Oh The Pressure...

of trying to write my first "real" blog post.  The back and forth over deciding what the "first" topic would be.  After much thought, I decided sports nutrition would be a good choice.  Sports nutrition is the reason I started this blog in the first place.  Not only is nutrition vital to young athletes, but with a family of four kids who are all involved in sports, it is very difficult to fit meals into our schedule.  Many of my sport mom friends show up with fast food bags to the side lines of various games and competitions.  Concession food is often sub-par and lacking in nutritional value.  And although I'd rather not admit it, my kids are scarfing down buttered noodles drenched in salt as I type.  At my ten year old daughter's well check I asked her pediatrician to discuss sports nutrition with her.  I felt like an idiot but I did it because she doesn't listen to me.  Despite the years of soccer and track that I participated in even at the collegiate level, she still doesn't believe I know what I am talking about.  Or, she doesn't admit it!  All this said, I decided to put together my top five tips for feeding young athletes and their tag-a-long siblings on the go from one practice to another or at home with little time to spare before bath and bed.  Here goes...

1. Optimize muscle recovery; this is my big one!  I say it all the time...  "Eat this so your muscles recover..." 

• Have you kids eat and/or drink a high protein snack within 30 minutes after exercise.
• And serve a high carbohydrate, moderate protein meal 1-2 hours later to continue muscle recovery.
• Great on the go protein snacks include nut butter with veggies, fruit, or even pretzels (if that's what it takes), beef or turkey jerky (I balked at a mom who sent this into the gym with her 5 years old, but she had something there), hard boiled egg, deli roll up, hummus and veggies, grapes and cheese, portable cheese platter (sliced cheese, whole grain crackers, and nuts).

2. Drink plenty of fluids.  I recently read that kids are getting kidney stones at a higher rate than ever before.  Additionally, two of my munchkins get migraine headaches.  One little monkey's trigger is dehydration. 

• Give kids a sports drink to prevent fatigue and dehydration.  Some studies show that sports drinks do a better job preventing dehydration than water alone during activities lasting an hour or more.
• In general kids should drink 1 cup of water per 15 minutes of exercise. (Imagine the water intake required to hydrate my eight year old during his three hour gymnastics training.)

3. Carbohydrates provide little bodies with energy...

• Carbohydrates are the main energy source for exercise and major fuel for the brain.
• Great on the go carbohydrate snacks include dry cereal, bagels, fresh fruit, whole grain crackers, air popped popcorn, low fat muffins, rice cakes, pretzels.

4. Keep kid's balanced...

• In general it is best to provided 55% of kid's diets with carbohydrates, 15% protein, and 30% fats.
• Examples of healthy fats for kids include avocado, olives, pesto on pasta, homemade trail mix, and sunflower seeds.

5. Everything in moderation...

• Variety is the spice of life.  Unless you kid buys into your healthy eating plan, all this information in useless.  I have found that keeping a varied diet keeps my kids interested and willing to try new foods.  Adding avocado to a salad one day and mixing up guacamole and serving it with tortilla chip another keeps my kids willing to put it in their mouths. 
• Allowing kids an occasion treat is encouraged.  After a well played game ice cream, frozen yogurt or even a cupcake is a welcome treat for tired kids.  Not only will they not be deprived of treats many of their friends are having, but it shows them that it is acceptable to indulge as long as they keep a healthy diet the majority of the time.  Additionally, it teaches them what foods are treats and what foods are part of that healthy diet.
• And make those healthy foods fun.