, would not be the best choice as you are running out of the house for school. A good bar for breakfast includes complex carbohydrate, fiber, protein, and even a little fat.
A bar to have after activity should contain a balance of nutrients, but the size depends on how exhaustive the exercise was. After an hour-long training session, a smaller 150- to 200-calorie balanced bar might be enough; for athletes with high calorie needs, a 300- to 400-calorie bar might be more appropriate.
Because I get so many questions about the best bar, I want to address how different bars fit into the meal plan. And because not many bars have the balance of high-quality nutrients I want, I share how you can make them as well as how they will fit into your meal plan. This way you can also compare their nutrition facts and ingredients lists to those of other bars on the market. I purposely use a lot of the same ingredients in these recipes so that you can have them on hand.
Balanced Breakfast Bar
2 CHO + 1 PRO + 2 FAT
- 1 tsp (5 g) cinnamon
- 1/3 cup brown rice syrup
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup almond butter
- 1/4 cup almonds, whole, unsalted, chopped
- 1/4 cup tropical fruit, dried, chopped
- 1 cup crispy rice cereal
- 1 cup oats, old-fashioned
- 1 1/2 scoops (32 g) whey protein powder, vanilla
- 1/8 tsp (0.6 g) table salt
Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Line an 8- by 8-inch (20 by 20 cm) pan with parchment paper. Cut the paper long enough so that it hangs over the sides.
Combine rice cereal, oats, protein powder, cinnamon, salt, and chopped almonds in a large bowl. Mix well and set aside.
Place the brown rice syrup, vanilla, almond butter, and diced fruit pieces in a microwavable bowl and microwave for 30 seconds on high. Stir with a spoon until evenly blended.
Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients, and use a sturdy spoon to mix. Using a bit of cooking spray on the spoon will help prevent sticking. You can also use your hands to stir. Mix well so that everything is moist.
Once it is mixed, spread evenly into the pan. Use another piece of parchment paper to press the mixture firmly and evenly into the pan using a heavy steel spatula. If the mixture isn't pressed firmly enough, the bar will crumble after cooking. Press firmly around the edges and all areas of the pan. Once it is pressed, remove the parchment paper you used to press. The mixture should appear tight, flat, and even in the pan.
Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool. Once cooled, refrigerate for one to two hours, remove from the pan, and cut into eight bars. Refrigerate or freeze.
Save
Save
Learn more about Fueling Young Athletes.
Day-to-day nutrition for healthy growth
Because I counsel young athletes, I work with a lot of parents and families. Most parents have very specific questions about fueling for sports. They want to know what to eat before an event, how much to drink during a game, and what the best meal is for recovery.
Because I counsel young athletes, I work with a lot of parents and families. Most parents have very specific questions about fueling for sports. They want to know what to eat before an event, how much to drink during a game, and what the best meal is for recovery. Although these are all important questions that are addressed in this book, the foods that are eaten day to day play a much larger role in health and athletic performance. Adequate day-to-day nutrition is what supports healthy growth and development, boosts the immune system, and works to heal sport injuries.
This book begins with a discussion of the basics, because a solid diet foundation needs to be the number one priority. Athletes are unlikely to be the best they can be if they are sick or injured. A healthy, injury-free athlete equals a winning athlete. Just as athletes who participate in different sports have different energy requirements, growing children have different energy requirements from those of adults. Daily nutrition requirements vary based on developmental age, sex, body type, and body composition. Adding in a recovery meal, for example, when athletes' day-to-day nutritional requirements have not been met will do little to help them meet their athletic goals. Once daily nutritional needs are met, then the extra foods and fluids needed to support sport training become the focus.
Nutrition Basics
The body gets its energy from food, which should provide a variety of vitamins and minerals. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Some foods provide the calories needed for growth but do not provide the nutrients needed for supporting development. The result is usually an overweight yet undernourished body.
The best food supports the growth, development, and maintenance of muscles, bones, organs, skin, and blood to cleanse, oxygenate, and nourish all parts of the body. The day-to-day diet should provide adequate amounts of all six essential nutrients that the body requires to function properly: water, carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. Athletes should understand the role and function of each of the essential nutrients, and they should have a general understanding of how much they need of each. See figure 2.1 for each nutrient's role.
The six essential nutrients.
The essential nutrients are divided into three categories: macronutrients, micronutrients, and water. The macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, and fat) supply the energy needed to fuel working muscles. For that reason, they are referred to as the energy-yielding nutrients. That energy is measured in calories. Vitamins and minerals (also called micronutrients) do not supply energy, but they are vital to life and needed for normal growth and development. Finally, water does not supply energy, but it is a component of all cells and is vital for life.
In addition to providing the nutrients vital for life, foods provide phytochemicals (i.e., compounds that give the foods classified as superfoods their superpowers). Phytochemicals are believed to help protect against certain diseases. Aside from the potential health benefits, many phytonutrients may help reduce inflammation, thereby boosting immune function and improving focus and concentration, all things that help athletes perform well.
Save
Save
Save
Save
Learn more about Fueling Young Athletes.
Learn to categorize foods
In early chapters you learned why you need to incorporate each of the macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, and fat) into your meal plan. Now, you need to make sure you understand which foods fit into each category.
In early chapters you learned why you need to incorporate each of the macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, and fat) into your meal plan. Now, you need to make sure you understand which foods fit into each category. I can tell you that most youth athletes - as well as their parents - are surprised to find out which foods are considered sources of carbohydrate. Learning how to categorize foods is the first step to building a meal plan that will properly support growth, development, and sport performance.
Which Foods Are Carbohydrate Sources?
Recall that carbohydrate is divided into complex and simple. In terms of the U.S. government icon MyPlate discussed in chapter 2, all five areas of the plate can provide carbohydrate, although some offer more choices than others. Choices from the grain, fruit, and vegetable sections all have carbohydrate. Milk and yogurt, which fall under the dairy group, are also sources of carbohydrate. From the protein section of the plate, we get carbohydrate from beans and legumes. Foods with added sugar also have carbohydrate. These foods, such as the sugar in a sport drink or candy, may not have a place on the MyPlate icon, but they are foods that youth athletes may consume on occasion. As you learned, some of the engineered sport foods have added sugar on purpose to provide the energy needed for long-distance or high-intensity activity.
Which Foods Are Protein Sources?
Remember that protein contains amino acids, which are used to build and repair body tissues. Protein occurs in most animal-based products such as red meat,poultry, fish, milk, eggs, and cheese as well as some plant-based foods such as soy, beans, and legumes.
Some foods are categorized as containing only protein (e.g., egg whites and boneless, skinless chicken breast that is very lean). Foods considered sources of both protein and fat include chicken thighs and whole eggs. Some foods are categorized as containing both protein and carbohydrate (e.g., beans and legumes).
The protein foods you choose should depend on your needs, goals, and training. You can choose foods that are either complete or incomplete proteins, but most, if not all, of your meals and mini-meals should include a source of protein.
Which Foods Are Fat Sources?
Dietary fat is an important fuel source for youth athletes. In chapter 2 you learned that dietary fat can be categorized as unsaturated fat, saturated fat, or trans fat. Many foods contain naturally occurring fat; many of the protein sources just mentioned fall into that category. Other foods have added fat (e.g., buttery crackers or a slice of birthday cake). Some foods have no or very little carbohydrate or protein and are considered fat sources only. These include oils, butter, nut butters, nuts, seeds, and salad dressings. When filling in your meal skeleton, make sure that all of your fat sources, both naturally occurring fats and all added fats, are included within your total fat servings.
Table 8.1 provides a quick glimpse into how to categorize foods. Remember that many carbohydrate sources are made with fat and fall under both categories, and many protein foods have naturally occurring fat and fall under both categories.
Save
Save
Learn more about Fueling Young Athletes.
Family differences
When two of my kids were in third and fifth grades, they both had early school lunch periods and came home from school extremely hungry. They did not need an after-school snack; they needed a meal. My solution was to serve dinner at 4 p.m. and then a mini-meal around 7:00 p.m.
When two of my kids were in third and fifth grades, they both had early school lunch periods and came home from school extremely hungry. They did not need an after-school snack; they needed a meal. My solution was to serve dinner at 4 p.m. and then a mini-meal around 7:00 p.m. Between dinner and the evening mini-meal was swimming practice, gymnastics, religious education, and my third son's therapy (he has severe autism, so his evenings are filled with therapy rather than sports). Every day was go-go-go! I was lucky enough to have a flexible job so that I could be home when my kids got off the bus. However, not all parents are. Whether your kids go to after-school care, stay after school for practice, or go home to a babysitter, they need a balanced meal. It might be a mini-meal, but it is still a meal. If kids are not taught to eat meals when they are hungry, they will fill up on quick snacks.
Remember the discussion in chapter 1 about what makes a star athlete: Champions do not decide their future. Champions decide their habits. Their habits decide their future.
This year, things changed. My fourth-grade daughter eats lunch early, but my sixth-grade son eats lunch later. That means that she comes home hungry, but he doesn't. My solution is to feed my daughter dinner at 3:45 p.m. and then heat my son's dinner a little later, around 4:30 p.m. My third son has difficulty gaining weight, so he eats on a very structured schedule. His mealtimes fall at 3:30 and 7:00 p.m.
So, what do you do when kids are on different schedules? You get flexible. Sometimes even in the same family, meal skeletons (patterns) have to be set up differently. That is the reality of a sporting family! Having multiple kids running in multiple directions is often a reality, but it does not mean that the family's health has to be sacrificed.
Barrier:
The kids are very hungry as soon as they get home, but I can't make dinner that quickly.
Solution:
Bulk-cook ahead of time.
Open my refrigerator on a Monday, and you would think I was ready to feed an army. That's because I take three to five hours on Sunday evenings to prepare and cook seven or eight full meals for the week. I use all of my kitchen resources to make it work: slow cooker, oven, stovetop, microwave - even my outside grill is getting action. I chop and dice vegetables for the week, and I clean and cut up fruit so it is ready to go. Everything goes into glass containers in the refrigerator. This works for us because between homework and extracurricular activities, I do not have time to cook a healthy meal every night.
Take a minute to think about the foods you visualize when you hear the word snack? For many kids, the word refers to a quick, often salty, crunchy food (e.g., popcorn or chips) to eat to stave off hunger. Snack foods can fill kids up quickly, but many do not provide proper nourishment.
Having meals ready in the refrigerator prevents kids from grabbing low-nutrient snacks to satisfy their after-school hunger. Get them in the habit of eating a healthy meal; then they can have a balanced mini-meal later in the day.
Barrier:
I have no time to cook during the week, and on the weekends we are always traveling for my daughter's traveling league.
Solution:
Plan ahead and get creative.
When it comes to eating well, options other than spending lots of time in the kitchen are available. Here are a few examples:
- Use a slow cooker. A slow cooker is the answer to a busy family's prayers! Before you leave for work in the morning, toss all of the ingredients in the cooker, turn it on, and go to work. When you get home, the meal is ready. You will need to do some prep work the evening before. I recommend having everything ready to go so that the morning is as easy as possible. Clean and trim chicken, have potatoes cleaned and ready to cut, chop vegetables, and so on. If you are adding spices, have them measured and ready to add to the dish.
- Stop for a healthy fast-food meal. Eating out is a reality for many busy sport families, and that is OK. Today, it is possible to find a healthy option at most restaurants, even fast-food establishments. Table 9.1 earlier in this chapter offers tips for eating well when traveling. Those same foods can be used when the travel is only from school to practice.
- Load up your cooler and take your food with you. If you cooked in advance as I suggested, this is a time to cash in on your preparations. Grab a few of those homemade meals from the freezer, put them in a cooler, add a few ice packs, and off you go.
- Have a frozen meal. I don't often encourage frozen meals (unless they are homemade), but busy times call for easy solutions. If you have a favorite frozen meal or entrée that you know your youth athlete will eat, keep a few in the freezer as a backup. On a day when all else fails, that frozen meal is better than nothing at all.
Barrier:
I make a healthy dinner, but my kids won't eat it.
Solution:
Serve two dinners;or serve the meal before they fill up on snacks.
A major complaint from parents is that their kids will not eat what they make for dinner. If kids are filling up on low-nutrient snacks after school (e.g., chips, cookies, crackers), when dinnertime rolls around, they may not be hungry for your well-balanced meal. Forget snacks; youth athletes need meals. Serve the meal first.
Barrier:
All of my kids are picky and like different foods.
Solution:
Offer choices.
Just like adults, kids and teens have likes and dislikes. They also strive for control (some more than others). One way to help them have control is to offer food choices - not 10 choices, but 2. Cooking meals in advance makes this very easy because the food is already in the refrigerator. Think of a meal that is well accepted by most members of the family, and have it available. For example, I always have turkey burgers in my refrigerator. If my son does not like the meal I prepared for dinner, I allow him to heat up a turkey burger and have it with a side of fruit and vegetables.
Barrier:
My kids always complain about what I make for dinner.
Solution:
Create a meal rotation.
It would be nice if kids just ate what was made for dinner every night, but that is not the reality. As a parent, you have the benefit of not buying or cooking food that you do not like; kids are not so lucky. It is important for kids to try new foods and eat a variety, but it is not necessarily fair that you get to make all the decisions. To increase the chances that your kids will eat what you cook, involve them in the process. Children like to be included in decisions, and it helps them learn about food, nutrition, and meal planning. Have them help you create a meal rotation for the week that includes their favorites. Have each member of the family choose a day of the week and write down what he or she wants to eat that day. When one child complains that she doesn't want to eat that, you can remind her that it is not her night to choose, and that another night everyone will have to eat her selection. With everyone's help, the weekly menu is made.
If everyone agrees, the meals can be simple and repeat weekly. Have the family decide on five meals that everyone loves, such as spaghetti and meatballs, tacos, stir-fry, chili, and sandwiches. During the busy season, rotate through these meals if necessary. The goal is to eat a healthy, balanced meal without causing stress to the chef.
Learn more about Fueling Young Athletes.
Energy bars
Many parents and athletes want to know the best nutrition or energy bar to take to school or eat after exercise. What’s best depends on what you are using it for.
Many parents and athletes want to know the best nutrition or energy bar to take to school or eat after exercise. What's best depends on what you are using it for. Are you eating it as your breakfast? Is it to satisfy hunger after school? Are you looking for a preworkout bar, or do you need something convenient for immediately after activity?
Bars with high carbohydrate receive a lot of negative press, but a bar with quick-digesting carbohydrate, low fiber and fat, and just a bit of protein is what a cyclist on a long-distance ride really needs. It can also be a good option for a swimmer who has to fuel up before the next event. That same bar, however, would not be the best choice as you are running out of the house for school. A good bar for breakfast includes complex carbohydrate, fiber, protein, and even a little fat.
A bar to have after activity should contain a balance of nutrients, but the size depends on how exhaustive the exercise was. After an hour-long training session, a smaller 150- to 200-calorie balanced bar might be enough; for athletes with high calorie needs, a 300- to 400-calorie bar might be more appropriate.
Because I get so many questions about the best bar, I want to address how different bars fit into the meal plan. And because not many bars have the balance of high-quality nutrients I want, I share how you can make them as well as how they will fit into your meal plan. This way you can also compare their nutrition facts and ingredients lists to those of other bars on the market. I purposely use a lot of the same ingredients in these recipes so that you can have them on hand.
Balanced Breakfast Bar
2 CHO + 1 PRO + 2 FAT
- 1 tsp (5 g) cinnamon
- 1/3 cup brown rice syrup
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup almond butter
- 1/4 cup almonds, whole, unsalted, chopped
- 1/4 cup tropical fruit, dried, chopped
- 1 cup crispy rice cereal
- 1 cup oats, old-fashioned
- 1 1/2 scoops (32 g) whey protein powder, vanilla
- 1/8 tsp (0.6 g) table salt
Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Line an 8- by 8-inch (20 by 20 cm) pan with parchment paper. Cut the paper long enough so that it hangs over the sides.
Combine rice cereal, oats, protein powder, cinnamon, salt, and chopped almonds in a large bowl. Mix well and set aside.
Place the brown rice syrup, vanilla, almond butter, and diced fruit pieces in a microwavable bowl and microwave for 30 seconds on high. Stir with a spoon until evenly blended.
Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients, and use a sturdy spoon to mix. Using a bit of cooking spray on the spoon will help prevent sticking. You can also use your hands to stir. Mix well so that everything is moist.
Once it is mixed, spread evenly into the pan. Use another piece of parchment paper to press the mixture firmly and evenly into the pan using a heavy steel spatula. If the mixture isn't pressed firmly enough, the bar will crumble after cooking. Press firmly around the edges and all areas of the pan. Once it is pressed, remove the parchment paper you used to press. The mixture should appear tight, flat, and even in the pan.
Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool. Once cooled, refrigerate for one to two hours, remove from the pan, and cut into eight bars. Refrigerate or freeze.
Save
Save
Learn more about Fueling Young Athletes.
Day-to-day nutrition for healthy growth
Because I counsel young athletes, I work with a lot of parents and families. Most parents have very specific questions about fueling for sports. They want to know what to eat before an event, how much to drink during a game, and what the best meal is for recovery.
Because I counsel young athletes, I work with a lot of parents and families. Most parents have very specific questions about fueling for sports. They want to know what to eat before an event, how much to drink during a game, and what the best meal is for recovery. Although these are all important questions that are addressed in this book, the foods that are eaten day to day play a much larger role in health and athletic performance. Adequate day-to-day nutrition is what supports healthy growth and development, boosts the immune system, and works to heal sport injuries.
This book begins with a discussion of the basics, because a solid diet foundation needs to be the number one priority. Athletes are unlikely to be the best they can be if they are sick or injured. A healthy, injury-free athlete equals a winning athlete. Just as athletes who participate in different sports have different energy requirements, growing children have different energy requirements from those of adults. Daily nutrition requirements vary based on developmental age, sex, body type, and body composition. Adding in a recovery meal, for example, when athletes' day-to-day nutritional requirements have not been met will do little to help them meet their athletic goals. Once daily nutritional needs are met, then the extra foods and fluids needed to support sport training become the focus.
Nutrition Basics
The body gets its energy from food, which should provide a variety of vitamins and minerals. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Some foods provide the calories needed for growth but do not provide the nutrients needed for supporting development. The result is usually an overweight yet undernourished body.
The best food supports the growth, development, and maintenance of muscles, bones, organs, skin, and blood to cleanse, oxygenate, and nourish all parts of the body. The day-to-day diet should provide adequate amounts of all six essential nutrients that the body requires to function properly: water, carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. Athletes should understand the role and function of each of the essential nutrients, and they should have a general understanding of how much they need of each. See figure 2.1 for each nutrient's role.
The six essential nutrients.
The essential nutrients are divided into three categories: macronutrients, micronutrients, and water. The macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, and fat) supply the energy needed to fuel working muscles. For that reason, they are referred to as the energy-yielding nutrients. That energy is measured in calories. Vitamins and minerals (also called micronutrients) do not supply energy, but they are vital to life and needed for normal growth and development. Finally, water does not supply energy, but it is a component of all cells and is vital for life.
In addition to providing the nutrients vital for life, foods provide phytochemicals (i.e., compounds that give the foods classified as superfoods their superpowers). Phytochemicals are believed to help protect against certain diseases. Aside from the potential health benefits, many phytonutrients may help reduce inflammation, thereby boosting immune function and improving focus and concentration, all things that help athletes perform well.
Save
Save
Save
Save
Learn more about Fueling Young Athletes.
Learn to categorize foods
In early chapters you learned why you need to incorporate each of the macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, and fat) into your meal plan. Now, you need to make sure you understand which foods fit into each category.
In early chapters you learned why you need to incorporate each of the macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, and fat) into your meal plan. Now, you need to make sure you understand which foods fit into each category. I can tell you that most youth athletes - as well as their parents - are surprised to find out which foods are considered sources of carbohydrate. Learning how to categorize foods is the first step to building a meal plan that will properly support growth, development, and sport performance.
Which Foods Are Carbohydrate Sources?
Recall that carbohydrate is divided into complex and simple. In terms of the U.S. government icon MyPlate discussed in chapter 2, all five areas of the plate can provide carbohydrate, although some offer more choices than others. Choices from the grain, fruit, and vegetable sections all have carbohydrate. Milk and yogurt, which fall under the dairy group, are also sources of carbohydrate. From the protein section of the plate, we get carbohydrate from beans and legumes. Foods with added sugar also have carbohydrate. These foods, such as the sugar in a sport drink or candy, may not have a place on the MyPlate icon, but they are foods that youth athletes may consume on occasion. As you learned, some of the engineered sport foods have added sugar on purpose to provide the energy needed for long-distance or high-intensity activity.
Which Foods Are Protein Sources?
Remember that protein contains amino acids, which are used to build and repair body tissues. Protein occurs in most animal-based products such as red meat,poultry, fish, milk, eggs, and cheese as well as some plant-based foods such as soy, beans, and legumes.
Some foods are categorized as containing only protein (e.g., egg whites and boneless, skinless chicken breast that is very lean). Foods considered sources of both protein and fat include chicken thighs and whole eggs. Some foods are categorized as containing both protein and carbohydrate (e.g., beans and legumes).
The protein foods you choose should depend on your needs, goals, and training. You can choose foods that are either complete or incomplete proteins, but most, if not all, of your meals and mini-meals should include a source of protein.
Which Foods Are Fat Sources?
Dietary fat is an important fuel source for youth athletes. In chapter 2 you learned that dietary fat can be categorized as unsaturated fat, saturated fat, or trans fat. Many foods contain naturally occurring fat; many of the protein sources just mentioned fall into that category. Other foods have added fat (e.g., buttery crackers or a slice of birthday cake). Some foods have no or very little carbohydrate or protein and are considered fat sources only. These include oils, butter, nut butters, nuts, seeds, and salad dressings. When filling in your meal skeleton, make sure that all of your fat sources, both naturally occurring fats and all added fats, are included within your total fat servings.
Table 8.1 provides a quick glimpse into how to categorize foods. Remember that many carbohydrate sources are made with fat and fall under both categories, and many protein foods have naturally occurring fat and fall under both categories.
Save
Save
Learn more about Fueling Young Athletes.
Family differences
When two of my kids were in third and fifth grades, they both had early school lunch periods and came home from school extremely hungry. They did not need an after-school snack; they needed a meal. My solution was to serve dinner at 4 p.m. and then a mini-meal around 7:00 p.m.
When two of my kids were in third and fifth grades, they both had early school lunch periods and came home from school extremely hungry. They did not need an after-school snack; they needed a meal. My solution was to serve dinner at 4 p.m. and then a mini-meal around 7:00 p.m. Between dinner and the evening mini-meal was swimming practice, gymnastics, religious education, and my third son's therapy (he has severe autism, so his evenings are filled with therapy rather than sports). Every day was go-go-go! I was lucky enough to have a flexible job so that I could be home when my kids got off the bus. However, not all parents are. Whether your kids go to after-school care, stay after school for practice, or go home to a babysitter, they need a balanced meal. It might be a mini-meal, but it is still a meal. If kids are not taught to eat meals when they are hungry, they will fill up on quick snacks.
Remember the discussion in chapter 1 about what makes a star athlete: Champions do not decide their future. Champions decide their habits. Their habits decide their future.
This year, things changed. My fourth-grade daughter eats lunch early, but my sixth-grade son eats lunch later. That means that she comes home hungry, but he doesn't. My solution is to feed my daughter dinner at 3:45 p.m. and then heat my son's dinner a little later, around 4:30 p.m. My third son has difficulty gaining weight, so he eats on a very structured schedule. His mealtimes fall at 3:30 and 7:00 p.m.
So, what do you do when kids are on different schedules? You get flexible. Sometimes even in the same family, meal skeletons (patterns) have to be set up differently. That is the reality of a sporting family! Having multiple kids running in multiple directions is often a reality, but it does not mean that the family's health has to be sacrificed.
Barrier:
The kids are very hungry as soon as they get home, but I can't make dinner that quickly.
Solution:
Bulk-cook ahead of time.
Open my refrigerator on a Monday, and you would think I was ready to feed an army. That's because I take three to five hours on Sunday evenings to prepare and cook seven or eight full meals for the week. I use all of my kitchen resources to make it work: slow cooker, oven, stovetop, microwave - even my outside grill is getting action. I chop and dice vegetables for the week, and I clean and cut up fruit so it is ready to go. Everything goes into glass containers in the refrigerator. This works for us because between homework and extracurricular activities, I do not have time to cook a healthy meal every night.
Take a minute to think about the foods you visualize when you hear the word snack? For many kids, the word refers to a quick, often salty, crunchy food (e.g., popcorn or chips) to eat to stave off hunger. Snack foods can fill kids up quickly, but many do not provide proper nourishment.
Having meals ready in the refrigerator prevents kids from grabbing low-nutrient snacks to satisfy their after-school hunger. Get them in the habit of eating a healthy meal; then they can have a balanced mini-meal later in the day.
Barrier:
I have no time to cook during the week, and on the weekends we are always traveling for my daughter's traveling league.
Solution:
Plan ahead and get creative.
When it comes to eating well, options other than spending lots of time in the kitchen are available. Here are a few examples:
- Use a slow cooker. A slow cooker is the answer to a busy family's prayers! Before you leave for work in the morning, toss all of the ingredients in the cooker, turn it on, and go to work. When you get home, the meal is ready. You will need to do some prep work the evening before. I recommend having everything ready to go so that the morning is as easy as possible. Clean and trim chicken, have potatoes cleaned and ready to cut, chop vegetables, and so on. If you are adding spices, have them measured and ready to add to the dish.
- Stop for a healthy fast-food meal. Eating out is a reality for many busy sport families, and that is OK. Today, it is possible to find a healthy option at most restaurants, even fast-food establishments. Table 9.1 earlier in this chapter offers tips for eating well when traveling. Those same foods can be used when the travel is only from school to practice.
- Load up your cooler and take your food with you. If you cooked in advance as I suggested, this is a time to cash in on your preparations. Grab a few of those homemade meals from the freezer, put them in a cooler, add a few ice packs, and off you go.
- Have a frozen meal. I don't often encourage frozen meals (unless they are homemade), but busy times call for easy solutions. If you have a favorite frozen meal or entrée that you know your youth athlete will eat, keep a few in the freezer as a backup. On a day when all else fails, that frozen meal is better than nothing at all.
Barrier:
I make a healthy dinner, but my kids won't eat it.
Solution:
Serve two dinners;or serve the meal before they fill up on snacks.
A major complaint from parents is that their kids will not eat what they make for dinner. If kids are filling up on low-nutrient snacks after school (e.g., chips, cookies, crackers), when dinnertime rolls around, they may not be hungry for your well-balanced meal. Forget snacks; youth athletes need meals. Serve the meal first.
Barrier:
All of my kids are picky and like different foods.
Solution:
Offer choices.
Just like adults, kids and teens have likes and dislikes. They also strive for control (some more than others). One way to help them have control is to offer food choices - not 10 choices, but 2. Cooking meals in advance makes this very easy because the food is already in the refrigerator. Think of a meal that is well accepted by most members of the family, and have it available. For example, I always have turkey burgers in my refrigerator. If my son does not like the meal I prepared for dinner, I allow him to heat up a turkey burger and have it with a side of fruit and vegetables.
Barrier:
My kids always complain about what I make for dinner.
Solution:
Create a meal rotation.
It would be nice if kids just ate what was made for dinner every night, but that is not the reality. As a parent, you have the benefit of not buying or cooking food that you do not like; kids are not so lucky. It is important for kids to try new foods and eat a variety, but it is not necessarily fair that you get to make all the decisions. To increase the chances that your kids will eat what you cook, involve them in the process. Children like to be included in decisions, and it helps them learn about food, nutrition, and meal planning. Have them help you create a meal rotation for the week that includes their favorites. Have each member of the family choose a day of the week and write down what he or she wants to eat that day. When one child complains that she doesn't want to eat that, you can remind her that it is not her night to choose, and that another night everyone will have to eat her selection. With everyone's help, the weekly menu is made.
If everyone agrees, the meals can be simple and repeat weekly. Have the family decide on five meals that everyone loves, such as spaghetti and meatballs, tacos, stir-fry, chili, and sandwiches. During the busy season, rotate through these meals if necessary. The goal is to eat a healthy, balanced meal without causing stress to the chef.
Learn more about Fueling Young Athletes.
Energy bars
Many parents and athletes want to know the best nutrition or energy bar to take to school or eat after exercise. What’s best depends on what you are using it for.
Many parents and athletes want to know the best nutrition or energy bar to take to school or eat after exercise. What's best depends on what you are using it for. Are you eating it as your breakfast? Is it to satisfy hunger after school? Are you looking for a preworkout bar, or do you need something convenient for immediately after activity?
Bars with high carbohydrate receive a lot of negative press, but a bar with quick-digesting carbohydrate, low fiber and fat, and just a bit of protein is what a cyclist on a long-distance ride really needs. It can also be a good option for a swimmer who has to fuel up before the next event. That same bar, however, would not be the best choice as you are running out of the house for school. A good bar for breakfast includes complex carbohydrate, fiber, protein, and even a little fat.
A bar to have after activity should contain a balance of nutrients, but the size depends on how exhaustive the exercise was. After an hour-long training session, a smaller 150- to 200-calorie balanced bar might be enough; for athletes with high calorie needs, a 300- to 400-calorie bar might be more appropriate.
Because I get so many questions about the best bar, I want to address how different bars fit into the meal plan. And because not many bars have the balance of high-quality nutrients I want, I share how you can make them as well as how they will fit into your meal plan. This way you can also compare their nutrition facts and ingredients lists to those of other bars on the market. I purposely use a lot of the same ingredients in these recipes so that you can have them on hand.
Balanced Breakfast Bar
2 CHO + 1 PRO + 2 FAT
- 1 tsp (5 g) cinnamon
- 1/3 cup brown rice syrup
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup almond butter
- 1/4 cup almonds, whole, unsalted, chopped
- 1/4 cup tropical fruit, dried, chopped
- 1 cup crispy rice cereal
- 1 cup oats, old-fashioned
- 1 1/2 scoops (32 g) whey protein powder, vanilla
- 1/8 tsp (0.6 g) table salt
Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Line an 8- by 8-inch (20 by 20 cm) pan with parchment paper. Cut the paper long enough so that it hangs over the sides.
Combine rice cereal, oats, protein powder, cinnamon, salt, and chopped almonds in a large bowl. Mix well and set aside.
Place the brown rice syrup, vanilla, almond butter, and diced fruit pieces in a microwavable bowl and microwave for 30 seconds on high. Stir with a spoon until evenly blended.
Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients, and use a sturdy spoon to mix. Using a bit of cooking spray on the spoon will help prevent sticking. You can also use your hands to stir. Mix well so that everything is moist.
Once it is mixed, spread evenly into the pan. Use another piece of parchment paper to press the mixture firmly and evenly into the pan using a heavy steel spatula. If the mixture isn't pressed firmly enough, the bar will crumble after cooking. Press firmly around the edges and all areas of the pan. Once it is pressed, remove the parchment paper you used to press. The mixture should appear tight, flat, and even in the pan.
Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool. Once cooled, refrigerate for one to two hours, remove from the pan, and cut into eight bars. Refrigerate or freeze.
Save
Save
Learn more about Fueling Young Athletes.
Day-to-day nutrition for healthy growth
Because I counsel young athletes, I work with a lot of parents and families. Most parents have very specific questions about fueling for sports. They want to know what to eat before an event, how much to drink during a game, and what the best meal is for recovery.
Because I counsel young athletes, I work with a lot of parents and families. Most parents have very specific questions about fueling for sports. They want to know what to eat before an event, how much to drink during a game, and what the best meal is for recovery. Although these are all important questions that are addressed in this book, the foods that are eaten day to day play a much larger role in health and athletic performance. Adequate day-to-day nutrition is what supports healthy growth and development, boosts the immune system, and works to heal sport injuries.
This book begins with a discussion of the basics, because a solid diet foundation needs to be the number one priority. Athletes are unlikely to be the best they can be if they are sick or injured. A healthy, injury-free athlete equals a winning athlete. Just as athletes who participate in different sports have different energy requirements, growing children have different energy requirements from those of adults. Daily nutrition requirements vary based on developmental age, sex, body type, and body composition. Adding in a recovery meal, for example, when athletes' day-to-day nutritional requirements have not been met will do little to help them meet their athletic goals. Once daily nutritional needs are met, then the extra foods and fluids needed to support sport training become the focus.
Nutrition Basics
The body gets its energy from food, which should provide a variety of vitamins and minerals. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Some foods provide the calories needed for growth but do not provide the nutrients needed for supporting development. The result is usually an overweight yet undernourished body.
The best food supports the growth, development, and maintenance of muscles, bones, organs, skin, and blood to cleanse, oxygenate, and nourish all parts of the body. The day-to-day diet should provide adequate amounts of all six essential nutrients that the body requires to function properly: water, carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. Athletes should understand the role and function of each of the essential nutrients, and they should have a general understanding of how much they need of each. See figure 2.1 for each nutrient's role.
The six essential nutrients.
The essential nutrients are divided into three categories: macronutrients, micronutrients, and water. The macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, and fat) supply the energy needed to fuel working muscles. For that reason, they are referred to as the energy-yielding nutrients. That energy is measured in calories. Vitamins and minerals (also called micronutrients) do not supply energy, but they are vital to life and needed for normal growth and development. Finally, water does not supply energy, but it is a component of all cells and is vital for life.
In addition to providing the nutrients vital for life, foods provide phytochemicals (i.e., compounds that give the foods classified as superfoods their superpowers). Phytochemicals are believed to help protect against certain diseases. Aside from the potential health benefits, many phytonutrients may help reduce inflammation, thereby boosting immune function and improving focus and concentration, all things that help athletes perform well.
Save
Save
Save
Save
Learn more about Fueling Young Athletes.
Learn to categorize foods
In early chapters you learned why you need to incorporate each of the macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, and fat) into your meal plan. Now, you need to make sure you understand which foods fit into each category.
In early chapters you learned why you need to incorporate each of the macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, and fat) into your meal plan. Now, you need to make sure you understand which foods fit into each category. I can tell you that most youth athletes - as well as their parents - are surprised to find out which foods are considered sources of carbohydrate. Learning how to categorize foods is the first step to building a meal plan that will properly support growth, development, and sport performance.
Which Foods Are Carbohydrate Sources?
Recall that carbohydrate is divided into complex and simple. In terms of the U.S. government icon MyPlate discussed in chapter 2, all five areas of the plate can provide carbohydrate, although some offer more choices than others. Choices from the grain, fruit, and vegetable sections all have carbohydrate. Milk and yogurt, which fall under the dairy group, are also sources of carbohydrate. From the protein section of the plate, we get carbohydrate from beans and legumes. Foods with added sugar also have carbohydrate. These foods, such as the sugar in a sport drink or candy, may not have a place on the MyPlate icon, but they are foods that youth athletes may consume on occasion. As you learned, some of the engineered sport foods have added sugar on purpose to provide the energy needed for long-distance or high-intensity activity.
Which Foods Are Protein Sources?
Remember that protein contains amino acids, which are used to build and repair body tissues. Protein occurs in most animal-based products such as red meat,poultry, fish, milk, eggs, and cheese as well as some plant-based foods such as soy, beans, and legumes.
Some foods are categorized as containing only protein (e.g., egg whites and boneless, skinless chicken breast that is very lean). Foods considered sources of both protein and fat include chicken thighs and whole eggs. Some foods are categorized as containing both protein and carbohydrate (e.g., beans and legumes).
The protein foods you choose should depend on your needs, goals, and training. You can choose foods that are either complete or incomplete proteins, but most, if not all, of your meals and mini-meals should include a source of protein.
Which Foods Are Fat Sources?
Dietary fat is an important fuel source for youth athletes. In chapter 2 you learned that dietary fat can be categorized as unsaturated fat, saturated fat, or trans fat. Many foods contain naturally occurring fat; many of the protein sources just mentioned fall into that category. Other foods have added fat (e.g., buttery crackers or a slice of birthday cake). Some foods have no or very little carbohydrate or protein and are considered fat sources only. These include oils, butter, nut butters, nuts, seeds, and salad dressings. When filling in your meal skeleton, make sure that all of your fat sources, both naturally occurring fats and all added fats, are included within your total fat servings.
Table 8.1 provides a quick glimpse into how to categorize foods. Remember that many carbohydrate sources are made with fat and fall under both categories, and many protein foods have naturally occurring fat and fall under both categories.
Save
Save
Learn more about Fueling Young Athletes.
Family differences
When two of my kids were in third and fifth grades, they both had early school lunch periods and came home from school extremely hungry. They did not need an after-school snack; they needed a meal. My solution was to serve dinner at 4 p.m. and then a mini-meal around 7:00 p.m.
When two of my kids were in third and fifth grades, they both had early school lunch periods and came home from school extremely hungry. They did not need an after-school snack; they needed a meal. My solution was to serve dinner at 4 p.m. and then a mini-meal around 7:00 p.m. Between dinner and the evening mini-meal was swimming practice, gymnastics, religious education, and my third son's therapy (he has severe autism, so his evenings are filled with therapy rather than sports). Every day was go-go-go! I was lucky enough to have a flexible job so that I could be home when my kids got off the bus. However, not all parents are. Whether your kids go to after-school care, stay after school for practice, or go home to a babysitter, they need a balanced meal. It might be a mini-meal, but it is still a meal. If kids are not taught to eat meals when they are hungry, they will fill up on quick snacks.
Remember the discussion in chapter 1 about what makes a star athlete: Champions do not decide their future. Champions decide their habits. Their habits decide their future.
This year, things changed. My fourth-grade daughter eats lunch early, but my sixth-grade son eats lunch later. That means that she comes home hungry, but he doesn't. My solution is to feed my daughter dinner at 3:45 p.m. and then heat my son's dinner a little later, around 4:30 p.m. My third son has difficulty gaining weight, so he eats on a very structured schedule. His mealtimes fall at 3:30 and 7:00 p.m.
So, what do you do when kids are on different schedules? You get flexible. Sometimes even in the same family, meal skeletons (patterns) have to be set up differently. That is the reality of a sporting family! Having multiple kids running in multiple directions is often a reality, but it does not mean that the family's health has to be sacrificed.
Barrier:
The kids are very hungry as soon as they get home, but I can't make dinner that quickly.
Solution:
Bulk-cook ahead of time.
Open my refrigerator on a Monday, and you would think I was ready to feed an army. That's because I take three to five hours on Sunday evenings to prepare and cook seven or eight full meals for the week. I use all of my kitchen resources to make it work: slow cooker, oven, stovetop, microwave - even my outside grill is getting action. I chop and dice vegetables for the week, and I clean and cut up fruit so it is ready to go. Everything goes into glass containers in the refrigerator. This works for us because between homework and extracurricular activities, I do not have time to cook a healthy meal every night.
Take a minute to think about the foods you visualize when you hear the word snack? For many kids, the word refers to a quick, often salty, crunchy food (e.g., popcorn or chips) to eat to stave off hunger. Snack foods can fill kids up quickly, but many do not provide proper nourishment.
Having meals ready in the refrigerator prevents kids from grabbing low-nutrient snacks to satisfy their after-school hunger. Get them in the habit of eating a healthy meal; then they can have a balanced mini-meal later in the day.
Barrier:
I have no time to cook during the week, and on the weekends we are always traveling for my daughter's traveling league.
Solution:
Plan ahead and get creative.
When it comes to eating well, options other than spending lots of time in the kitchen are available. Here are a few examples:
- Use a slow cooker. A slow cooker is the answer to a busy family's prayers! Before you leave for work in the morning, toss all of the ingredients in the cooker, turn it on, and go to work. When you get home, the meal is ready. You will need to do some prep work the evening before. I recommend having everything ready to go so that the morning is as easy as possible. Clean and trim chicken, have potatoes cleaned and ready to cut, chop vegetables, and so on. If you are adding spices, have them measured and ready to add to the dish.
- Stop for a healthy fast-food meal. Eating out is a reality for many busy sport families, and that is OK. Today, it is possible to find a healthy option at most restaurants, even fast-food establishments. Table 9.1 earlier in this chapter offers tips for eating well when traveling. Those same foods can be used when the travel is only from school to practice.
- Load up your cooler and take your food with you. If you cooked in advance as I suggested, this is a time to cash in on your preparations. Grab a few of those homemade meals from the freezer, put them in a cooler, add a few ice packs, and off you go.
- Have a frozen meal. I don't often encourage frozen meals (unless they are homemade), but busy times call for easy solutions. If you have a favorite frozen meal or entrée that you know your youth athlete will eat, keep a few in the freezer as a backup. On a day when all else fails, that frozen meal is better than nothing at all.
Barrier:
I make a healthy dinner, but my kids won't eat it.
Solution:
Serve two dinners;or serve the meal before they fill up on snacks.
A major complaint from parents is that their kids will not eat what they make for dinner. If kids are filling up on low-nutrient snacks after school (e.g., chips, cookies, crackers), when dinnertime rolls around, they may not be hungry for your well-balanced meal. Forget snacks; youth athletes need meals. Serve the meal first.
Barrier:
All of my kids are picky and like different foods.
Solution:
Offer choices.
Just like adults, kids and teens have likes and dislikes. They also strive for control (some more than others). One way to help them have control is to offer food choices - not 10 choices, but 2. Cooking meals in advance makes this very easy because the food is already in the refrigerator. Think of a meal that is well accepted by most members of the family, and have it available. For example, I always have turkey burgers in my refrigerator. If my son does not like the meal I prepared for dinner, I allow him to heat up a turkey burger and have it with a side of fruit and vegetables.
Barrier:
My kids always complain about what I make for dinner.
Solution:
Create a meal rotation.
It would be nice if kids just ate what was made for dinner every night, but that is not the reality. As a parent, you have the benefit of not buying or cooking food that you do not like; kids are not so lucky. It is important for kids to try new foods and eat a variety, but it is not necessarily fair that you get to make all the decisions. To increase the chances that your kids will eat what you cook, involve them in the process. Children like to be included in decisions, and it helps them learn about food, nutrition, and meal planning. Have them help you create a meal rotation for the week that includes their favorites. Have each member of the family choose a day of the week and write down what he or she wants to eat that day. When one child complains that she doesn't want to eat that, you can remind her that it is not her night to choose, and that another night everyone will have to eat her selection. With everyone's help, the weekly menu is made.
If everyone agrees, the meals can be simple and repeat weekly. Have the family decide on five meals that everyone loves, such as spaghetti and meatballs, tacos, stir-fry, chili, and sandwiches. During the busy season, rotate through these meals if necessary. The goal is to eat a healthy, balanced meal without causing stress to the chef.
Learn more about Fueling Young Athletes.
Energy bars
Many parents and athletes want to know the best nutrition or energy bar to take to school or eat after exercise. What’s best depends on what you are using it for.
Many parents and athletes want to know the best nutrition or energy bar to take to school or eat after exercise. What's best depends on what you are using it for. Are you eating it as your breakfast? Is it to satisfy hunger after school? Are you looking for a preworkout bar, or do you need something convenient for immediately after activity?
Bars with high carbohydrate receive a lot of negative press, but a bar with quick-digesting carbohydrate, low fiber and fat, and just a bit of protein is what a cyclist on a long-distance ride really needs. It can also be a good option for a swimmer who has to fuel up before the next event. That same bar, however, would not be the best choice as you are running out of the house for school. A good bar for breakfast includes complex carbohydrate, fiber, protein, and even a little fat.
A bar to have after activity should contain a balance of nutrients, but the size depends on how exhaustive the exercise was. After an hour-long training session, a smaller 150- to 200-calorie balanced bar might be enough; for athletes with high calorie needs, a 300- to 400-calorie bar might be more appropriate.
Because I get so many questions about the best bar, I want to address how different bars fit into the meal plan. And because not many bars have the balance of high-quality nutrients I want, I share how you can make them as well as how they will fit into your meal plan. This way you can also compare their nutrition facts and ingredients lists to those of other bars on the market. I purposely use a lot of the same ingredients in these recipes so that you can have them on hand.
Balanced Breakfast Bar
2 CHO + 1 PRO + 2 FAT
- 1 tsp (5 g) cinnamon
- 1/3 cup brown rice syrup
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup almond butter
- 1/4 cup almonds, whole, unsalted, chopped
- 1/4 cup tropical fruit, dried, chopped
- 1 cup crispy rice cereal
- 1 cup oats, old-fashioned
- 1 1/2 scoops (32 g) whey protein powder, vanilla
- 1/8 tsp (0.6 g) table salt
Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Line an 8- by 8-inch (20 by 20 cm) pan with parchment paper. Cut the paper long enough so that it hangs over the sides.
Combine rice cereal, oats, protein powder, cinnamon, salt, and chopped almonds in a large bowl. Mix well and set aside.
Place the brown rice syrup, vanilla, almond butter, and diced fruit pieces in a microwavable bowl and microwave for 30 seconds on high. Stir with a spoon until evenly blended.
Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients, and use a sturdy spoon to mix. Using a bit of cooking spray on the spoon will help prevent sticking. You can also use your hands to stir. Mix well so that everything is moist.
Once it is mixed, spread evenly into the pan. Use another piece of parchment paper to press the mixture firmly and evenly into the pan using a heavy steel spatula. If the mixture isn't pressed firmly enough, the bar will crumble after cooking. Press firmly around the edges and all areas of the pan. Once it is pressed, remove the parchment paper you used to press. The mixture should appear tight, flat, and even in the pan.
Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool. Once cooled, refrigerate for one to two hours, remove from the pan, and cut into eight bars. Refrigerate or freeze.
Save
Save
Learn more about Fueling Young Athletes.
Day-to-day nutrition for healthy growth
Because I counsel young athletes, I work with a lot of parents and families. Most parents have very specific questions about fueling for sports. They want to know what to eat before an event, how much to drink during a game, and what the best meal is for recovery.
Because I counsel young athletes, I work with a lot of parents and families. Most parents have very specific questions about fueling for sports. They want to know what to eat before an event, how much to drink during a game, and what the best meal is for recovery. Although these are all important questions that are addressed in this book, the foods that are eaten day to day play a much larger role in health and athletic performance. Adequate day-to-day nutrition is what supports healthy growth and development, boosts the immune system, and works to heal sport injuries.
This book begins with a discussion of the basics, because a solid diet foundation needs to be the number one priority. Athletes are unlikely to be the best they can be if they are sick or injured. A healthy, injury-free athlete equals a winning athlete. Just as athletes who participate in different sports have different energy requirements, growing children have different energy requirements from those of adults. Daily nutrition requirements vary based on developmental age, sex, body type, and body composition. Adding in a recovery meal, for example, when athletes' day-to-day nutritional requirements have not been met will do little to help them meet their athletic goals. Once daily nutritional needs are met, then the extra foods and fluids needed to support sport training become the focus.
Nutrition Basics
The body gets its energy from food, which should provide a variety of vitamins and minerals. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Some foods provide the calories needed for growth but do not provide the nutrients needed for supporting development. The result is usually an overweight yet undernourished body.
The best food supports the growth, development, and maintenance of muscles, bones, organs, skin, and blood to cleanse, oxygenate, and nourish all parts of the body. The day-to-day diet should provide adequate amounts of all six essential nutrients that the body requires to function properly: water, carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. Athletes should understand the role and function of each of the essential nutrients, and they should have a general understanding of how much they need of each. See figure 2.1 for each nutrient's role.
The six essential nutrients.
The essential nutrients are divided into three categories: macronutrients, micronutrients, and water. The macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, and fat) supply the energy needed to fuel working muscles. For that reason, they are referred to as the energy-yielding nutrients. That energy is measured in calories. Vitamins and minerals (also called micronutrients) do not supply energy, but they are vital to life and needed for normal growth and development. Finally, water does not supply energy, but it is a component of all cells and is vital for life.
In addition to providing the nutrients vital for life, foods provide phytochemicals (i.e., compounds that give the foods classified as superfoods their superpowers). Phytochemicals are believed to help protect against certain diseases. Aside from the potential health benefits, many phytonutrients may help reduce inflammation, thereby boosting immune function and improving focus and concentration, all things that help athletes perform well.
Save
Save
Save
Save
Learn more about Fueling Young Athletes.
Learn to categorize foods
In early chapters you learned why you need to incorporate each of the macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, and fat) into your meal plan. Now, you need to make sure you understand which foods fit into each category.
In early chapters you learned why you need to incorporate each of the macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, and fat) into your meal plan. Now, you need to make sure you understand which foods fit into each category. I can tell you that most youth athletes - as well as their parents - are surprised to find out which foods are considered sources of carbohydrate. Learning how to categorize foods is the first step to building a meal plan that will properly support growth, development, and sport performance.
Which Foods Are Carbohydrate Sources?
Recall that carbohydrate is divided into complex and simple. In terms of the U.S. government icon MyPlate discussed in chapter 2, all five areas of the plate can provide carbohydrate, although some offer more choices than others. Choices from the grain, fruit, and vegetable sections all have carbohydrate. Milk and yogurt, which fall under the dairy group, are also sources of carbohydrate. From the protein section of the plate, we get carbohydrate from beans and legumes. Foods with added sugar also have carbohydrate. These foods, such as the sugar in a sport drink or candy, may not have a place on the MyPlate icon, but they are foods that youth athletes may consume on occasion. As you learned, some of the engineered sport foods have added sugar on purpose to provide the energy needed for long-distance or high-intensity activity.
Which Foods Are Protein Sources?
Remember that protein contains amino acids, which are used to build and repair body tissues. Protein occurs in most animal-based products such as red meat,poultry, fish, milk, eggs, and cheese as well as some plant-based foods such as soy, beans, and legumes.
Some foods are categorized as containing only protein (e.g., egg whites and boneless, skinless chicken breast that is very lean). Foods considered sources of both protein and fat include chicken thighs and whole eggs. Some foods are categorized as containing both protein and carbohydrate (e.g., beans and legumes).
The protein foods you choose should depend on your needs, goals, and training. You can choose foods that are either complete or incomplete proteins, but most, if not all, of your meals and mini-meals should include a source of protein.
Which Foods Are Fat Sources?
Dietary fat is an important fuel source for youth athletes. In chapter 2 you learned that dietary fat can be categorized as unsaturated fat, saturated fat, or trans fat. Many foods contain naturally occurring fat; many of the protein sources just mentioned fall into that category. Other foods have added fat (e.g., buttery crackers or a slice of birthday cake). Some foods have no or very little carbohydrate or protein and are considered fat sources only. These include oils, butter, nut butters, nuts, seeds, and salad dressings. When filling in your meal skeleton, make sure that all of your fat sources, both naturally occurring fats and all added fats, are included within your total fat servings.
Table 8.1 provides a quick glimpse into how to categorize foods. Remember that many carbohydrate sources are made with fat and fall under both categories, and many protein foods have naturally occurring fat and fall under both categories.
Save
Save
Learn more about Fueling Young Athletes.
Family differences
When two of my kids were in third and fifth grades, they both had early school lunch periods and came home from school extremely hungry. They did not need an after-school snack; they needed a meal. My solution was to serve dinner at 4 p.m. and then a mini-meal around 7:00 p.m.
When two of my kids were in third and fifth grades, they both had early school lunch periods and came home from school extremely hungry. They did not need an after-school snack; they needed a meal. My solution was to serve dinner at 4 p.m. and then a mini-meal around 7:00 p.m. Between dinner and the evening mini-meal was swimming practice, gymnastics, religious education, and my third son's therapy (he has severe autism, so his evenings are filled with therapy rather than sports). Every day was go-go-go! I was lucky enough to have a flexible job so that I could be home when my kids got off the bus. However, not all parents are. Whether your kids go to after-school care, stay after school for practice, or go home to a babysitter, they need a balanced meal. It might be a mini-meal, but it is still a meal. If kids are not taught to eat meals when they are hungry, they will fill up on quick snacks.
Remember the discussion in chapter 1 about what makes a star athlete: Champions do not decide their future. Champions decide their habits. Their habits decide their future.
This year, things changed. My fourth-grade daughter eats lunch early, but my sixth-grade son eats lunch later. That means that she comes home hungry, but he doesn't. My solution is to feed my daughter dinner at 3:45 p.m. and then heat my son's dinner a little later, around 4:30 p.m. My third son has difficulty gaining weight, so he eats on a very structured schedule. His mealtimes fall at 3:30 and 7:00 p.m.
So, what do you do when kids are on different schedules? You get flexible. Sometimes even in the same family, meal skeletons (patterns) have to be set up differently. That is the reality of a sporting family! Having multiple kids running in multiple directions is often a reality, but it does not mean that the family's health has to be sacrificed.
Barrier:
The kids are very hungry as soon as they get home, but I can't make dinner that quickly.
Solution:
Bulk-cook ahead of time.
Open my refrigerator on a Monday, and you would think I was ready to feed an army. That's because I take three to five hours on Sunday evenings to prepare and cook seven or eight full meals for the week. I use all of my kitchen resources to make it work: slow cooker, oven, stovetop, microwave - even my outside grill is getting action. I chop and dice vegetables for the week, and I clean and cut up fruit so it is ready to go. Everything goes into glass containers in the refrigerator. This works for us because between homework and extracurricular activities, I do not have time to cook a healthy meal every night.
Take a minute to think about the foods you visualize when you hear the word snack? For many kids, the word refers to a quick, often salty, crunchy food (e.g., popcorn or chips) to eat to stave off hunger. Snack foods can fill kids up quickly, but many do not provide proper nourishment.
Having meals ready in the refrigerator prevents kids from grabbing low-nutrient snacks to satisfy their after-school hunger. Get them in the habit of eating a healthy meal; then they can have a balanced mini-meal later in the day.
Barrier:
I have no time to cook during the week, and on the weekends we are always traveling for my daughter's traveling league.
Solution:
Plan ahead and get creative.
When it comes to eating well, options other than spending lots of time in the kitchen are available. Here are a few examples:
- Use a slow cooker. A slow cooker is the answer to a busy family's prayers! Before you leave for work in the morning, toss all of the ingredients in the cooker, turn it on, and go to work. When you get home, the meal is ready. You will need to do some prep work the evening before. I recommend having everything ready to go so that the morning is as easy as possible. Clean and trim chicken, have potatoes cleaned and ready to cut, chop vegetables, and so on. If you are adding spices, have them measured and ready to add to the dish.
- Stop for a healthy fast-food meal. Eating out is a reality for many busy sport families, and that is OK. Today, it is possible to find a healthy option at most restaurants, even fast-food establishments. Table 9.1 earlier in this chapter offers tips for eating well when traveling. Those same foods can be used when the travel is only from school to practice.
- Load up your cooler and take your food with you. If you cooked in advance as I suggested, this is a time to cash in on your preparations. Grab a few of those homemade meals from the freezer, put them in a cooler, add a few ice packs, and off you go.
- Have a frozen meal. I don't often encourage frozen meals (unless they are homemade), but busy times call for easy solutions. If you have a favorite frozen meal or entrée that you know your youth athlete will eat, keep a few in the freezer as a backup. On a day when all else fails, that frozen meal is better than nothing at all.
Barrier:
I make a healthy dinner, but my kids won't eat it.
Solution:
Serve two dinners;or serve the meal before they fill up on snacks.
A major complaint from parents is that their kids will not eat what they make for dinner. If kids are filling up on low-nutrient snacks after school (e.g., chips, cookies, crackers), when dinnertime rolls around, they may not be hungry for your well-balanced meal. Forget snacks; youth athletes need meals. Serve the meal first.
Barrier:
All of my kids are picky and like different foods.
Solution:
Offer choices.
Just like adults, kids and teens have likes and dislikes. They also strive for control (some more than others). One way to help them have control is to offer food choices - not 10 choices, but 2. Cooking meals in advance makes this very easy because the food is already in the refrigerator. Think of a meal that is well accepted by most members of the family, and have it available. For example, I always have turkey burgers in my refrigerator. If my son does not like the meal I prepared for dinner, I allow him to heat up a turkey burger and have it with a side of fruit and vegetables.
Barrier:
My kids always complain about what I make for dinner.
Solution:
Create a meal rotation.
It would be nice if kids just ate what was made for dinner every night, but that is not the reality. As a parent, you have the benefit of not buying or cooking food that you do not like; kids are not so lucky. It is important for kids to try new foods and eat a variety, but it is not necessarily fair that you get to make all the decisions. To increase the chances that your kids will eat what you cook, involve them in the process. Children like to be included in decisions, and it helps them learn about food, nutrition, and meal planning. Have them help you create a meal rotation for the week that includes their favorites. Have each member of the family choose a day of the week and write down what he or she wants to eat that day. When one child complains that she doesn't want to eat that, you can remind her that it is not her night to choose, and that another night everyone will have to eat her selection. With everyone's help, the weekly menu is made.
If everyone agrees, the meals can be simple and repeat weekly. Have the family decide on five meals that everyone loves, such as spaghetti and meatballs, tacos, stir-fry, chili, and sandwiches. During the busy season, rotate through these meals if necessary. The goal is to eat a healthy, balanced meal without causing stress to the chef.
Learn more about Fueling Young Athletes.
Energy bars
Many parents and athletes want to know the best nutrition or energy bar to take to school or eat after exercise. What’s best depends on what you are using it for.
Many parents and athletes want to know the best nutrition or energy bar to take to school or eat after exercise. What's best depends on what you are using it for. Are you eating it as your breakfast? Is it to satisfy hunger after school? Are you looking for a preworkout bar, or do you need something convenient for immediately after activity?
Bars with high carbohydrate receive a lot of negative press, but a bar with quick-digesting carbohydrate, low fiber and fat, and just a bit of protein is what a cyclist on a long-distance ride really needs. It can also be a good option for a swimmer who has to fuel up before the next event. That same bar, however, would not be the best choice as you are running out of the house for school. A good bar for breakfast includes complex carbohydrate, fiber, protein, and even a little fat.
A bar to have after activity should contain a balance of nutrients, but the size depends on how exhaustive the exercise was. After an hour-long training session, a smaller 150- to 200-calorie balanced bar might be enough; for athletes with high calorie needs, a 300- to 400-calorie bar might be more appropriate.
Because I get so many questions about the best bar, I want to address how different bars fit into the meal plan. And because not many bars have the balance of high-quality nutrients I want, I share how you can make them as well as how they will fit into your meal plan. This way you can also compare their nutrition facts and ingredients lists to those of other bars on the market. I purposely use a lot of the same ingredients in these recipes so that you can have them on hand.
Balanced Breakfast Bar
2 CHO + 1 PRO + 2 FAT
- 1 tsp (5 g) cinnamon
- 1/3 cup brown rice syrup
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup almond butter
- 1/4 cup almonds, whole, unsalted, chopped
- 1/4 cup tropical fruit, dried, chopped
- 1 cup crispy rice cereal
- 1 cup oats, old-fashioned
- 1 1/2 scoops (32 g) whey protein powder, vanilla
- 1/8 tsp (0.6 g) table salt
Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Line an 8- by 8-inch (20 by 20 cm) pan with parchment paper. Cut the paper long enough so that it hangs over the sides.
Combine rice cereal, oats, protein powder, cinnamon, salt, and chopped almonds in a large bowl. Mix well and set aside.
Place the brown rice syrup, vanilla, almond butter, and diced fruit pieces in a microwavable bowl and microwave for 30 seconds on high. Stir with a spoon until evenly blended.
Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients, and use a sturdy spoon to mix. Using a bit of cooking spray on the spoon will help prevent sticking. You can also use your hands to stir. Mix well so that everything is moist.
Once it is mixed, spread evenly into the pan. Use another piece of parchment paper to press the mixture firmly and evenly into the pan using a heavy steel spatula. If the mixture isn't pressed firmly enough, the bar will crumble after cooking. Press firmly around the edges and all areas of the pan. Once it is pressed, remove the parchment paper you used to press. The mixture should appear tight, flat, and even in the pan.
Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool. Once cooled, refrigerate for one to two hours, remove from the pan, and cut into eight bars. Refrigerate or freeze.
Save
Save
Learn more about Fueling Young Athletes.
Day-to-day nutrition for healthy growth
Because I counsel young athletes, I work with a lot of parents and families. Most parents have very specific questions about fueling for sports. They want to know what to eat before an event, how much to drink during a game, and what the best meal is for recovery.
Because I counsel young athletes, I work with a lot of parents and families. Most parents have very specific questions about fueling for sports. They want to know what to eat before an event, how much to drink during a game, and what the best meal is for recovery. Although these are all important questions that are addressed in this book, the foods that are eaten day to day play a much larger role in health and athletic performance. Adequate day-to-day nutrition is what supports healthy growth and development, boosts the immune system, and works to heal sport injuries.
This book begins with a discussion of the basics, because a solid diet foundation needs to be the number one priority. Athletes are unlikely to be the best they can be if they are sick or injured. A healthy, injury-free athlete equals a winning athlete. Just as athletes who participate in different sports have different energy requirements, growing children have different energy requirements from those of adults. Daily nutrition requirements vary based on developmental age, sex, body type, and body composition. Adding in a recovery meal, for example, when athletes' day-to-day nutritional requirements have not been met will do little to help them meet their athletic goals. Once daily nutritional needs are met, then the extra foods and fluids needed to support sport training become the focus.
Nutrition Basics
The body gets its energy from food, which should provide a variety of vitamins and minerals. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Some foods provide the calories needed for growth but do not provide the nutrients needed for supporting development. The result is usually an overweight yet undernourished body.
The best food supports the growth, development, and maintenance of muscles, bones, organs, skin, and blood to cleanse, oxygenate, and nourish all parts of the body. The day-to-day diet should provide adequate amounts of all six essential nutrients that the body requires to function properly: water, carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. Athletes should understand the role and function of each of the essential nutrients, and they should have a general understanding of how much they need of each. See figure 2.1 for each nutrient's role.
The six essential nutrients.
The essential nutrients are divided into three categories: macronutrients, micronutrients, and water. The macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, and fat) supply the energy needed to fuel working muscles. For that reason, they are referred to as the energy-yielding nutrients. That energy is measured in calories. Vitamins and minerals (also called micronutrients) do not supply energy, but they are vital to life and needed for normal growth and development. Finally, water does not supply energy, but it is a component of all cells and is vital for life.
In addition to providing the nutrients vital for life, foods provide phytochemicals (i.e., compounds that give the foods classified as superfoods their superpowers). Phytochemicals are believed to help protect against certain diseases. Aside from the potential health benefits, many phytonutrients may help reduce inflammation, thereby boosting immune function and improving focus and concentration, all things that help athletes perform well.
Save
Save
Save
Save
Learn more about Fueling Young Athletes.
Learn to categorize foods
In early chapters you learned why you need to incorporate each of the macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, and fat) into your meal plan. Now, you need to make sure you understand which foods fit into each category.
In early chapters you learned why you need to incorporate each of the macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, and fat) into your meal plan. Now, you need to make sure you understand which foods fit into each category. I can tell you that most youth athletes - as well as their parents - are surprised to find out which foods are considered sources of carbohydrate. Learning how to categorize foods is the first step to building a meal plan that will properly support growth, development, and sport performance.
Which Foods Are Carbohydrate Sources?
Recall that carbohydrate is divided into complex and simple. In terms of the U.S. government icon MyPlate discussed in chapter 2, all five areas of the plate can provide carbohydrate, although some offer more choices than others. Choices from the grain, fruit, and vegetable sections all have carbohydrate. Milk and yogurt, which fall under the dairy group, are also sources of carbohydrate. From the protein section of the plate, we get carbohydrate from beans and legumes. Foods with added sugar also have carbohydrate. These foods, such as the sugar in a sport drink or candy, may not have a place on the MyPlate icon, but they are foods that youth athletes may consume on occasion. As you learned, some of the engineered sport foods have added sugar on purpose to provide the energy needed for long-distance or high-intensity activity.
Which Foods Are Protein Sources?
Remember that protein contains amino acids, which are used to build and repair body tissues. Protein occurs in most animal-based products such as red meat,poultry, fish, milk, eggs, and cheese as well as some plant-based foods such as soy, beans, and legumes.
Some foods are categorized as containing only protein (e.g., egg whites and boneless, skinless chicken breast that is very lean). Foods considered sources of both protein and fat include chicken thighs and whole eggs. Some foods are categorized as containing both protein and carbohydrate (e.g., beans and legumes).
The protein foods you choose should depend on your needs, goals, and training. You can choose foods that are either complete or incomplete proteins, but most, if not all, of your meals and mini-meals should include a source of protein.
Which Foods Are Fat Sources?
Dietary fat is an important fuel source for youth athletes. In chapter 2 you learned that dietary fat can be categorized as unsaturated fat, saturated fat, or trans fat. Many foods contain naturally occurring fat; many of the protein sources just mentioned fall into that category. Other foods have added fat (e.g., buttery crackers or a slice of birthday cake). Some foods have no or very little carbohydrate or protein and are considered fat sources only. These include oils, butter, nut butters, nuts, seeds, and salad dressings. When filling in your meal skeleton, make sure that all of your fat sources, both naturally occurring fats and all added fats, are included within your total fat servings.
Table 8.1 provides a quick glimpse into how to categorize foods. Remember that many carbohydrate sources are made with fat and fall under both categories, and many protein foods have naturally occurring fat and fall under both categories.
Save
Save
Learn more about Fueling Young Athletes.
Family differences
When two of my kids were in third and fifth grades, they both had early school lunch periods and came home from school extremely hungry. They did not need an after-school snack; they needed a meal. My solution was to serve dinner at 4 p.m. and then a mini-meal around 7:00 p.m.
When two of my kids were in third and fifth grades, they both had early school lunch periods and came home from school extremely hungry. They did not need an after-school snack; they needed a meal. My solution was to serve dinner at 4 p.m. and then a mini-meal around 7:00 p.m. Between dinner and the evening mini-meal was swimming practice, gymnastics, religious education, and my third son's therapy (he has severe autism, so his evenings are filled with therapy rather than sports). Every day was go-go-go! I was lucky enough to have a flexible job so that I could be home when my kids got off the bus. However, not all parents are. Whether your kids go to after-school care, stay after school for practice, or go home to a babysitter, they need a balanced meal. It might be a mini-meal, but it is still a meal. If kids are not taught to eat meals when they are hungry, they will fill up on quick snacks.
Remember the discussion in chapter 1 about what makes a star athlete: Champions do not decide their future. Champions decide their habits. Their habits decide their future.
This year, things changed. My fourth-grade daughter eats lunch early, but my sixth-grade son eats lunch later. That means that she comes home hungry, but he doesn't. My solution is to feed my daughter dinner at 3:45 p.m. and then heat my son's dinner a little later, around 4:30 p.m. My third son has difficulty gaining weight, so he eats on a very structured schedule. His mealtimes fall at 3:30 and 7:00 p.m.
So, what do you do when kids are on different schedules? You get flexible. Sometimes even in the same family, meal skeletons (patterns) have to be set up differently. That is the reality of a sporting family! Having multiple kids running in multiple directions is often a reality, but it does not mean that the family's health has to be sacrificed.
Barrier:
The kids are very hungry as soon as they get home, but I can't make dinner that quickly.
Solution:
Bulk-cook ahead of time.
Open my refrigerator on a Monday, and you would think I was ready to feed an army. That's because I take three to five hours on Sunday evenings to prepare and cook seven or eight full meals for the week. I use all of my kitchen resources to make it work: slow cooker, oven, stovetop, microwave - even my outside grill is getting action. I chop and dice vegetables for the week, and I clean and cut up fruit so it is ready to go. Everything goes into glass containers in the refrigerator. This works for us because between homework and extracurricular activities, I do not have time to cook a healthy meal every night.
Take a minute to think about the foods you visualize when you hear the word snack? For many kids, the word refers to a quick, often salty, crunchy food (e.g., popcorn or chips) to eat to stave off hunger. Snack foods can fill kids up quickly, but many do not provide proper nourishment.
Having meals ready in the refrigerator prevents kids from grabbing low-nutrient snacks to satisfy their after-school hunger. Get them in the habit of eating a healthy meal; then they can have a balanced mini-meal later in the day.
Barrier:
I have no time to cook during the week, and on the weekends we are always traveling for my daughter's traveling league.
Solution:
Plan ahead and get creative.
When it comes to eating well, options other than spending lots of time in the kitchen are available. Here are a few examples:
- Use a slow cooker. A slow cooker is the answer to a busy family's prayers! Before you leave for work in the morning, toss all of the ingredients in the cooker, turn it on, and go to work. When you get home, the meal is ready. You will need to do some prep work the evening before. I recommend having everything ready to go so that the morning is as easy as possible. Clean and trim chicken, have potatoes cleaned and ready to cut, chop vegetables, and so on. If you are adding spices, have them measured and ready to add to the dish.
- Stop for a healthy fast-food meal. Eating out is a reality for many busy sport families, and that is OK. Today, it is possible to find a healthy option at most restaurants, even fast-food establishments. Table 9.1 earlier in this chapter offers tips for eating well when traveling. Those same foods can be used when the travel is only from school to practice.
- Load up your cooler and take your food with you. If you cooked in advance as I suggested, this is a time to cash in on your preparations. Grab a few of those homemade meals from the freezer, put them in a cooler, add a few ice packs, and off you go.
- Have a frozen meal. I don't often encourage frozen meals (unless they are homemade), but busy times call for easy solutions. If you have a favorite frozen meal or entrée that you know your youth athlete will eat, keep a few in the freezer as a backup. On a day when all else fails, that frozen meal is better than nothing at all.
Barrier:
I make a healthy dinner, but my kids won't eat it.
Solution:
Serve two dinners;or serve the meal before they fill up on snacks.
A major complaint from parents is that their kids will not eat what they make for dinner. If kids are filling up on low-nutrient snacks after school (e.g., chips, cookies, crackers), when dinnertime rolls around, they may not be hungry for your well-balanced meal. Forget snacks; youth athletes need meals. Serve the meal first.
Barrier:
All of my kids are picky and like different foods.
Solution:
Offer choices.
Just like adults, kids and teens have likes and dislikes. They also strive for control (some more than others). One way to help them have control is to offer food choices - not 10 choices, but 2. Cooking meals in advance makes this very easy because the food is already in the refrigerator. Think of a meal that is well accepted by most members of the family, and have it available. For example, I always have turkey burgers in my refrigerator. If my son does not like the meal I prepared for dinner, I allow him to heat up a turkey burger and have it with a side of fruit and vegetables.
Barrier:
My kids always complain about what I make for dinner.
Solution:
Create a meal rotation.
It would be nice if kids just ate what was made for dinner every night, but that is not the reality. As a parent, you have the benefit of not buying or cooking food that you do not like; kids are not so lucky. It is important for kids to try new foods and eat a variety, but it is not necessarily fair that you get to make all the decisions. To increase the chances that your kids will eat what you cook, involve them in the process. Children like to be included in decisions, and it helps them learn about food, nutrition, and meal planning. Have them help you create a meal rotation for the week that includes their favorites. Have each member of the family choose a day of the week and write down what he or she wants to eat that day. When one child complains that she doesn't want to eat that, you can remind her that it is not her night to choose, and that another night everyone will have to eat her selection. With everyone's help, the weekly menu is made.
If everyone agrees, the meals can be simple and repeat weekly. Have the family decide on five meals that everyone loves, such as spaghetti and meatballs, tacos, stir-fry, chili, and sandwiches. During the busy season, rotate through these meals if necessary. The goal is to eat a healthy, balanced meal without causing stress to the chef.
Learn more about Fueling Young Athletes.
Energy bars
Many parents and athletes want to know the best nutrition or energy bar to take to school or eat after exercise. What’s best depends on what you are using it for.
Many parents and athletes want to know the best nutrition or energy bar to take to school or eat after exercise. What's best depends on what you are using it for. Are you eating it as your breakfast? Is it to satisfy hunger after school? Are you looking for a preworkout bar, or do you need something convenient for immediately after activity?
Bars with high carbohydrate receive a lot of negative press, but a bar with quick-digesting carbohydrate, low fiber and fat, and just a bit of protein is what a cyclist on a long-distance ride really needs. It can also be a good option for a swimmer who has to fuel up before the next event. That same bar, however, would not be the best choice as you are running out of the house for school. A good bar for breakfast includes complex carbohydrate, fiber, protein, and even a little fat.
A bar to have after activity should contain a balance of nutrients, but the size depends on how exhaustive the exercise was. After an hour-long training session, a smaller 150- to 200-calorie balanced bar might be enough; for athletes with high calorie needs, a 300- to 400-calorie bar might be more appropriate.
Because I get so many questions about the best bar, I want to address how different bars fit into the meal plan. And because not many bars have the balance of high-quality nutrients I want, I share how you can make them as well as how they will fit into your meal plan. This way you can also compare their nutrition facts and ingredients lists to those of other bars on the market. I purposely use a lot of the same ingredients in these recipes so that you can have them on hand.
Balanced Breakfast Bar
2 CHO + 1 PRO + 2 FAT
- 1 tsp (5 g) cinnamon
- 1/3 cup brown rice syrup
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup almond butter
- 1/4 cup almonds, whole, unsalted, chopped
- 1/4 cup tropical fruit, dried, chopped
- 1 cup crispy rice cereal
- 1 cup oats, old-fashioned
- 1 1/2 scoops (32 g) whey protein powder, vanilla
- 1/8 tsp (0.6 g) table salt
Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Line an 8- by 8-inch (20 by 20 cm) pan with parchment paper. Cut the paper long enough so that it hangs over the sides.
Combine rice cereal, oats, protein powder, cinnamon, salt, and chopped almonds in a large bowl. Mix well and set aside.
Place the brown rice syrup, vanilla, almond butter, and diced fruit pieces in a microwavable bowl and microwave for 30 seconds on high. Stir with a spoon until evenly blended.
Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients, and use a sturdy spoon to mix. Using a bit of cooking spray on the spoon will help prevent sticking. You can also use your hands to stir. Mix well so that everything is moist.
Once it is mixed, spread evenly into the pan. Use another piece of parchment paper to press the mixture firmly and evenly into the pan using a heavy steel spatula. If the mixture isn't pressed firmly enough, the bar will crumble after cooking. Press firmly around the edges and all areas of the pan. Once it is pressed, remove the parchment paper you used to press. The mixture should appear tight, flat, and even in the pan.
Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool. Once cooled, refrigerate for one to two hours, remove from the pan, and cut into eight bars. Refrigerate or freeze.
Save
Save
Learn more about Fueling Young Athletes.
Day-to-day nutrition for healthy growth
Because I counsel young athletes, I work with a lot of parents and families. Most parents have very specific questions about fueling for sports. They want to know what to eat before an event, how much to drink during a game, and what the best meal is for recovery.
Because I counsel young athletes, I work with a lot of parents and families. Most parents have very specific questions about fueling for sports. They want to know what to eat before an event, how much to drink during a game, and what the best meal is for recovery. Although these are all important questions that are addressed in this book, the foods that are eaten day to day play a much larger role in health and athletic performance. Adequate day-to-day nutrition is what supports healthy growth and development, boosts the immune system, and works to heal sport injuries.
This book begins with a discussion of the basics, because a solid diet foundation needs to be the number one priority. Athletes are unlikely to be the best they can be if they are sick or injured. A healthy, injury-free athlete equals a winning athlete. Just as athletes who participate in different sports have different energy requirements, growing children have different energy requirements from those of adults. Daily nutrition requirements vary based on developmental age, sex, body type, and body composition. Adding in a recovery meal, for example, when athletes' day-to-day nutritional requirements have not been met will do little to help them meet their athletic goals. Once daily nutritional needs are met, then the extra foods and fluids needed to support sport training become the focus.
Nutrition Basics
The body gets its energy from food, which should provide a variety of vitamins and minerals. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Some foods provide the calories needed for growth but do not provide the nutrients needed for supporting development. The result is usually an overweight yet undernourished body.
The best food supports the growth, development, and maintenance of muscles, bones, organs, skin, and blood to cleanse, oxygenate, and nourish all parts of the body. The day-to-day diet should provide adequate amounts of all six essential nutrients that the body requires to function properly: water, carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. Athletes should understand the role and function of each of the essential nutrients, and they should have a general understanding of how much they need of each. See figure 2.1 for each nutrient's role.
The six essential nutrients.
The essential nutrients are divided into three categories: macronutrients, micronutrients, and water. The macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, and fat) supply the energy needed to fuel working muscles. For that reason, they are referred to as the energy-yielding nutrients. That energy is measured in calories. Vitamins and minerals (also called micronutrients) do not supply energy, but they are vital to life and needed for normal growth and development. Finally, water does not supply energy, but it is a component of all cells and is vital for life.
In addition to providing the nutrients vital for life, foods provide phytochemicals (i.e., compounds that give the foods classified as superfoods their superpowers). Phytochemicals are believed to help protect against certain diseases. Aside from the potential health benefits, many phytonutrients may help reduce inflammation, thereby boosting immune function and improving focus and concentration, all things that help athletes perform well.
Save
Save
Save
Save
Learn more about Fueling Young Athletes.
Learn to categorize foods
In early chapters you learned why you need to incorporate each of the macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, and fat) into your meal plan. Now, you need to make sure you understand which foods fit into each category.
In early chapters you learned why you need to incorporate each of the macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, and fat) into your meal plan. Now, you need to make sure you understand which foods fit into each category. I can tell you that most youth athletes - as well as their parents - are surprised to find out which foods are considered sources of carbohydrate. Learning how to categorize foods is the first step to building a meal plan that will properly support growth, development, and sport performance.
Which Foods Are Carbohydrate Sources?
Recall that carbohydrate is divided into complex and simple. In terms of the U.S. government icon MyPlate discussed in chapter 2, all five areas of the plate can provide carbohydrate, although some offer more choices than others. Choices from the grain, fruit, and vegetable sections all have carbohydrate. Milk and yogurt, which fall under the dairy group, are also sources of carbohydrate. From the protein section of the plate, we get carbohydrate from beans and legumes. Foods with added sugar also have carbohydrate. These foods, such as the sugar in a sport drink or candy, may not have a place on the MyPlate icon, but they are foods that youth athletes may consume on occasion. As you learned, some of the engineered sport foods have added sugar on purpose to provide the energy needed for long-distance or high-intensity activity.
Which Foods Are Protein Sources?
Remember that protein contains amino acids, which are used to build and repair body tissues. Protein occurs in most animal-based products such as red meat,poultry, fish, milk, eggs, and cheese as well as some plant-based foods such as soy, beans, and legumes.
Some foods are categorized as containing only protein (e.g., egg whites and boneless, skinless chicken breast that is very lean). Foods considered sources of both protein and fat include chicken thighs and whole eggs. Some foods are categorized as containing both protein and carbohydrate (e.g., beans and legumes).
The protein foods you choose should depend on your needs, goals, and training. You can choose foods that are either complete or incomplete proteins, but most, if not all, of your meals and mini-meals should include a source of protein.
Which Foods Are Fat Sources?
Dietary fat is an important fuel source for youth athletes. In chapter 2 you learned that dietary fat can be categorized as unsaturated fat, saturated fat, or trans fat. Many foods contain naturally occurring fat; many of the protein sources just mentioned fall into that category. Other foods have added fat (e.g., buttery crackers or a slice of birthday cake). Some foods have no or very little carbohydrate or protein and are considered fat sources only. These include oils, butter, nut butters, nuts, seeds, and salad dressings. When filling in your meal skeleton, make sure that all of your fat sources, both naturally occurring fats and all added fats, are included within your total fat servings.
Table 8.1 provides a quick glimpse into how to categorize foods. Remember that many carbohydrate sources are made with fat and fall under both categories, and many protein foods have naturally occurring fat and fall under both categories.
Save
Save
Learn more about Fueling Young Athletes.
Family differences
When two of my kids were in third and fifth grades, they both had early school lunch periods and came home from school extremely hungry. They did not need an after-school snack; they needed a meal. My solution was to serve dinner at 4 p.m. and then a mini-meal around 7:00 p.m.
When two of my kids were in third and fifth grades, they both had early school lunch periods and came home from school extremely hungry. They did not need an after-school snack; they needed a meal. My solution was to serve dinner at 4 p.m. and then a mini-meal around 7:00 p.m. Between dinner and the evening mini-meal was swimming practice, gymnastics, religious education, and my third son's therapy (he has severe autism, so his evenings are filled with therapy rather than sports). Every day was go-go-go! I was lucky enough to have a flexible job so that I could be home when my kids got off the bus. However, not all parents are. Whether your kids go to after-school care, stay after school for practice, or go home to a babysitter, they need a balanced meal. It might be a mini-meal, but it is still a meal. If kids are not taught to eat meals when they are hungry, they will fill up on quick snacks.
Remember the discussion in chapter 1 about what makes a star athlete: Champions do not decide their future. Champions decide their habits. Their habits decide their future.
This year, things changed. My fourth-grade daughter eats lunch early, but my sixth-grade son eats lunch later. That means that she comes home hungry, but he doesn't. My solution is to feed my daughter dinner at 3:45 p.m. and then heat my son's dinner a little later, around 4:30 p.m. My third son has difficulty gaining weight, so he eats on a very structured schedule. His mealtimes fall at 3:30 and 7:00 p.m.
So, what do you do when kids are on different schedules? You get flexible. Sometimes even in the same family, meal skeletons (patterns) have to be set up differently. That is the reality of a sporting family! Having multiple kids running in multiple directions is often a reality, but it does not mean that the family's health has to be sacrificed.
Barrier:
The kids are very hungry as soon as they get home, but I can't make dinner that quickly.
Solution:
Bulk-cook ahead of time.
Open my refrigerator on a Monday, and you would think I was ready to feed an army. That's because I take three to five hours on Sunday evenings to prepare and cook seven or eight full meals for the week. I use all of my kitchen resources to make it work: slow cooker, oven, stovetop, microwave - even my outside grill is getting action. I chop and dice vegetables for the week, and I clean and cut up fruit so it is ready to go. Everything goes into glass containers in the refrigerator. This works for us because between homework and extracurricular activities, I do not have time to cook a healthy meal every night.
Take a minute to think about the foods you visualize when you hear the word snack? For many kids, the word refers to a quick, often salty, crunchy food (e.g., popcorn or chips) to eat to stave off hunger. Snack foods can fill kids up quickly, but many do not provide proper nourishment.
Having meals ready in the refrigerator prevents kids from grabbing low-nutrient snacks to satisfy their after-school hunger. Get them in the habit of eating a healthy meal; then they can have a balanced mini-meal later in the day.
Barrier:
I have no time to cook during the week, and on the weekends we are always traveling for my daughter's traveling league.
Solution:
Plan ahead and get creative.
When it comes to eating well, options other than spending lots of time in the kitchen are available. Here are a few examples:
- Use a slow cooker. A slow cooker is the answer to a busy family's prayers! Before you leave for work in the morning, toss all of the ingredients in the cooker, turn it on, and go to work. When you get home, the meal is ready. You will need to do some prep work the evening before. I recommend having everything ready to go so that the morning is as easy as possible. Clean and trim chicken, have potatoes cleaned and ready to cut, chop vegetables, and so on. If you are adding spices, have them measured and ready to add to the dish.
- Stop for a healthy fast-food meal. Eating out is a reality for many busy sport families, and that is OK. Today, it is possible to find a healthy option at most restaurants, even fast-food establishments. Table 9.1 earlier in this chapter offers tips for eating well when traveling. Those same foods can be used when the travel is only from school to practice.
- Load up your cooler and take your food with you. If you cooked in advance as I suggested, this is a time to cash in on your preparations. Grab a few of those homemade meals from the freezer, put them in a cooler, add a few ice packs, and off you go.
- Have a frozen meal. I don't often encourage frozen meals (unless they are homemade), but busy times call for easy solutions. If you have a favorite frozen meal or entrée that you know your youth athlete will eat, keep a few in the freezer as a backup. On a day when all else fails, that frozen meal is better than nothing at all.
Barrier:
I make a healthy dinner, but my kids won't eat it.
Solution:
Serve two dinners;or serve the meal before they fill up on snacks.
A major complaint from parents is that their kids will not eat what they make for dinner. If kids are filling up on low-nutrient snacks after school (e.g., chips, cookies, crackers), when dinnertime rolls around, they may not be hungry for your well-balanced meal. Forget snacks; youth athletes need meals. Serve the meal first.
Barrier:
All of my kids are picky and like different foods.
Solution:
Offer choices.
Just like adults, kids and teens have likes and dislikes. They also strive for control (some more than others). One way to help them have control is to offer food choices - not 10 choices, but 2. Cooking meals in advance makes this very easy because the food is already in the refrigerator. Think of a meal that is well accepted by most members of the family, and have it available. For example, I always have turkey burgers in my refrigerator. If my son does not like the meal I prepared for dinner, I allow him to heat up a turkey burger and have it with a side of fruit and vegetables.
Barrier:
My kids always complain about what I make for dinner.
Solution:
Create a meal rotation.
It would be nice if kids just ate what was made for dinner every night, but that is not the reality. As a parent, you have the benefit of not buying or cooking food that you do not like; kids are not so lucky. It is important for kids to try new foods and eat a variety, but it is not necessarily fair that you get to make all the decisions. To increase the chances that your kids will eat what you cook, involve them in the process. Children like to be included in decisions, and it helps them learn about food, nutrition, and meal planning. Have them help you create a meal rotation for the week that includes their favorites. Have each member of the family choose a day of the week and write down what he or she wants to eat that day. When one child complains that she doesn't want to eat that, you can remind her that it is not her night to choose, and that another night everyone will have to eat her selection. With everyone's help, the weekly menu is made.
If everyone agrees, the meals can be simple and repeat weekly. Have the family decide on five meals that everyone loves, such as spaghetti and meatballs, tacos, stir-fry, chili, and sandwiches. During the busy season, rotate through these meals if necessary. The goal is to eat a healthy, balanced meal without causing stress to the chef.
Learn more about Fueling Young Athletes.
Energy bars
Many parents and athletes want to know the best nutrition or energy bar to take to school or eat after exercise. What’s best depends on what you are using it for.
Many parents and athletes want to know the best nutrition or energy bar to take to school or eat after exercise. What's best depends on what you are using it for. Are you eating it as your breakfast? Is it to satisfy hunger after school? Are you looking for a preworkout bar, or do you need something convenient for immediately after activity?
Bars with high carbohydrate receive a lot of negative press, but a bar with quick-digesting carbohydrate, low fiber and fat, and just a bit of protein is what a cyclist on a long-distance ride really needs. It can also be a good option for a swimmer who has to fuel up before the next event. That same bar, however, would not be the best choice as you are running out of the house for school. A good bar for breakfast includes complex carbohydrate, fiber, protein, and even a little fat.
A bar to have after activity should contain a balance of nutrients, but the size depends on how exhaustive the exercise was. After an hour-long training session, a smaller 150- to 200-calorie balanced bar might be enough; for athletes with high calorie needs, a 300- to 400-calorie bar might be more appropriate.
Because I get so many questions about the best bar, I want to address how different bars fit into the meal plan. And because not many bars have the balance of high-quality nutrients I want, I share how you can make them as well as how they will fit into your meal plan. This way you can also compare their nutrition facts and ingredients lists to those of other bars on the market. I purposely use a lot of the same ingredients in these recipes so that you can have them on hand.
Balanced Breakfast Bar
2 CHO + 1 PRO + 2 FAT
- 1 tsp (5 g) cinnamon
- 1/3 cup brown rice syrup
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup almond butter
- 1/4 cup almonds, whole, unsalted, chopped
- 1/4 cup tropical fruit, dried, chopped
- 1 cup crispy rice cereal
- 1 cup oats, old-fashioned
- 1 1/2 scoops (32 g) whey protein powder, vanilla
- 1/8 tsp (0.6 g) table salt
Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Line an 8- by 8-inch (20 by 20 cm) pan with parchment paper. Cut the paper long enough so that it hangs over the sides.
Combine rice cereal, oats, protein powder, cinnamon, salt, and chopped almonds in a large bowl. Mix well and set aside.
Place the brown rice syrup, vanilla, almond butter, and diced fruit pieces in a microwavable bowl and microwave for 30 seconds on high. Stir with a spoon until evenly blended.
Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients, and use a sturdy spoon to mix. Using a bit of cooking spray on the spoon will help prevent sticking. You can also use your hands to stir. Mix well so that everything is moist.
Once it is mixed, spread evenly into the pan. Use another piece of parchment paper to press the mixture firmly and evenly into the pan using a heavy steel spatula. If the mixture isn't pressed firmly enough, the bar will crumble after cooking. Press firmly around the edges and all areas of the pan. Once it is pressed, remove the parchment paper you used to press. The mixture should appear tight, flat, and even in the pan.
Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool. Once cooled, refrigerate for one to two hours, remove from the pan, and cut into eight bars. Refrigerate or freeze.
Save
Save
Learn more about Fueling Young Athletes.
Day-to-day nutrition for healthy growth
Because I counsel young athletes, I work with a lot of parents and families. Most parents have very specific questions about fueling for sports. They want to know what to eat before an event, how much to drink during a game, and what the best meal is for recovery.
Because I counsel young athletes, I work with a lot of parents and families. Most parents have very specific questions about fueling for sports. They want to know what to eat before an event, how much to drink during a game, and what the best meal is for recovery. Although these are all important questions that are addressed in this book, the foods that are eaten day to day play a much larger role in health and athletic performance. Adequate day-to-day nutrition is what supports healthy growth and development, boosts the immune system, and works to heal sport injuries.
This book begins with a discussion of the basics, because a solid diet foundation needs to be the number one priority. Athletes are unlikely to be the best they can be if they are sick or injured. A healthy, injury-free athlete equals a winning athlete. Just as athletes who participate in different sports have different energy requirements, growing children have different energy requirements from those of adults. Daily nutrition requirements vary based on developmental age, sex, body type, and body composition. Adding in a recovery meal, for example, when athletes' day-to-day nutritional requirements have not been met will do little to help them meet their athletic goals. Once daily nutritional needs are met, then the extra foods and fluids needed to support sport training become the focus.
Nutrition Basics
The body gets its energy from food, which should provide a variety of vitamins and minerals. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Some foods provide the calories needed for growth but do not provide the nutrients needed for supporting development. The result is usually an overweight yet undernourished body.
The best food supports the growth, development, and maintenance of muscles, bones, organs, skin, and blood to cleanse, oxygenate, and nourish all parts of the body. The day-to-day diet should provide adequate amounts of all six essential nutrients that the body requires to function properly: water, carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. Athletes should understand the role and function of each of the essential nutrients, and they should have a general understanding of how much they need of each. See figure 2.1 for each nutrient's role.
The six essential nutrients.
The essential nutrients are divided into three categories: macronutrients, micronutrients, and water. The macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, and fat) supply the energy needed to fuel working muscles. For that reason, they are referred to as the energy-yielding nutrients. That energy is measured in calories. Vitamins and minerals (also called micronutrients) do not supply energy, but they are vital to life and needed for normal growth and development. Finally, water does not supply energy, but it is a component of all cells and is vital for life.
In addition to providing the nutrients vital for life, foods provide phytochemicals (i.e., compounds that give the foods classified as superfoods their superpowers). Phytochemicals are believed to help protect against certain diseases. Aside from the potential health benefits, many phytonutrients may help reduce inflammation, thereby boosting immune function and improving focus and concentration, all things that help athletes perform well.
Save
Save
Save
Save
Learn more about Fueling Young Athletes.
Learn to categorize foods
In early chapters you learned why you need to incorporate each of the macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, and fat) into your meal plan. Now, you need to make sure you understand which foods fit into each category.
In early chapters you learned why you need to incorporate each of the macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, and fat) into your meal plan. Now, you need to make sure you understand which foods fit into each category. I can tell you that most youth athletes - as well as their parents - are surprised to find out which foods are considered sources of carbohydrate. Learning how to categorize foods is the first step to building a meal plan that will properly support growth, development, and sport performance.
Which Foods Are Carbohydrate Sources?
Recall that carbohydrate is divided into complex and simple. In terms of the U.S. government icon MyPlate discussed in chapter 2, all five areas of the plate can provide carbohydrate, although some offer more choices than others. Choices from the grain, fruit, and vegetable sections all have carbohydrate. Milk and yogurt, which fall under the dairy group, are also sources of carbohydrate. From the protein section of the plate, we get carbohydrate from beans and legumes. Foods with added sugar also have carbohydrate. These foods, such as the sugar in a sport drink or candy, may not have a place on the MyPlate icon, but they are foods that youth athletes may consume on occasion. As you learned, some of the engineered sport foods have added sugar on purpose to provide the energy needed for long-distance or high-intensity activity.
Which Foods Are Protein Sources?
Remember that protein contains amino acids, which are used to build and repair body tissues. Protein occurs in most animal-based products such as red meat,poultry, fish, milk, eggs, and cheese as well as some plant-based foods such as soy, beans, and legumes.
Some foods are categorized as containing only protein (e.g., egg whites and boneless, skinless chicken breast that is very lean). Foods considered sources of both protein and fat include chicken thighs and whole eggs. Some foods are categorized as containing both protein and carbohydrate (e.g., beans and legumes).
The protein foods you choose should depend on your needs, goals, and training. You can choose foods that are either complete or incomplete proteins, but most, if not all, of your meals and mini-meals should include a source of protein.
Which Foods Are Fat Sources?
Dietary fat is an important fuel source for youth athletes. In chapter 2 you learned that dietary fat can be categorized as unsaturated fat, saturated fat, or trans fat. Many foods contain naturally occurring fat; many of the protein sources just mentioned fall into that category. Other foods have added fat (e.g., buttery crackers or a slice of birthday cake). Some foods have no or very little carbohydrate or protein and are considered fat sources only. These include oils, butter, nut butters, nuts, seeds, and salad dressings. When filling in your meal skeleton, make sure that all of your fat sources, both naturally occurring fats and all added fats, are included within your total fat servings.
Table 8.1 provides a quick glimpse into how to categorize foods. Remember that many carbohydrate sources are made with fat and fall under both categories, and many protein foods have naturally occurring fat and fall under both categories.
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Save
Learn more about Fueling Young Athletes.
Family differences
When two of my kids were in third and fifth grades, they both had early school lunch periods and came home from school extremely hungry. They did not need an after-school snack; they needed a meal. My solution was to serve dinner at 4 p.m. and then a mini-meal around 7:00 p.m.
When two of my kids were in third and fifth grades, they both had early school lunch periods and came home from school extremely hungry. They did not need an after-school snack; they needed a meal. My solution was to serve dinner at 4 p.m. and then a mini-meal around 7:00 p.m. Between dinner and the evening mini-meal was swimming practice, gymnastics, religious education, and my third son's therapy (he has severe autism, so his evenings are filled with therapy rather than sports). Every day was go-go-go! I was lucky enough to have a flexible job so that I could be home when my kids got off the bus. However, not all parents are. Whether your kids go to after-school care, stay after school for practice, or go home to a babysitter, they need a balanced meal. It might be a mini-meal, but it is still a meal. If kids are not taught to eat meals when they are hungry, they will fill up on quick snacks.
Remember the discussion in chapter 1 about what makes a star athlete: Champions do not decide their future. Champions decide their habits. Their habits decide their future.
This year, things changed. My fourth-grade daughter eats lunch early, but my sixth-grade son eats lunch later. That means that she comes home hungry, but he doesn't. My solution is to feed my daughter dinner at 3:45 p.m. and then heat my son's dinner a little later, around 4:30 p.m. My third son has difficulty gaining weight, so he eats on a very structured schedule. His mealtimes fall at 3:30 and 7:00 p.m.
So, what do you do when kids are on different schedules? You get flexible. Sometimes even in the same family, meal skeletons (patterns) have to be set up differently. That is the reality of a sporting family! Having multiple kids running in multiple directions is often a reality, but it does not mean that the family's health has to be sacrificed.
Barrier:
The kids are very hungry as soon as they get home, but I can't make dinner that quickly.
Solution:
Bulk-cook ahead of time.
Open my refrigerator on a Monday, and you would think I was ready to feed an army. That's because I take three to five hours on Sunday evenings to prepare and cook seven or eight full meals for the week. I use all of my kitchen resources to make it work: slow cooker, oven, stovetop, microwave - even my outside grill is getting action. I chop and dice vegetables for the week, and I clean and cut up fruit so it is ready to go. Everything goes into glass containers in the refrigerator. This works for us because between homework and extracurricular activities, I do not have time to cook a healthy meal every night.
Take a minute to think about the foods you visualize when you hear the word snack? For many kids, the word refers to a quick, often salty, crunchy food (e.g., popcorn or chips) to eat to stave off hunger. Snack foods can fill kids up quickly, but many do not provide proper nourishment.
Having meals ready in the refrigerator prevents kids from grabbing low-nutrient snacks to satisfy their after-school hunger. Get them in the habit of eating a healthy meal; then they can have a balanced mini-meal later in the day.
Barrier:
I have no time to cook during the week, and on the weekends we are always traveling for my daughter's traveling league.
Solution:
Plan ahead and get creative.
When it comes to eating well, options other than spending lots of time in the kitchen are available. Here are a few examples:
- Use a slow cooker. A slow cooker is the answer to a busy family's prayers! Before you leave for work in the morning, toss all of the ingredients in the cooker, turn it on, and go to work. When you get home, the meal is ready. You will need to do some prep work the evening before. I recommend having everything ready to go so that the morning is as easy as possible. Clean and trim chicken, have potatoes cleaned and ready to cut, chop vegetables, and so on. If you are adding spices, have them measured and ready to add to the dish.
- Stop for a healthy fast-food meal. Eating out is a reality for many busy sport families, and that is OK. Today, it is possible to find a healthy option at most restaurants, even fast-food establishments. Table 9.1 earlier in this chapter offers tips for eating well when traveling. Those same foods can be used when the travel is only from school to practice.
- Load up your cooler and take your food with you. If you cooked in advance as I suggested, this is a time to cash in on your preparations. Grab a few of those homemade meals from the freezer, put them in a cooler, add a few ice packs, and off you go.
- Have a frozen meal. I don't often encourage frozen meals (unless they are homemade), but busy times call for easy solutions. If you have a favorite frozen meal or entrée that you know your youth athlete will eat, keep a few in the freezer as a backup. On a day when all else fails, that frozen meal is better than nothing at all.
Barrier:
I make a healthy dinner, but my kids won't eat it.
Solution:
Serve two dinners;or serve the meal before they fill up on snacks.
A major complaint from parents is that their kids will not eat what they make for dinner. If kids are filling up on low-nutrient snacks after school (e.g., chips, cookies, crackers), when dinnertime rolls around, they may not be hungry for your well-balanced meal. Forget snacks; youth athletes need meals. Serve the meal first.
Barrier:
All of my kids are picky and like different foods.
Solution:
Offer choices.
Just like adults, kids and teens have likes and dislikes. They also strive for control (some more than others). One way to help them have control is to offer food choices - not 10 choices, but 2. Cooking meals in advance makes this very easy because the food is already in the refrigerator. Think of a meal that is well accepted by most members of the family, and have it available. For example, I always have turkey burgers in my refrigerator. If my son does not like the meal I prepared for dinner, I allow him to heat up a turkey burger and have it with a side of fruit and vegetables.
Barrier:
My kids always complain about what I make for dinner.
Solution:
Create a meal rotation.
It would be nice if kids just ate what was made for dinner every night, but that is not the reality. As a parent, you have the benefit of not buying or cooking food that you do not like; kids are not so lucky. It is important for kids to try new foods and eat a variety, but it is not necessarily fair that you get to make all the decisions. To increase the chances that your kids will eat what you cook, involve them in the process. Children like to be included in decisions, and it helps them learn about food, nutrition, and meal planning. Have them help you create a meal rotation for the week that includes their favorites. Have each member of the family choose a day of the week and write down what he or she wants to eat that day. When one child complains that she doesn't want to eat that, you can remind her that it is not her night to choose, and that another night everyone will have to eat her selection. With everyone's help, the weekly menu is made.
If everyone agrees, the meals can be simple and repeat weekly. Have the family decide on five meals that everyone loves, such as spaghetti and meatballs, tacos, stir-fry, chili, and sandwiches. During the busy season, rotate through these meals if necessary. The goal is to eat a healthy, balanced meal without causing stress to the chef.
Learn more about Fueling Young Athletes.
Energy bars
Many parents and athletes want to know the best nutrition or energy bar to take to school or eat after exercise. What’s best depends on what you are using it for.
Many parents and athletes want to know the best nutrition or energy bar to take to school or eat after exercise. What's best depends on what you are using it for. Are you eating it as your breakfast? Is it to satisfy hunger after school? Are you looking for a preworkout bar, or do you need something convenient for immediately after activity?
Bars with high carbohydrate receive a lot of negative press, but a bar with quick-digesting carbohydrate, low fiber and fat, and just a bit of protein is what a cyclist on a long-distance ride really needs. It can also be a good option for a swimmer who has to fuel up before the next event. That same bar, however, would not be the best choice as you are running out of the house for school. A good bar for breakfast includes complex carbohydrate, fiber, protein, and even a little fat.
A bar to have after activity should contain a balance of nutrients, but the size depends on how exhaustive the exercise was. After an hour-long training session, a smaller 150- to 200-calorie balanced bar might be enough; for athletes with high calorie needs, a 300- to 400-calorie bar might be more appropriate.
Because I get so many questions about the best bar, I want to address how different bars fit into the meal plan. And because not many bars have the balance of high-quality nutrients I want, I share how you can make them as well as how they will fit into your meal plan. This way you can also compare their nutrition facts and ingredients lists to those of other bars on the market. I purposely use a lot of the same ingredients in these recipes so that you can have them on hand.
Balanced Breakfast Bar
2 CHO + 1 PRO + 2 FAT
- 1 tsp (5 g) cinnamon
- 1/3 cup brown rice syrup
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup almond butter
- 1/4 cup almonds, whole, unsalted, chopped
- 1/4 cup tropical fruit, dried, chopped
- 1 cup crispy rice cereal
- 1 cup oats, old-fashioned
- 1 1/2 scoops (32 g) whey protein powder, vanilla
- 1/8 tsp (0.6 g) table salt
Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Line an 8- by 8-inch (20 by 20 cm) pan with parchment paper. Cut the paper long enough so that it hangs over the sides.
Combine rice cereal, oats, protein powder, cinnamon, salt, and chopped almonds in a large bowl. Mix well and set aside.
Place the brown rice syrup, vanilla, almond butter, and diced fruit pieces in a microwavable bowl and microwave for 30 seconds on high. Stir with a spoon until evenly blended.
Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients, and use a sturdy spoon to mix. Using a bit of cooking spray on the spoon will help prevent sticking. You can also use your hands to stir. Mix well so that everything is moist.
Once it is mixed, spread evenly into the pan. Use another piece of parchment paper to press the mixture firmly and evenly into the pan using a heavy steel spatula. If the mixture isn't pressed firmly enough, the bar will crumble after cooking. Press firmly around the edges and all areas of the pan. Once it is pressed, remove the parchment paper you used to press. The mixture should appear tight, flat, and even in the pan.
Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool. Once cooled, refrigerate for one to two hours, remove from the pan, and cut into eight bars. Refrigerate or freeze.
Save
Save
Learn more about Fueling Young Athletes.
Day-to-day nutrition for healthy growth
Because I counsel young athletes, I work with a lot of parents and families. Most parents have very specific questions about fueling for sports. They want to know what to eat before an event, how much to drink during a game, and what the best meal is for recovery.
Because I counsel young athletes, I work with a lot of parents and families. Most parents have very specific questions about fueling for sports. They want to know what to eat before an event, how much to drink during a game, and what the best meal is for recovery. Although these are all important questions that are addressed in this book, the foods that are eaten day to day play a much larger role in health and athletic performance. Adequate day-to-day nutrition is what supports healthy growth and development, boosts the immune system, and works to heal sport injuries.
This book begins with a discussion of the basics, because a solid diet foundation needs to be the number one priority. Athletes are unlikely to be the best they can be if they are sick or injured. A healthy, injury-free athlete equals a winning athlete. Just as athletes who participate in different sports have different energy requirements, growing children have different energy requirements from those of adults. Daily nutrition requirements vary based on developmental age, sex, body type, and body composition. Adding in a recovery meal, for example, when athletes' day-to-day nutritional requirements have not been met will do little to help them meet their athletic goals. Once daily nutritional needs are met, then the extra foods and fluids needed to support sport training become the focus.
Nutrition Basics
The body gets its energy from food, which should provide a variety of vitamins and minerals. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Some foods provide the calories needed for growth but do not provide the nutrients needed for supporting development. The result is usually an overweight yet undernourished body.
The best food supports the growth, development, and maintenance of muscles, bones, organs, skin, and blood to cleanse, oxygenate, and nourish all parts of the body. The day-to-day diet should provide adequate amounts of all six essential nutrients that the body requires to function properly: water, carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. Athletes should understand the role and function of each of the essential nutrients, and they should have a general understanding of how much they need of each. See figure 2.1 for each nutrient's role.
The six essential nutrients.
The essential nutrients are divided into three categories: macronutrients, micronutrients, and water. The macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, and fat) supply the energy needed to fuel working muscles. For that reason, they are referred to as the energy-yielding nutrients. That energy is measured in calories. Vitamins and minerals (also called micronutrients) do not supply energy, but they are vital to life and needed for normal growth and development. Finally, water does not supply energy, but it is a component of all cells and is vital for life.
In addition to providing the nutrients vital for life, foods provide phytochemicals (i.e., compounds that give the foods classified as superfoods their superpowers). Phytochemicals are believed to help protect against certain diseases. Aside from the potential health benefits, many phytonutrients may help reduce inflammation, thereby boosting immune function and improving focus and concentration, all things that help athletes perform well.
Save
Save
Save
Save
Learn more about Fueling Young Athletes.
Learn to categorize foods
In early chapters you learned why you need to incorporate each of the macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, and fat) into your meal plan. Now, you need to make sure you understand which foods fit into each category.
In early chapters you learned why you need to incorporate each of the macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, and fat) into your meal plan. Now, you need to make sure you understand which foods fit into each category. I can tell you that most youth athletes - as well as their parents - are surprised to find out which foods are considered sources of carbohydrate. Learning how to categorize foods is the first step to building a meal plan that will properly support growth, development, and sport performance.
Which Foods Are Carbohydrate Sources?
Recall that carbohydrate is divided into complex and simple. In terms of the U.S. government icon MyPlate discussed in chapter 2, all five areas of the plate can provide carbohydrate, although some offer more choices than others. Choices from the grain, fruit, and vegetable sections all have carbohydrate. Milk and yogurt, which fall under the dairy group, are also sources of carbohydrate. From the protein section of the plate, we get carbohydrate from beans and legumes. Foods with added sugar also have carbohydrate. These foods, such as the sugar in a sport drink or candy, may not have a place on the MyPlate icon, but they are foods that youth athletes may consume on occasion. As you learned, some of the engineered sport foods have added sugar on purpose to provide the energy needed for long-distance or high-intensity activity.
Which Foods Are Protein Sources?
Remember that protein contains amino acids, which are used to build and repair body tissues. Protein occurs in most animal-based products such as red meat,poultry, fish, milk, eggs, and cheese as well as some plant-based foods such as soy, beans, and legumes.
Some foods are categorized as containing only protein (e.g., egg whites and boneless, skinless chicken breast that is very lean). Foods considered sources of both protein and fat include chicken thighs and whole eggs. Some foods are categorized as containing both protein and carbohydrate (e.g., beans and legumes).
The protein foods you choose should depend on your needs, goals, and training. You can choose foods that are either complete or incomplete proteins, but most, if not all, of your meals and mini-meals should include a source of protein.
Which Foods Are Fat Sources?
Dietary fat is an important fuel source for youth athletes. In chapter 2 you learned that dietary fat can be categorized as unsaturated fat, saturated fat, or trans fat. Many foods contain naturally occurring fat; many of the protein sources just mentioned fall into that category. Other foods have added fat (e.g., buttery crackers or a slice of birthday cake). Some foods have no or very little carbohydrate or protein and are considered fat sources only. These include oils, butter, nut butters, nuts, seeds, and salad dressings. When filling in your meal skeleton, make sure that all of your fat sources, both naturally occurring fats and all added fats, are included within your total fat servings.
Table 8.1 provides a quick glimpse into how to categorize foods. Remember that many carbohydrate sources are made with fat and fall under both categories, and many protein foods have naturally occurring fat and fall under both categories.
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Family differences
When two of my kids were in third and fifth grades, they both had early school lunch periods and came home from school extremely hungry. They did not need an after-school snack; they needed a meal. My solution was to serve dinner at 4 p.m. and then a mini-meal around 7:00 p.m.
When two of my kids were in third and fifth grades, they both had early school lunch periods and came home from school extremely hungry. They did not need an after-school snack; they needed a meal. My solution was to serve dinner at 4 p.m. and then a mini-meal around 7:00 p.m. Between dinner and the evening mini-meal was swimming practice, gymnastics, religious education, and my third son's therapy (he has severe autism, so his evenings are filled with therapy rather than sports). Every day was go-go-go! I was lucky enough to have a flexible job so that I could be home when my kids got off the bus. However, not all parents are. Whether your kids go to after-school care, stay after school for practice, or go home to a babysitter, they need a balanced meal. It might be a mini-meal, but it is still a meal. If kids are not taught to eat meals when they are hungry, they will fill up on quick snacks.
Remember the discussion in chapter 1 about what makes a star athlete: Champions do not decide their future. Champions decide their habits. Their habits decide their future.
This year, things changed. My fourth-grade daughter eats lunch early, but my sixth-grade son eats lunch later. That means that she comes home hungry, but he doesn't. My solution is to feed my daughter dinner at 3:45 p.m. and then heat my son's dinner a little later, around 4:30 p.m. My third son has difficulty gaining weight, so he eats on a very structured schedule. His mealtimes fall at 3:30 and 7:00 p.m.
So, what do you do when kids are on different schedules? You get flexible. Sometimes even in the same family, meal skeletons (patterns) have to be set up differently. That is the reality of a sporting family! Having multiple kids running in multiple directions is often a reality, but it does not mean that the family's health has to be sacrificed.
Barrier:
The kids are very hungry as soon as they get home, but I can't make dinner that quickly.
Solution:
Bulk-cook ahead of time.
Open my refrigerator on a Monday, and you would think I was ready to feed an army. That's because I take three to five hours on Sunday evenings to prepare and cook seven or eight full meals for the week. I use all of my kitchen resources to make it work: slow cooker, oven, stovetop, microwave - even my outside grill is getting action. I chop and dice vegetables for the week, and I clean and cut up fruit so it is ready to go. Everything goes into glass containers in the refrigerator. This works for us because between homework and extracurricular activities, I do not have time to cook a healthy meal every night.
Take a minute to think about the foods you visualize when you hear the word snack? For many kids, the word refers to a quick, often salty, crunchy food (e.g., popcorn or chips) to eat to stave off hunger. Snack foods can fill kids up quickly, but many do not provide proper nourishment.
Having meals ready in the refrigerator prevents kids from grabbing low-nutrient snacks to satisfy their after-school hunger. Get them in the habit of eating a healthy meal; then they can have a balanced mini-meal later in the day.
Barrier:
I have no time to cook during the week, and on the weekends we are always traveling for my daughter's traveling league.
Solution:
Plan ahead and get creative.
When it comes to eating well, options other than spending lots of time in the kitchen are available. Here are a few examples:
- Use a slow cooker. A slow cooker is the answer to a busy family's prayers! Before you leave for work in the morning, toss all of the ingredients in the cooker, turn it on, and go to work. When you get home, the meal is ready. You will need to do some prep work the evening before. I recommend having everything ready to go so that the morning is as easy as possible. Clean and trim chicken, have potatoes cleaned and ready to cut, chop vegetables, and so on. If you are adding spices, have them measured and ready to add to the dish.
- Stop for a healthy fast-food meal. Eating out is a reality for many busy sport families, and that is OK. Today, it is possible to find a healthy option at most restaurants, even fast-food establishments. Table 9.1 earlier in this chapter offers tips for eating well when traveling. Those same foods can be used when the travel is only from school to practice.
- Load up your cooler and take your food with you. If you cooked in advance as I suggested, this is a time to cash in on your preparations. Grab a few of those homemade meals from the freezer, put them in a cooler, add a few ice packs, and off you go.
- Have a frozen meal. I don't often encourage frozen meals (unless they are homemade), but busy times call for easy solutions. If you have a favorite frozen meal or entrée that you know your youth athlete will eat, keep a few in the freezer as a backup. On a day when all else fails, that frozen meal is better than nothing at all.
Barrier:
I make a healthy dinner, but my kids won't eat it.
Solution:
Serve two dinners;or serve the meal before they fill up on snacks.
A major complaint from parents is that their kids will not eat what they make for dinner. If kids are filling up on low-nutrient snacks after school (e.g., chips, cookies, crackers), when dinnertime rolls around, they may not be hungry for your well-balanced meal. Forget snacks; youth athletes need meals. Serve the meal first.
Barrier:
All of my kids are picky and like different foods.
Solution:
Offer choices.
Just like adults, kids and teens have likes and dislikes. They also strive for control (some more than others). One way to help them have control is to offer food choices - not 10 choices, but 2. Cooking meals in advance makes this very easy because the food is already in the refrigerator. Think of a meal that is well accepted by most members of the family, and have it available. For example, I always have turkey burgers in my refrigerator. If my son does not like the meal I prepared for dinner, I allow him to heat up a turkey burger and have it with a side of fruit and vegetables.
Barrier:
My kids always complain about what I make for dinner.
Solution:
Create a meal rotation.
It would be nice if kids just ate what was made for dinner every night, but that is not the reality. As a parent, you have the benefit of not buying or cooking food that you do not like; kids are not so lucky. It is important for kids to try new foods and eat a variety, but it is not necessarily fair that you get to make all the decisions. To increase the chances that your kids will eat what you cook, involve them in the process. Children like to be included in decisions, and it helps them learn about food, nutrition, and meal planning. Have them help you create a meal rotation for the week that includes their favorites. Have each member of the family choose a day of the week and write down what he or she wants to eat that day. When one child complains that she doesn't want to eat that, you can remind her that it is not her night to choose, and that another night everyone will have to eat her selection. With everyone's help, the weekly menu is made.
If everyone agrees, the meals can be simple and repeat weekly. Have the family decide on five meals that everyone loves, such as spaghetti and meatballs, tacos, stir-fry, chili, and sandwiches. During the busy season, rotate through these meals if necessary. The goal is to eat a healthy, balanced meal without causing stress to the chef.
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Energy bars
Many parents and athletes want to know the best nutrition or energy bar to take to school or eat after exercise. What’s best depends on what you are using it for.
Many parents and athletes want to know the best nutrition or energy bar to take to school or eat after exercise. What's best depends on what you are using it for. Are you eating it as your breakfast? Is it to satisfy hunger after school? Are you looking for a preworkout bar, or do you need something convenient for immediately after activity?
Bars with high carbohydrate receive a lot of negative press, but a bar with quick-digesting carbohydrate, low fiber and fat, and just a bit of protein is what a cyclist on a long-distance ride really needs. It can also be a good option for a swimmer who has to fuel up before the next event. That same bar, however, would not be the best choice as you are running out of the house for school. A good bar for breakfast includes complex carbohydrate, fiber, protein, and even a little fat.
A bar to have after activity should contain a balance of nutrients, but the size depends on how exhaustive the exercise was. After an hour-long training session, a smaller 150- to 200-calorie balanced bar might be enough; for athletes with high calorie needs, a 300- to 400-calorie bar might be more appropriate.
Because I get so many questions about the best bar, I want to address how different bars fit into the meal plan. And because not many bars have the balance of high-quality nutrients I want, I share how you can make them as well as how they will fit into your meal plan. This way you can also compare their nutrition facts and ingredients lists to those of other bars on the market. I purposely use a lot of the same ingredients in these recipes so that you can have them on hand.
Balanced Breakfast Bar
2 CHO + 1 PRO + 2 FAT
- 1 tsp (5 g) cinnamon
- 1/3 cup brown rice syrup
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup almond butter
- 1/4 cup almonds, whole, unsalted, chopped
- 1/4 cup tropical fruit, dried, chopped
- 1 cup crispy rice cereal
- 1 cup oats, old-fashioned
- 1 1/2 scoops (32 g) whey protein powder, vanilla
- 1/8 tsp (0.6 g) table salt
Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Line an 8- by 8-inch (20 by 20 cm) pan with parchment paper. Cut the paper long enough so that it hangs over the sides.
Combine rice cereal, oats, protein powder, cinnamon, salt, and chopped almonds in a large bowl. Mix well and set aside.
Place the brown rice syrup, vanilla, almond butter, and diced fruit pieces in a microwavable bowl and microwave for 30 seconds on high. Stir with a spoon until evenly blended.
Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients, and use a sturdy spoon to mix. Using a bit of cooking spray on the spoon will help prevent sticking. You can also use your hands to stir. Mix well so that everything is moist.
Once it is mixed, spread evenly into the pan. Use another piece of parchment paper to press the mixture firmly and evenly into the pan using a heavy steel spatula. If the mixture isn't pressed firmly enough, the bar will crumble after cooking. Press firmly around the edges and all areas of the pan. Once it is pressed, remove the parchment paper you used to press. The mixture should appear tight, flat, and even in the pan.
Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool. Once cooled, refrigerate for one to two hours, remove from the pan, and cut into eight bars. Refrigerate or freeze.
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