When Performance Suddenly Declines: Could iron be the issue?

Your athlete has always been a top performer on their team. Maybe one of the fastest on the cross country team. Maybe a top performing gymnast or dancer at their level. Maybe they are on track to get a soccer scholarship to college. Everything is going great, until the one race, the one meet, the one performance, the one game where it suddenly isn’t. The athlete suddenly almost stops in their tracks. They tell you they are doing everything that they always do, but today they can’t quite get their legs to move faster, their body to turn quicker, or they feel stuck and tired and can’t advance. And it continues practice after practice, and event after event.

In some athletes it could be a more subtle decline in performance but this is the complaint that I hear the most often, and, regardless of how it presents, athletes still report frustrations like decreased performance, fatigue, dizziness and/or light-headedness, or “heavy legs”. Many athletes show up in my office with this as their main complaint or they mention this as they share with me their athlete journey and what all has brought them to see me today. They are baffled at what could be happening as they typically feel like they have not made any major changes to their diet, their hydration or their schedule.

As their sports dietitian I, of course, look at their overall nutrient intake, hydration status and the big picture. However, what immediately comes to mind to check when I get complaints like this is (1) IRON - what is this athlete’s iron status? And (2) WHY might the athlete’s iron status be low?

Often times I see low iron in my very high performing elite young athletes. The ones practicing hours almost every day at high levels. It can come from overlooking certain foods in their daily intake, from consistent underfueling (often unintentional), or from increased iron losses due to the nature of their sport.

In my 8+ years of practice, I didn’t realize how prevalent low iron was until about the last 4 or 5 years. Now, in the last couple of years I have really started monitoring it in the the athletes that have come to see me with these kind of complaints.

So this is what I’m going to talk with you about today.  Today I want to shed some light on this important mineral, iron. What it does for us, why our athlete’s levels may be low, and how it affects our athlete’s performance. Let’s dive in….

Iron is…

A mineral that is needed for the production of red blood cells and for the transport of oxygen throughout the body.

3 Reasons an Athlete May Have Low Iron:

1. Special diets

• An athlete that avoids meat or who is a vegetarian or vegan is at risk of not consuming enough iron.

2. Increased iron breakdown / losses

• Increased iron losses can occur in sports with repetitive footstrike like distance runners. This is called foot strike hemolysis.

• Small amount of iron can be lost in the sweat and in the urine.

• Inflammation can negatively affect  iron levels

• Iron lost each month in post-menarcheal female (have started their periods)

3. RED-S

• A high-performing athlete that has been restricting or unintentionally underfueling is at risk of low iron intake and therefore low iron stores.

• There is a tricky relationship between low iron stores and low energy availability (RED-S). If an athlete is suffering from low iron or anemia it can make it harder for them to get out of their state of RED-S. This is because, if the body is low or deficient in iron or iron stores, it makes it harder to do any given skill and definitely harder to perform at the athlete’s peak. This is causing their body to work harder than usual at any given skill, which expends more calories, making it harder to get out of their state of Low Energy Availability. And they have low iron because of their underfueling, It can become a tough cycle to break.

Reasons for Low Iron Specific to Young Athletes…

• Rapid growth and development that happens in childhood and adolescence can increase dietary iron needs. Participating in sports at a high level of training also places a demand on the body’s need for iron. The two together can create a significant increase in the body’s need for iron to function well.

• This increased need for iron often comes at a time when the athlete may be skipping meals, choosing to snack throughout the day vs sit down for balanced meals or try “special diets” that they see friends of celebrities promote. These factors all lead to an increased risk of low iron or iron deficiency with or without anemia in the young athlete.

Signs/Symptoms of Low Iron (or low ferritin)…

• Fatigue

• Shortness of breath

• Dizziness / light-headed

• Nausea

• Pale skin

• Complaints of feeling heavy (“heavy legs” is what I hear most frequently)

Checking Your Iron Levels…

I highly recommend that you get your iron levels checked before trying to supplement as iron supplements are known to have negative GI effects and, as it is a mineral, an athlete can get too much. If your athlete does have low iron levels, your MD or sports RD will likely recommend a certain amount of iron for a certain number of weeks and then recheck it. It is typically not something that you supplement at a high dose forever.

When you request iron labs, it’s important not to just get “an iron” and don’t just get a CBC (which looks at your hemoglobin, hematocrit, etc.) as these are usually not effected until a deficiency is more severe. Where you really want to start is with a ferritin as this is the body’s storage form of iron. Iron deficiency has 3 stages, 1 being least severe and 3 being most severe.

The 3 Stages of Iron Deficiency…

Stage 1: iron insufficiency or depletion.

• A low ferritin 

Stage 2: iron deficiency without anemia

• Further decreased ferritin

• Decreased transferrin saturation 

• Increased total iron binding capacity (TIBC)

Stage 3: iron deficiency with anemia

• Further decreased ferritin

• Decreased transferrin saturation 

• Increased total iron binding capacity (TIBC)

• Low hemoglobin

Iron Supplementation & Side Effects…

If your athlete is complaining of fatigue and decreased performance or you are worried they may have RED-S, I encourage you to get with a sports dietitian. Don’t just go out and start an iron supplement. Get your labs checked and meet with a professional! With my clients, sometimes all they need is to improve their dietary intake and we work together to achieve that. Others have lab values that indicate they need more than what they can get from diet alone and so I recommend a mix of supplement + teach them how to optimize their iron intake in their diet. Then I monitor any negative side effects they may have and either help them reduce those or alter their supplement if needed.

If you are at a point where you think your athlete needs their iron checked, it will be best to start working with a sports medicine physician and / or sports dietitian. We can help you interpret your results and get your numbers back to optimal levels, whether through diet, supplement or a combination of the two!

I have worked with so many athletes struggling with low iron from Stage 1 to Stage 3. If you would like to speak with me about working together, you can reach out to me any time at taylor@taylored-nutrition.com. I would love to chat with you!

Wishing you a well-fueled athlete!

Taylor

When You're Not Sure What Type of Hydration Drink Your Athlete Needs

Another common question I get from both parents and athletes and what I see a lot of confusion around is this topic of hydration beverages. Sports drink vs. electrolyte powder vs. water… what is the best choice? With all of the marketing and all the options and all of the different sports, it’s understandable why athletes are confused on what to drink and when.

In today’s blog, I’m going to break down some of the facts for you. These are questions I ask my private or group clients that I work with when helping them create a unique hydration plan and this is what you need to think about and when deciding the best hydration choice for your athlete.

5 MAIN POINTS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING A HYDRATION DRINK FOR THE YOUNG ATHLETE

1. HOW LONG WILL THE ATHLETE BE PLAYING / PRACTICING?

2. WHAT IS THE ENVIRONMENT / CLIMATE LIKE? (SUPER HOT, HUMID, COLD, MILD?)

3. WHAT TYPE OF ACTIVITY WILL THE ATHLETE BE DOING?

4. DID THE ATHLETE HAVE ANY PRE-EVENT FUEL?

5. HOW OLD IS THE ATHLETE? ARE THEY A HEAVY / SALTY SWEATER?

How you respond to each of these questions will determine which type of hydration drink is best for your athlete.

Three Categories of Hydration Drinks:

1. Water

2. Electrolyte Replacements

3. Sports Drinks

In my opinion, you can think of making your selection based on the general idea that the longer and more intense the practice / event becomes, the more you need in your drink. Let’s break it down by drink…

Water

• The gold standard

• Less than 60 minutes of activity in mild to moderate temperatures, with minimal sweating

• Examples:

  • 30 minute choreography class

  • 45 minute soccer practice

  • 40 minute figure skating freestyle session
    

electrolyte drink

• An event of varying duration with minimal to moderate exertion but still heavy sweating

• Basically, not enough energy is being exerted to require the carbs in a sports drink, but the athlete is sweating a lot and so benefits from replacing elextrolytes

• Examples:

  • One baseball game

  • Practice for a more skill-based sport or position in the heat
    

sports drink

• 60 minutes or more of moderate to high-intensity activity

• Extreme heat conditions

• The athlete is a heavy and salty sweater

• The athlete does not have a carb-rich snack on-hand during the event or the athlete has trouble tolerating solid forms of nutrition before and during events (ex: due to high nerves).

• Examples:

  • A figure skater has 2 back-to-back 40-minute freestyle sessions followed by a 20-minute on-ice power class

  • A soccer athlete has a soccer game in the intense Texas summer heat OR has a tournament weekend.

  • A baseball player has a tournament without time to grab meals or carb-rich snacks in-between games.

  • A runner has a 1.5 hour cross country practice in the intense heat

  • A gymnast has a 4 hour morning practice and very little time to snack during the practice.

In addition to these facts, I thought I would share some common questions I get around this topic and how I respond…

COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT HYDRATION DRINKS for YOUNG ATHLETES

What about all the sugar in sports drinks?

I know many athletes who have struggled through sessions underfueled with low energy stores (read; “low carb stores”) because they are trying to cut out sugar. While I understand this can come from a place of good intention, we must remember that, for the athlete, Sugar = Carbohydrate = Energy = PERFORMANCE!! 

Right before an event or during an event is a place where the body actually benefits from sugar, from simple carbohydrate like that found in a regular sports drink! These can be especially helpful if you have trouble tolerating solids like fruit / bagels / bars around events.

I had an athlete come to me recently who was struggling with burnout not even half-way through soccer practices. They struggled with fatigue and some dizziness. As I worked through my material with them, a light went off. This athlete realized that they had cut out all sugar including any drinks with sugar completely. They added in some Gatorade before and during long practices and at our next session said they felt a huge difference in energy levels and the dizziness was gone.  Success!

what about those who don’t drink sports drinks due to the dyes?

That’s ok! Did you know you can make your own sports drink? If you prefer to go a more diy route you can make your own! I’ve stumbled across a variety of recipes and am linking a few for you below…

• Citrus Sports Drink & Watermelon Sports Drink

• DIY Sports Drink

What about this one that I’m seeing everywhere?

Do a comparison of the drinks you are considering. There are some trendy sports drinks out there, but when I look at the nutritionals, I find they are actually very low in key electrolytes like sodium. If your athlete truly needs a sports drink to (1) maintain energy levels and (2) replenish electrolytes lost in their sweat, remember that the main electrolyte they are wanting to replace is sodium!

what about energy drinks?

I can only say “No” to energy drinks. The caffeine amounts can be more than what is listed on the container and there is no recommended amount of caffeine for kids and teens in the US. I also think that many times an athlete will turn to an energy drink for energy when what they really need is MORE FOOD (ie, FUEL). To make matters worse there, energy drinks can blunt the appetite leaving a body already craving food and nutrients more underfueled. This is all I will say for now but I do plan to do a blog dedicated to energy drinks at a later date.

I hope you found this helpful today.

Hydration drinks can be confusing, but when the athlete gets it right, they really can feel an exciting difference!

If you think or know that your athlete is struggling with their hydration. If they need a more detailed plan and someone to guide them, I would love to chat with you about it. I work with my private clients and group program clients to create their unique fueling strategy all the time!

You can reach out to me at taylor@taylored-nutrition.com to schedule a quick call and see if working together would be a good next step!

Wishing you a well-fueled athlete,

Taylor

When Your Athlete Wants to Incorporate Protein Shakes

Today we are talking Protein Shakes. Probably one of the most common questions that I get from parents I work with…

• “Are they good?”

• “Should my athlete drink them?”

• “Which ones do you recommend?”

• “When should they drink them?”

My response and discussion of this popular question is always similar and it goes something like this…

Yes, I think that protein shakes CAN be beneficial and helpful…

1. in certain situations

2. with the right information and understanding to support it

Typical Instances Where Protein Shakes Can Be Helpful For Young Athletes:

• An athlete has early morning practice before school and needs a quick protein choice to pair with the carbohydrate in their recovery snack between end of practice and their first class.

• An athlete has a super packed school schedule and sometimes does not have the time (or make the time) for a full hot lunch.

• An athlete needs quick and shelf-stable protein ideas to have on-hand during long days of tournaments, back-to-back practices or competitions.

• The athlete is vegetarian or vegan and so their easy on-the-go protein choices are more limited throughout the day.

• The more mature athlete is struggling to meet protein goals for weight and / or muscle gain.

• An athlete has decreased appetite after intense practices and liquid nutrition is the only thing desired or tolerated.

While protein shakes can be helpful in scenarios like those above, it’s important for the athlete to understand a few important facts so that the shake fully benefits the athlete’s performance…

Key Points to Remember When Incorporating Protein Shakes:

• Low in Calories. Protein shakes are often low in calories and relying too much on these on their own can leave an athlete underfueled.

• Low in Carbohydrates. Protein shakes are often low in carbohydrates. Not being strategic about how a protein shake fits into the meal or snack can leave an athlete under-consuming carbohydrates. And we know that carbohydrates are key for (1) energy, stamina and performance, (2) building muscle and (3) recovery.

• Not a Nutrition Shake. Relying too much on protein shakes as a source of protein while not being intentional about other meals and snacks can leave an athlete deficient in other macro or micronutrients. Protein shakes are usually not equal to nutrition / meal replacement shakes.

• Contain Artificial Sweeteners. Many protein shakes do contain artificial sweeteners (to keep the sugar down, which means the carbohydrates are low as well) and these can cause stomach discomfort / upset in some individuals. If your athletes’ stomach is sensitive to these, it may be best to avoid.

• More isn’t necessarily better. Different protein shakes have different amounts of protein. The typical 12 or 13 year old athlete does not need 40+ grams of protein in their protein shake. It will not give them an additional benefit to building muscle over 15 to 30 grams (depends on weight, stage of development, etc.), especially if they are allowing that 40 grams to make up for very little protein or no protein in another meal or snack. Remember, we want consistent protein intake that meets the specific athlete’s overall goal spaced throughout the day. This is where, if the athlete has struggled with building muscle, I recommend you get with a sports RD who can give your athlete a total protein goal and the best way to break it up throughout the day.

And, or course, one other thing to consider is the question around if the athlete actually needs extra protein from a shake. Some athletes think they need to drink these because friends or teammates are drinking them. Here are some initial questions I start with when seeing an athlete who wonders about protein shakes…

Initial Questions To Ask Before Relying On Protein Shakes:

• “How much protein is the athlete currently getting?”

  • Many athlete are getting more protein than they think.

  • Take a look at current meal and snack patterns. What is the protein content of your athlete’s current food choices?

• “Does your athlete like a variety of protein-rich foods and drinks?” If the answer is “yes”, then I encourage them to try those first over shakes. Those foods and drinks will likely offer more overall nutrition and energy than a single protein shake (and can be more budget-friendly than more pricey protein shakes).

• “Can the athlete fit a variety of these foods in throughout the school day (before school, during school or after school)?” Once the athlete has identified protein foods they enjoy and that are available regularly (I go over this in depth with the athlete in our sessions), we need to determine the feasibility of actually getting these throughout the day each day. The athlete may have a bunch of protein-rich foods & drinks they love, but their school schedule makes it tough to get many of those foods each day. In my sessions with athletes, I’m here to partner with them. We incorporate what they like and what they will try with what is actually feasible with their scheduler and make recommendations and a plan from there.

If your answer these questions and you realize the athlete is meeting their protein goals, then a protein shake likely isn’t necessary. If, however, you determine that the athlete’s protein needs cannot be met from regular foods and beverages, then protein shakes may be a helpful advantage.

If you need help assessing your athlete’s intake…

or if your athlete needs help with getting enough protein each day to support recovery, performance and meeting their goals…

You can always reach out to me on Instagram (@taylormorrisonRD) or shoot me a quick email at taylor@taylored-nutrition.com. We’ll jump on a brief Discover Call to talk more about your athlete’s needs and goals and see if working together would be a good fit. I offer a variety of one-to-one packages as well as a group program throughout the year!

I hope you found this helpful today. Until next time!

Wishing you a well-fueled athlete,

Taylor

When Timing Is Everything

You might be reading this and thinking, my athlete knows what they like and don’t like. They know what snacks agree with them. They understand the foods that give them the quickest energy.  

However, even after including those foods in a regular training schedule, they are still having struggles. Maybe they still end up getting shaky and light-headed by the middle of a game. Or they get stomach cramps mid-way into their race. 

To this I would say, “You’re not doing anything wrong. You just don’t have the complete puzzle put together quite yet.”

In my professional opinion, there are two big pieces to the sports nutrition puzzle:

1. The fundamental facts. Know which macros are needed for what. And which micros are needed for what function.

AND

1. The application of the fundamentals - the science behind digestion rates and how our body uses the food we give it to create energy for different types of sports. i.e - TIMING.

You can know all of the fundamental facts… what’s a carb? What’s a protein? What’s a fat? What is iron? Etc. etc. etc. 

BUT, if you don’t understand TIMING, the way the body processes the foods, how long it takes to convert those foods to energy, then the athlete can still be left sluggish, with stomach aches, frustrated or confused.

In my experience, both as a teen athlete and as an adult sports dietitian coaching others, I have found that this timing piece is often what may take the most, well, time, to figure out. Because, while there are textbook recommendations of how many grams/kg of carbohydrate should be consumed before, during and after activity along with recommended timelines, it’s also true that bodies are all very different. So while one athlete may need a particular snack “x” minutes before warmup, their teammate may like that same snack but need it “y” minutes before or “z” minutes before warmup. 

The timing of your meals and snacks are determined by the composition of the meal/snack - what is actually in it, as well as the portions in the meal/snack AND the athlete’s genetics. 

General macronutrient timing guidelines…

We know that protein, fat and fiber should be consumed further away from exercise because they take longer to digest and longer to be used for energy. The further away from warmup the meal / snack is, usually the more leniency you have with the protein, fiber and fat content. And the closer you get to the event/warmup, the less of these nutrients that meal/snack needs to contain, leaning to eventually entirely easily digested carbs as you get right down to start time.

So, for today, if your athlete is struggling with stomach cramps or upset, or shakiness / dizziness / fatigue before the end of events and if you feel they really understand the fundamental of nutrition, then I wonder if they should start looking more at TIMING…

Maybe they need less time between snack and event, maybe they need more time. Maybe they need more time but also a bit more carb.  Maybe they don’t have much time so they need their snack + a simple snack to have during a game / practice / event.  

Take a little time and play with timing.  It’s great if the athlete can get this right straight out of the gate, but it often takes a little bit of time, a little bit of trial and error.  

And a general guide to remember:

~close to event time = simpler carbs (no protein, fat or fiber)

~ 1 to 2 hours out = carbs + a little protein

~3 to 4 hours out = carbs + protein + a little fat, as tolerated by the athlete

If you play around with nutrition this summer and your athlete figures out what really works for them, I would love to hear about it!  You can always comment below, find me on Instagram (@taylormorrisonRD) or send me an email!  I’de love to hear from you.

Much love and a well-fueled athlete,

Taylor

Oh - and if this post resonated with you.

If this is something your athlete has been working on or needs to work on. 

Maybe they already feel confident in the fundamentals or maybe they need that education as well, you guys would be a perfect fit for my virtual live sports nutrition program running this summer!!!

want to talk with me more about the program to see if your athlete is a good fit?

• Book a call through the website

• Or email directly at taylor@taylored-nutrition.com

Female Athletes: What your period is telling you

As someone who grew up in a house that NEVER talked about periods / menstrual cycles, I sometimes laugh at the irony of HOW MUCH I talk about periods every day. I really mean it.  It comes up weekly with the female athletes that I see. It comes up so much so that I don’t hesitate or even give the topic a second thought. I hope that continues so that my daughter feels totally comfortable talking about it as she gets older. Although, I’ll probably be the “embarrassing mom” that talks about it too openly. I can already see the eye rolls and hear the “ughh, moommmmm”s now.  But, oh well. It’s a fate I’m willing to embrace if it means she’s aware of its importance and how it can be a sign and indicator of her overall health.

TOday I’m talking all about female athletes and their periods from the sports nutrition angle

I want to discuss why a female’s period becomes a focus in the work that I do and why I put such importance on it. Having a menstrual cycle is a normal function of the female body as they reach and navigate through puberty. A young female athlete should get her period by 15 years old.

Typically if a young female has reached 15 years old without ever having had a period it is termed “primary amenorrhea” and she is typically referred to a specialist to determine if something is going on in the body that has prevented her cycles from starting. 

It is fairly normal for a young female athlete to reach menarche (her first period) and for her periods to be a little irregular at first. However if she gets further into her sport and you notice it stops completely and she goes months and months and months without having one, OR, it normalizes and then her training increases and she starts skipping her periods, that is not normal. Losing her period or going three months or more without it is not a badge of honor displaying what a hard core athlete she is. This is a medical condition known as “secondary amenorrhea”. 

Whether the athlete is experiencing primary or secondary amenorrhea, there is reason to take a look at what might be going on. I’ve seen and research supports that it can be a cause for concern in the sports world.

Annoying BUt important

I know that having a period as a young female athlete can be VERY annoying. The cramps, the fatigue, nausea, bathroom breaks. It’s very annoying and very inconvenient. So, when we skip one or more periods or delay ever starting, we may think, “sweet, one thing I don’t have to deal with”.  However, what we may not realize is that this period and regular menstrual cycle is very important for injury prevention and performance, specifically things including (but not limited to) hormone regulation like estrogen which impacts bone health. 

While there can absolutely be an anatomic or endocrine issue going on, amenorrhea can also be a result of underfueling, the theme we have been covering the last couple of months. And that is what lands so many athletes in my office and why I’m so concerned with the female athlete’s cycle. What is happening here is that the athlete is demanding a very high amount of energy due to training for sport. However, she is not consuming enough energy each day for the body to cover all of the demands being placed on it between energy needs for sport, school, growth and development and daily physiological functioning (breathing, heartbeat, digestion, menstrual cycle, etc.). So, I like to explain this as:

In this state of limited energy availability (or, Low Energy Availability) the body takes an inventory of the functions not absolutely needed in the immediate present to function and it starts powering down or even shutting off those identified systems. That’s when the athlete loses her period. The body says, “I don’t absolutely need you right now to live and function and so I will power you down or turn you off for a bit until I have more energy. Right now I need to use all of this energy for this other function over here”.

my thinking when a female athlete tells me her cylces have been absent or irregular.

When a young female athlete walks into my office and tells me she has not had a period in the last 3 to 6 months or more, I get very concerned about her health, performance and risk of injury, particularly the state of her bone health. If she isn’t already seeing me with a stress fracture, I’m  on heightened alert of her susceptibility to acquiring one in the near future. And, even if she is lucky and avoids a fracture, it can still put her at risk for low bone mineral density and osteoporosis later in life. Not having her cycle is also a sign that she could very likely have RED-S, which we know from my previous posts means she could be setting herself up for further complications like decreased performance, stomach issues, heightened anxiety, cardiovascular concerns, altered iron levels and more.

So, what can you take away from today’s post? Today I want to leave you with a few questions you or your athlete can ask regarding her period to determine if she is fueling well to prevent injury and perform her best…

Period check to determine if your female athlete is fueling well:

• Has your athlete started her period by 15 years old?

• Is your female athlete having monthly periods?

• Does your athlete have regular periods EXCEPT during her sports season? For example: “I have a monthly period all year with the exception of cross country season. I lose it for 4 or 5 months and then it comes back after my season is over”.

  • This indicates likely underfueling in-season

• Does your athlete only have her periods when injured?

  • This could indicate that she may be underfueling when she is fully training. When she is taken out of her sport and her activity decreases her intake is finally able to meet physiological demands and her periods resume.

• Is your young female athlete struggling with or has she in the past struggled with stress fractures?

  • NOTE: An athlete can still experience stress fractures with regular periods and an optimal energy intake. They could be more a result of specific nutrition deficiencies. However….

  • Make sure to at least ask, “is she having regular periods?”

    • If she is not, it should be a red flag to start taking an even closer look at her fueling and working on optimizing and increasing her energy intake as soon as possible.

    • In my practice, stress fractures are often a result of underfueling AND certain nutrient deficiencies (not getting enough food each day = not getting enough nutrients each day)

Now, or course, a young female’s athlete’s period, or lack there of, should always be checked on by the appropriate specialist (pediatrician, OB, endocrinologist, etc.). But, today, I encourage you to not gloss over the fact, that her FUELING could be the reason for her menstrual irregularities. Or, her STRESS INJURIES could be a result of her MENSTRUAL IRREGULARITIES, which could be a result of her UNDERFUELING.

For more info on underfueling you can check out my latest posts linked below….

• Is your athlete underfueled?

• RED-S: The reason for your athlete’s struggles?

• Underfueling: Intentional or Unintentional?

Much love & a well-fueled athlete,

Taylor

Oh! And, if you do feel like your young female athlete is struggling with her fueling and you need a place to start, feel free to grab a copy of my Getting Started Guide to a Well-Fueled Young Athlete! 

10 Early Morning Fuel Ideas for the "Non Breakfast Eater" & Why It’s Important

“I just don’t eat breakfast”. “Eating upsets my stomach”. “I don’t like breakfast foods”.

These are just a few statements I get from the young athletes I work with after asking them about their morning pre-training fuel. For some athletes, depending on their sport and type of training session, skipping the morning meal may be just fine, but for many of the athletes who come to work with me, those in high intensity and endurance sports, skipping this chance for nutrition can really set the athlete back.

If you are a student athlete or the support team of a student athlete and this sounds familiar, I ask you to consider starting a new breakfast routine and, in doing do, consider these 3 things:

1. The pre-training meal does not have to be big

2. The pre-training meal does not have to be breakfast food

3. If you think you are performing fine as you are (with empty fuel stores), think of what you could do if your brain and muscles were well-stocked with fuel!

Size of the Pre-training Meal

I never recommend going from nothing to a full all-inclusive breakfast. For those just beginning to incorporate pre-training fuel, it’s important to start small no matter what and slowly increase portion or change type of fuel. It’s all about training the gut and, while it may seem impossible, it actually can be done! It’s something I work with athletes on all the time. Just don’t get overwhelmed and think this meal has to be big or 3 courses. It’s final composition is up to the athlete, what he/she tolerates, and what feels right. In fact, I often refer to this early morning pre-training meal it as “Breakfast 1”. The athlete should think about what he/she would have for breakfast and then pull out the carbohydrate portion to enjoy first. “Breakfast 1” can be as small or big as the athlete tolerates. “Breakfast 2” is the recovery fuel and follows after the training session is complete.

Composition of the Pre-training Meal

This pre-training meal does not have to be breakfast food but it does need to be a source of easily digested carbohydrates. Remember that carbohydrates are the best source of fuel for the brain and muscles. I always work with my athletes to determine what carbohydrate sources they will be able to tolerate as tolerance is key here.

Potential of the pre-training meal

Yes, I know many athletes that say “My practices are great and I never eat before practices”. However, I still challenge them to at least try a little something before they train. If it doesn’t work, then ok, but most of the time I hear them tell me that they have more energy, feel better during practice, don’t get so hungry during practice and don’t feel ravenous after. If you think you’re doing great now, imagine what you could do if you were actually running on fuel! If you’re an athlete reading this, I challenge you to take your off-season to try adding in an early morning pre-training meal. If you’re a parent, coach, AT or other member of the support team with early morning practices, I challenge you to challenge your athletes to find at least one food or meal that they can enjoy and tolerate pre-training.

Now that I’ve talked about the importance of including a little pre-training fuel, I want to transform that into food. What I’m sharing today are the simplest ideas. If the athlete tolerates these all well and feels he/she can start including more, then portions can be increased or small items can be added. But for now, we’ll stick with simple. If you want to work on improving your pre-training fuel or have an athlete that you think would benefit from this, I encourage you to work with a sports dietitian to create a plan and find what works for you or your athlete!

Early Morning Pre-Training Fuel Ideas for the “Non Breakfast Eater”

1. Sports drink

2. Dry cereal (ex: Cheerios, Chex, other low fiber, low protein & low fat cereals)

3. Plain Bagel or toast topped with jam or honey

4. Simple granola bar (ex: Quaker chewy, KIND Healthy Grain, NutriGrain, MadeGood)

5. Fruit bars (Fig Newton, Nature’s Bakery)

6. Diced fresh fruit

7. 1 small to medium banana

8. Snack size bag of pretzels (remember that breakfast does not have to mean breakfast food!)

9. Small fruit smoothie (made with fresh / frozen fruit, water, juice)

10. Remember to think about the night before. If you are not a big breakfast eater but have a difficult training session or long run the next morning, use dinner the night before to help get you ready. Include a mix of lean protein, quality carbohydrates and a little healthy fat. If dinner is really early and you go to bed late, add in an evening snack with quality carbohydrates like:

    • A bowl of cereal with milk,

    • Yogurt (Greek or regular)

    • Whole grain toast or waffle with peanut butter

    • Whole Grain granola bar with peanut butter or yogurt

    • Cheese & Crackers

      Including this evening snack and making dinner count will make you less dependent on your early morning fuel to carry you through your workout. You can instead think of your breakfast as “topping of the tank” or replenishing what may have been used while sleeping.

For more information and examples of early morning and late evening pre and post-exercise fuel give this previous blog post a read.

Hope this gets you started and makes you feel more energized and ready for those early morning practices to come!

Happy Fueling!

Taylor

6 Protein - Boosting Vegetarian Meals

Today is the last protein post for the month. We’ve talked about key principles and facts to know before setting out to build lean muscle in the young student athlete. We’ve talked about what it takes to build that lean muscle. I’ve shared my go to protein-boosting breakfast ideas and then touched on getting adequate protein for the athlete who is a vegetarian. Today I’m signing off with a few last thoughts and facts and leaving you with some of my favorite vegetarian recipes that pack in some protein that I have discovered over the years.

As we wrap up this topic I want to say that I do believe, and position papers support, that a few questions need to be asked first to ensure the athlete has chosen this lifestyle for healthy appropriate reasons (vs an inappropriate means of restriction) and the athlete and family needs to be clear on the extra planning and work it can take to meet nutrition needs of a vegetarian athlete. However, once these items have been addressed and the athlete has shown the ability to do what it takes and follow recommendations to meet his or her nutrition needs, a vegetarian athlete can meet his or her protein and nutrition needs.

To help you create a meat-free menu that meets your young athlete’s needs, I’m giving you six of my favorite meat - free recipes plus links to some others I enjoy or have heard great things about!

Have more questions about protein for the young athlete? Reach out to me through my Contact page or please comment on the post below!

Happy Fueling!

Taylor

SIX PROTEIN-BOOSTING VEGETARIAN MEALS FOR THE YOUNG ATHLETE

Goat Cheese & Thyme Pizza

Mediterranean Stuffed Sweet Potato

Up & At ‘Em Egg Cups

Mediterranean Veggie Wrap

Cherry Sun Butter Bars

Warm Peanut Butter Apple Crunch Waffle

I also follow Eleat Sports Nutrition, another sports dietitian, and she has a whole section of vegetarian recipes that would be worth a try!

Keys to Building Lean Muscle in the Young Athlete

Something as easy as a sandwich can get you the protein you need. I love my Red Pepper Pesto Chicken Salad and this grilled panini that it creates!

Hey there! I thought today’s post would be a brief reminder on what it takes to build lean muscle. This is probably one of my most common requests from athletes, adult and teens alike. Everyone wants to be leaner or bigger or stronger. So, I’m touching on the topic today as a reminder of what it takes. If you have really specific goals, I highly recommend you get with a registered sports dietitian to help fine-tune your goals and walk with you through the process.

5 Keys to Building Muscle in the Young Athlete

1. Resistance Training. I think this goes without saying, but, if you want to build lean muscle, you have to work those muscles! Changing your diet without doing anything to stimulate the muscles will not lead to muscle growth. But remember, as I said in my previous post, children and teens cannot build muscle (or mass) like adults until they hit or finish puberty.

2. Protein. You’ve gotta get your protein. However, you can’t load up on protein in one meal and call it a day. No, you need to space your protein intake out evenly throughout the day for optimal utilization. To all of my high school athletes out there, that means eating breakfast (or at least something in the morning)! A missed meal is a missed opportunity to build or maintain lean muscle.

3. Carbohydrate. It’s sad to me how carbohydrates get such a bad wrap because they are so necessary for all humans, but especially, athletes! Not only are they a major energy source but they are necessary for building lean muscle. If we don’t give our bodies adequate carbohydrate for energy, they will have to turn to protein as an energy source during our more intense workouts and events. This completely defeats our efforts of resistance training and increased protein intake. If you’re trying to build muscle for your sport, allow yourself carbohydrates so your body can use it as fuel and allow the protein to build or maintain that lean muscle!

4. Calories. I don’t often talk about calories on my blog, but it does require a mention here. If you want to build muscle (or mass), you need to increase your intake to allow for this. It’s hard for our bodies to add mass if we don’t give it additional calories (or energy) to work with.

5. Rest & Recovery. And remember, while often overlooked, rest and recovery are also needed. Our bodies need time to rest and recover from workouts in order to see the best results.

I hope this was a helpful post. I’m not getting too specific because every person and every athlete is different, but, if, you need specific recommendations, reach out to a sports dietitian in your area or you can contact me! I am happy to try and connect you with a sports RD in your area or we can set up a session and see about working together.

Happy Fueling!

Taylor

Navigating the Young Athlete's Early Morning & Evening Practices

One of the most common questions I get from parents and athletes is how to eat around early morning before-school practices and those tricky 6PM and 7PM games and practices. What should you eat before that won’t interfere with the athlete’s event? Should they eat something before? What about after? What do you do about these games and practices that are smack in the middle of meal time?

My answer to this question, whether it is breakfast or dinner is to divide the meal into Meal 1 and Meal 2 and include the more easily digested items in Meal 1 (think quality carbohydrates) and those less-easily digested items in Meal 2 (think more protein, fiber and healthy fats). In this post I’m going to try to simplify and break it down for you to get a better picture of what this would look like and why….

Meal #1 (the pre-event meal)

• The focus of this Meal #1 is to provide energy to the athlete. To make sure energy stores are full and ready for play and practice. If an athlete heads out to practice with an empty tank or depleted energy stores (from running around at school all day and not having eaten since school lunch) they will not be able to play or practice at their best and could even run a higher risk of injury.

• This meal should consist of quality carbohydrates because these are more easily digested in the body, which means they can act as a quicker source of energy that will not lead to digestive problems mid-event.

• Examples of these quality carbohydrate meal components might be: pasta, rice, fruit, baked potatoes or sweet potatoes, whole or half of a PB&J or turkey sandwich, chicken noodle soup, crackers with some hummus or peanut butter (careful with too much of peanut butter or hummus because they do contain fat and, if eaten too close to events, could cause stomach problems during the event), dry cereal, waffle(s), slice or two of toast with jam, simple granola bar.

Meal #2 (the post-event meal)

• The focus of Meal #2 is to replenish used up energy stores, to provide protein and other nutrients to the muscles so that they can repair and rebuild, to provide some healthy fats which can aid in recovery and decreased inflammation, and to overall satisfy and fill up the athlete.

• This meal is especially important if the athlete has another game or practice the following morning or later that day.

• Examples of these meal components might be:

  • Protein: chicken, turkey, lean ground beef, fish, beans, nuts, seeds, tofu, milk, yogurt, cheese

  • Healthy fats: salmon, tuna, avocado, flaxseed, chia seeds, nuts and seeds, nut and seed butters, olive oil (can be in salad dressings, etc.), tahini

  • Quality Carbohydrate: use the examples listed for Meal #1 ideas

A SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT EARLY MORNING PRACTICE NUTRITION

Sometimes the athlete really cannot eat in the mornings before an early morning before-school practice (I see this a lot with runners, sometimes gymnasts, and I struggled with it as a figure skater growing up). In these cases it could be good to try:

1. Have a liquid form of nutrition or something very basic for breakfast. Examples include: fruit juice, fresh or dried fruit, a shake, a little bit of a sports drink.

2. If an early morning bite or drink is absolutely not doable, move over to focusing on dinner the night before. If dinner was early, incorporate a before-bed snack like a bowl of cereal, yogurt, granola bar with some peanut butter, something that can carry over so that the athlete’s fuel tank is not completely depleted when they wake up in the morning and head to practice.

3. In these cases, make sure the athlete is getting something substantial as his or her post-event Breakfast #2. This could look like anything from a Greek yogurt with granola and a banana, to a granola bar, a milk carton and grapes, to 2 hard boiled eggs + fruit, to a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a carton of milk.

Those odd-hour events can be tricky, but with a plan and simple meal or food ideas, keeping your young athlete fueled can be done! As I sign off, I’m leaving you with one last list of ideas to take with you this month.

Happy Fueling!

Taylor

Early Morning Practice Meal Ideas for the Young Athlete

BREAKFAST 1

• Glass of juice

• Medium banana or other fruit

• Dry cereal (ex: Cheerios, Quaker Oatmeal Squares, Chex, etc.)

• Dried fruit

• Fruit smoothie (made with fruit and water or some juice)

• Breakfast shake like Carnation Instant Breakfast (tolerance may depend on athlete and on sport being played)

• Slice(s) of toast with jam or honey

• Simple granola bar (ex: Quaker chewy or soft Nutrigrain) or fig bar (low in fiber & protein)

• Low-fat yogurt

BREAKFAST 2

I LOVE these easy Egg Cups!

• Hardboiled egg(s) + cheese stick + grapes

• Peanut butter and jelly or honey sandwich

• Greek yogurt + granola + sliced strawberries

• Pre-made egg sandwich (egg(s) on a whole wheat English muffin with cheese) + fruit

• Chocolate milk + whole grain granola bar

• Turkey & cheese sandwich on whole wheat bread (remember that Breakfast doesn’t have to mean only breakfast foods!)

• Peanut butter crackers + glass of white or chocolate milk

• To-go oatmeal cup (just add milk or water) + banana

• Cottage cheese + fresh fruit + whole grain crackers

• Pre-baked egg cups + fruit or a granola bar or whole grain crackers

Evening Event Meal Ideas for the Young Athlete

DINNER 1

• Baked white or baked sweet potato

• Pasta with marinara sauce

• Turkey sandwich

• Pasta salad

• Bowl of cereal (just like breakfast doesn’t have to mean “breakfast food”, dinner doesn’t always have to mean “dinner food”!)

• Mini pizzas (on flatbread or English muffins with marinara, a sprinkle of cheese and any veggie toppings your athlete would like)

DINNER 2

I’m such of fan of this simple mayo-free chicken salad!

And these hearty flavor-packed 7-ingredient tuna burgers!

• Baked chicken + veggies + whole grain roll

• Grilled salmon + salad + glass of milk

• Spaghetti with meatballs

• Tuna or chicken salad

• Omelet with veggies and cheese + slice of whole wheat bread

• Glass of milk / chocolate milk

• Greek yogurt with fruit

• Avocado toast topped with a scrambled egg(s)

• Chicken sandwich + veggies

• Lean ground hamburger + veggies

• Tuna Burgers - just the patty or with the bun - whatever your athlete needs!

Farewell to Lunchtime Chicken Fingers: Mastering the Pre-Game Meal

Yesssss.  It was chicken tender & french fry day at school.  My favorite.  For whatever reason, french fry day was a huge deal at our school.  Not sure why but once a week they were served.  And something about those chicken tenders... mmmm mmmmm.  Mouth watering just thinking about them.

Right... mouth - watering until we fast-forward to about 4:00 that afternoon in the middle of cross country practice when I wanted to fall out on the Tuckahoe pavement (the street our practice runs often included), thinking maybe the SMS golf cart would appear like a knight in shining armor and cruise me back to the school (wishful thinking).  I realized in that moment that chicken tenders and fries may not be my body's fuel of choice and this was the way it decided to get my attention.

Cross country practice began at 3:30 and that particular day was a long run day.  Typically I would run at a pretty nice clip.  I'm mentally competitive with myself more than anyone else and would refuse to stop until I had reached the end.  Well, clearly this day was different.  I made it about 8 minutes and it all fell apart.  Nausea, stomach cramping, fatigue, you name it.  After deciding that lying down in the middle of the street waiting for a golf cart to come pick me up was probably not going to end in my favor, I walked the majority of the route back and finally finished with not only my worst time, but also feeling the worst I had ever felt after a run.  Now, I don't know if my lunchtime choice was the only culprit, but that was the only factor different than any other day.  I decided then and there that future lunches would be different.  Fried food clearly did nothing for me and if I was going to go to practice, I wanted it to be beneficial.

The next day and all of the days following were new days.  Of course I still enjoyed my chicken tenders and fries, but certainly not as my pre-run meal.  I started experimenting with different foods and different food combinations and took notice of how I practiced and how I felt at afternoon practices.  I found my ideal fueling lunch to include complex carbohydrates (fruits, whole grain crackers, whole-wheat pita, and / or low fat yogurts), a source of protein (peanut butter, string cheese, tuna, turkey, or chicken) and some healthy fats here and there (peanut butter, almonds, hummus, avocado, and olive oil).  I never had a practice like that again and, as I started to be more thoughtful with my school lunches and meal and snack timing, I saw myself get stronger and faster, both in my running and in my skating, as the weeks went on.  

Now, with this post I'm not saying no more fried food ever again.  I'm simply saying that if you want better performances and better practices, it's time to move the fried foods (or any other foods that can be harder to digest or leave you tired during events) over to make room for the more nutrient-dense foods that fuel those hard-working muscles and brain and propel you towards the finish line (especially when planning your pre-event meal!!).

Happy Fueling!

Taylor

10 simple ideas for the Young Athlete’s pre-game meal

(This meal is typically consumed 3 to 4 hours before the event. you may also need a pre-event snack, which you can find ideas for in my previous post here.)

• Turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomato and dijon mustard. Cheese, if tolerated. I love my Turkey Melt that I posted a while back!

• Stuffed Sweet Potato (I love my 9-Ingredient Stuffed Sweet Potato as a vegetarian option!)

• Breakfast Sandwich like my 5-Ingredient Breakfast Sandwich!

• A yogurt parfait or overnight oats (my go-to’s are these and these)

• Peanut Butter and Jelly or Honey Sandwich with an apple and / or glass of milk

• Pasta salad with chicken + yogurt or glass of milk and fruit

• Chicken & Vegetable Soup + a whole grain roll or whole grain crackers (I love Kashi, Mary’s Gone Crackers and Crunchmaster) + mixed fruit

• Low-fat cottage cheese + fruit + whole grain crackers and hummus

• Tuna salad (made without mayo) sandwich or on crackers + an apple + yogurt

• Homemade pizzas (ex: thick English muffins, marinara sauce, some veggies of choice, sliced chicken and a sprinkle of cheese) + fruit.

Jello Legs & Strategizing Pre-Event Snacks: Something I Learned the Hard Way

"Shoot!", I thought as I was about fifteen minutes from taking the ice for my warmup.  "I forgot my snack.  Oh well, too late now.  I'm sure I'll be fine.  I'm sure I don't actually need that banana.  I feel fine.  It's just like eight total minutes of skating."

An easy snack that I love pre or post exercise! Sun Butter Banana Oat Bites can also be found here

Fast forward about twenty-five minutes later.  I made it through my warmup and, I'll say, it was decent.  I did not feel strong like I knew I could feel.  However, I just rationalized it as nerves that always vanish as soon as my music begins and carried on.  After a mediocre warmup I exited the ice and kept warm while talking with my coach. "I'm feeling stronger", I thought.  "I can do this."  I removed my skate guards and handed my sweater to my coach.  The announcer called my name and as the cold icy air pierced my skin, I lifted my head high, took a deep breath, and skated out to my beginning pose, trying to leave my hesitations in the warmup room.

At this point in my skating life, I felt like I at least had my early morning pre-performance eating strategy pretty much down.  I knew my go-to meal, timing and routine for these early morning competitors.  What I was still working on, however, was the timing for those awkward mid-day to late - afternoon performances.  This competition happened to be around 12:30 p.m., smack in the middle of the day and lunchtime. At that point breakfast had certainly worn off and the question was, do I eat lunch before or after my skate? I couldn't eat a huge lunch because then it might not digest in time.  But should I eat a little something before I compete or wait until after I finish?  With limited time to go, I brushed off the necessity of this pre-performance snack, telling myself it was simple superstition and went on with my warmup routine.

Now I was standing on the ice, focused on the task at hand, ready to go.  My music began and I pressed into my first strokes and leaned into those beginning edges.  Unfortunately that is as good as it got.  The program was rough, to say it kindly.  I remember literally talking to my legs while skating, saying "What are you doing?  Get it together!"  But it was useless.  My legs felt like jello and my body was shaky, making landing any jump next to impossible and causing spins to be far from tight and centered.  That was one of those performances that I was happy to end and as I put my skate guards back on and made my way to my family I realized how low my blood sugar was. I was hungry and a pre-performance snack would from then on be a pre-performance staple.

Athletes work hard every day so that they can perform their best when it counts and it is important not to let a lack of pre-performance nutrition be the reason those practices don’t pay off. It is important to determine what nutrition your body needs for an optimal performance and to determine not only what but also when the body needs it, then making it a necessity in your practice and performance day plan (remember, never perform on something you have not practiced on first!).. Now, if a meal was eaten an hour or two or three before the event, a snack may not be needed. However, in the instance like I have talked about here, where the last meal was far away, a snack is most-likely a benefit or necessity.

Remember that the closer you are to the event, the simpler your snack should be. That means the closer you get to the event the less protein, fiber, and fat a snack should contain as these components are all more difficult for the body to digest. Need some ideas? I’m leaving you with a few of my tried and true favorites below.

Happy fueling!

Taylor

10 simple pre-event snacks for the young athlete

• Fresh fruit (banana, grapes, orange slices, melon, etc. whatever is best tolerated by the athlete)

• Dried fruit (raisins, cherries, apple, etc.)

• Simple granola bar (low fiber, low fat, low protein - think "easy to digest", like a Quaker Chewy granola bar)

• Pretzels

• Crackers (salty crackers if you’re a heavy and / or salty sweater)

• Jam sandwich

• Slice of toast with honey

• Dry cereal (My go-to’s are Cheerios & Quaker Oatmeal Squares)

• Small fig bar ( I really like these)

• Pre-event homemade trial mix (dry cereal + dried fruit)

Happy Fueling!

Taylor

Are You Eating Enough?? How Getting Competitive Changed the Way I Ate

One of my favorite mid-day snacks or an easy part of breakfast is an 88-Acres bar with a nut or seed butter!

There is often times a misconception that athletes in aesthetic sports eat less or need to eat less to be "better".  Cue the ballerina, the gymnast, the figure skater, and the dancer, to name a few.  In sports with constricting and limited attire, where jumping, speed and agility are crucial, athletes may often restrict intake, skip meals, or fill standard size meals with only low-calorie items.  However, something the sports community is realizing is that a lower number on the scale and bony prominences are not a sign of success and certainly not a fast track to the gold.

I have read about this in numerous articles over the past few years but actually experienced this on my own in high school.  These articles that I read later were a scientific confirmation of what I already discovered based off of personal experience and performance.

Growing up as a figure skater, I would say that I got really "competitive" in the USFS (U.S. Figure Skating) realm somewhere around sophomore year of high school (although I was serious about it and competing from somewhere around the age of 8).  After years of falls and frustrations, summer training camps away, and six days a week at the rink, I finally landed a very difficult element for me, and one I needed to compete at the next level, my double axel.  Alongside this I was also running cross country with my high school.  Top six days a week of skating with cross country and you find quite a physical and mental demand.  This was the point when I realized that to really compete I needed speed, I needed strength and I needed massive amounts of focus.  I quickly realized that none of those could be obtained when under-fueled or under-nourished.  While I felt like I was a fairly healthy eater, I realized that maybe that wasn't enough.  My practices were longer and more intense and I was looking to improve, not to maintain. In the past I might have arrived to the rink slightly hungry but would wait it out until a break or dinner.  However, returning from skating camp the summer I landed my double axel and beginning the new school year, I noticed this usual eating pattern only leaving me exhausted and with a sometimes sloppy practice.  I had my jumps, I had my spins, now I wanted to increase my speed, making those jumps higher and those spins faster, and nailing my routines nine times out of ten.  I quickly realized that to meet these expectations I had to show up to the rink ready.  I don't mean just having the right outfit, gloves, music, etc.  I mean ready in its entirety - fueled, nourished and ready to give practice my all.

We all know what our "A" game is.  Well, my thoughts are that if we can't bring it to practice how are we ever going to improve upon it and advance?  Of course we always have our off-days. However, for the most part, we have got to practice at our best as much as we can so that with each practice and each performance we can improve upon the last, thereby improving our performance and outcomes when it really counts - in competition.

It was during this time when my skating got more serious and I started to consider myself a real competitor that I realized just being “healthy” wasn't always going to cut it.  I needed extra fuel and more nutrition.  This was the year I (A) started to bring my lunch to school, (B) ate more food and ate it more frequently (packed my lunch and always made sure to include an afternoon snack within about 1 hour of getting to the rink) and (C) saw the biggest improvement in my skating AND my running. I was faster and stronger which made for an exciting year in my sports, in my schoolwork and in my overall attitude.  Many people that I have spoken with or clients that I have worked with have seemed to share or understand this common belief that to be more competitive an aesthetic sport athlete needs lighter meals, which often materialize as more salads, more fruits, and sticking to only three meals a day.  However, the reality is that athletes, including aesthetic athletes, actually need MORE if they to improve (and prevent injury). That may mean more food at meals or more eating opportunities or more energy than fruits & vegetables can supply.

A note to the young athlete

To all of those aesthetic athletes out there afraid of "eating too much”, if you're feeling fatigued and your performances and practices have not been up to your normal standards, or worse, you are suffering from multiple or non-healing injuries, take a good look at your daily intake and find room for improvement or small dietary additions here and there.  While those salads, fruits, and scheduled meals are great, they can leave you lacking in the energy required for your sport.  It may be that you simply need an extra apple, some peanut butter with your banana, a bigger salad with some almonds or avocado added, an extra slice of whole-wheat toast in the morning, or a small whole grain granola bar before practice. On the other end of the spectrum, maybe you’re a multi-sport athlete. Maybe you play school and club soccer and decided to join the cross country or track team and you’re going through your growth spurt. Remember that with your increased practices, games and tournaments, especially during this growing period, comes the necessity of a little or a lot more food whether that’s more at lunch, actually eating breakfast (for many of you non-breakfast eaters out there) or adding in an afternoon or evening snack.  Remember that it doesn’t have to be complicated and that there is not one universal prescription for every athlete. Your extra nutrition needs depend on you as an individual and your sport.  However, if you're looking to improve, remember that with each day and with each practice you have to fuel up to power up.  Give your body enough nutrition (along with sleep and a few other factors), and watch it hand you more energy, better focus and improved performance in return.

to the parent, coach & support team of the young athlete

Stay tuned for more posts this month as I dive more into pre and post event meal and snack ideas!

Happy Fueling!

Taylor

April: Fueling Spring Sports

It’s April. Let’s Talk About Fueling Your Child/Teen Athlete’s Spring Sports & Workouts

It’s officially Spring and while the weather in Texas still feels blustery and cold and I’m still bundling up in my winter jackets, attending my nephew’s baseball games wrapped up in said winter jackets tells me spring sports are officially in full-swing. Personally, I’m also craving being outside more and being more active. With busy schedules and multiple kids in multiple sports it can be hard to find the the time to figure out what to pack and what needs to be eaten and when both for the kids and for ourselves. This month, to help you through the hectic work, school and sports schedules, I will be sharing pre and post event / workout meal and snack ideas as well as some recipes to help fuel your child or teen athlete!

I LOVE these No Bake Cherry Sun Butter Bars. So easy to make and delicious. I get lots of positive feedback from friends and family who decide to make these for their fam!

There are more posts to come, but in the meantime I thought I would bring back a favorite recipe of mine, an oldie but a goodie. These No Bake Sun Butter Bars are such a favorite of mine! I love prepping a batch on the weekend or a weeknight and having them sliced and ready to go in my freezer for quick breakfasts as I head out the door or a quick energizing snack in-between projects or after runs and workouts. The same can be true for your child or teen athlete, especially if he or she is one of the many who skips breakfast.

no bake cherry sun butter squares

I started out with this batch recipe here. Then I doubled and altered the ingredients just a bit here to provide a little more energy for the athlete hitting that crazy growth spurt, a period of time where everything counts!

I hope you follow along and appreciate the recipes and information provided this month!

Happy Fueling!

Taylor

Ten Calcium - Boosting Breakfasts Ideas

I always talk to young elite or multi-sport athletes about the importance of not skipping a meal. Each meal is an opportunity for the young athlete to get needed protein to repair torn muscles, carbohydrate to replenish energy stores, fat for brain health, satiety and inflammation-fighting, and certain nutrients like calcium to keep bones strong. Just as skipping a meal puts the young athlete at a disadvantage, not skipping meals can be one simple way to take your training and performance up a notch. Today I’m talking about calcium and I’m specifically focusing on ways to get calcium in breakfast because, of all the schools and sports teams I visit, the athletes skip breakfast the most often. Keep on reading for some breakfast ideas that will boost your young athlete’s calcium intake. Questions? Comment below!

Happy Fueling!

Taylor

Love simple breakfasts that include filling a small mason jar with my favorite yogurt, fruit and homemade flax & chia seed granola.

Ten Calcium - Boosting Breakfast Ideas

for the Young Athlete

1. Sun Butter Banana and Chia Seed Oatmeal

   This is my newest morning oatmeal go-to recipe. Bump up the calcium by using some almond butter instead of Sun Butter or peanut butter!

2. Sun butter banana overnight oats

   Still love the simplicity of these overnight oats. Again, use almond butter instead of Sun Butter or peanut butter for a little boost in calcium.

3. Cherry Vanilla Overnight Oats

   A non-nut or non-seed butter option, this breakfast is packed with flavor and offers some calcium to busy mornings!

4. Yogurt & Fruit Parfait with Flax Seeds

   No recipe needed here. Just layer your favorite yogurt, fruit and a sprinkle of flaxseed into a glass or bowl. Super simple and full of calcium.

   REMEMBER: Greek or higher protein yogurts tend to have less calcium than your regular yogurts. It’s due to how the Greek yogurt is strained / made. So, while your Greek - type yogurts boast more protein, they often have less calcium. If both protein and calcium are a concern, I always say, just mix it up! My favorite yogurts are Siggi’s, Chobani, and this Icelandic brand.

5. Smoothie made with yogurt or almond milk

   Use whatever your favorite smoothie recipe is and try to get about 8 ounces of milk or almond milk or about 4 to 6 ounces of milk and 4 to 6 ounces of yogurt. Throw in chia seeds, flaxseeds or kale for a little more of a boost!

6. Cheese Toast

   Growing up, on Saturday mornings I would often walk into the kitchen to mom eating a piece of toast with cheese on top that she had broiled in the oven. Guess you could call it an open faced grilled cheese if you need a better picture but we just called it what it was - cheese toast. This was typically a breakfast option in our household. Well, one morning last year at a high school, after I had finished a talk to a girls volleyball and soccer team, I was answering questions. I was talking with one young lady about easy breakfast ideas that could get her some protein and calcium quickly. I mentioned this cheese toast and she just looked at me curiously and with so much skepticism in her eyes and said, “like a bad grilled cheese??” . Ha! Touche. All I could do was laugh. Fair point I guess, if you didn’t grow up with it. So, with all that said. Take or leave the cheese toast. But it is an option! You could even dress it up by topping it with a slice of tomato and sprinkle of Italian season before broiled it in the oven.

7. Mini Wafflewiches

   This idea came straight from the Kids in the Kitchen program that I was a part of for three years with the Junior League of Dallas. The kids made these in schools and it was by far one of the favorites in all of the schools. I downsized it a little here to be more compact and portable if you wanted.

   • 4 mini waffles (for 2 mini sandwiches)

   • vanilla yogurt

   • nut or seed butter (optional)

   • sliced banana

8. Eggs with cheese & sauted kale. dried figs on the side

   Easy eggs. You could even add this into egg cups like the ones here to have ahead of time!

9. Cottage cheese with drizzles of honey & fruit

   About 1/2 cup of cottage cheese gives you about 100 mg of calcium!

10. Almond butter toast and an 8 to 12 ounce glass of milk or almond milk

    Go with your favorite toast. If you use almond butter you could get even an extra little boost of calcium! Pair it with milk, or almond milk to maximize your calcium in the meal.

A Sample 1300 mg Meal Plan Without Dairy

The always tricky situation occurs when working with a high level, multi sport young athlete who eats little to no dairy. Often times this is when I end up talking about supplements and make recommendations for supplement brands that are 3rd party tested for safety. To learn more about safe supplements for you or your young athlete, visit this previous post.

However, before jumping on the supplement train, I always like to demonstrate that calcium goals can be met from food alone even when a young athlete does not care for dairy foods. That is what I am showing you today. Below you will find one Sample Meal Plan that meets the 1300 mg calcium a day goal without the use of dairy. Again, this only reflects calcium. Calories, carbs, protein, and fat are not taken specifically into account Comment with questions! For the list of non-dairy food and beverage sources of calcium check out this previous post. And, don’t forget your vitamin D along with it to make sure that calcium gets to your bones!

Happy Fueling!

Taylor

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1300 mg CALCIUM MEAL PLAN WITHOUT DAIRY

BREAKFAST:

• 1 to 2 scrambled eggs

• 8 oz. of almond milk (300 mg)

• Fresh fruit

SNACK:

• 1/2 cup dried figs (90 mg)

LUNCH:

• Kale Salad

  • 4 cups fresh kale (360 mg)

  • grilled chicken

  • toasted almonds (12 nuts) (37 mg)

  • veggies of choice

  • 1/2 cup kidney beans (95 mg)

  • dressing of choice

• Fresh fruit

SNACK:

• Diced pears and apples

DINNER:

• Grilled miso salmon (~76 mg)

• Grilled Bok choy (~88mg)

• Roasted potatoes (~30 mg)

• kale salad (2 cups) (180mg)

SNACK:

• Chocolate soy milk (300 mg)

TOTAL CALCIUM: ~1556 mg*

* I surpassed the recommended amount of 1300 mg here because the calcium in these plant sources may not all be fully absorbed and utilized in the body.

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A Sample 1300 mg Calcium Meal Plan

Hey there! Hope everyone had a great weekend. If you follow me on my Instagram you know that I got to spend Sunday doing one of my favorite activities with the family, ice skating. It was so much fun to skate but to also get to help my niece and nephew skate.

I just posted my blog post about calcium & vitamin D needs for kids and teens and the young athlete last week. This week, because I’m such an advocate for food first if possible, I want to share with you a couple of examples of what meeting needs through diet alone can look like. For my examples I have chosen the 1300 mg goal because teens are who I most often see with stress fractures and who I most often educate. See previous post for calcium recommended daily amounts for different ages. Remember that I’m really only considering calcium here. This does not reflect any particular energy, protein, carbohydrate or fat intake. Nor does it address other micronutrients. Comment with questions!

Happy Fueling!

Taylor

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1300 mg CALCIUM PER DAY MEAL PLANS (with dairy)

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CALCIUM SAMPLE PLAN 1:

BREAKFAST

• 5 oz yogurt (250 mg)

• 1/2 tsp chia seeds (85 mg)

• fruit

SNACK

• 1 oz raw or dry roasted almonds (75 mg)

LUNCH

• Grilled chicken sandwich

• With 1 slice of cheese (150 mg)

• Side kale salad (2 cups fresh kale) (180 mg)

SNACK

• 8 oz. chocolate milk (300 mg)
  

DINNER

• Pork tenderloin

• 1 baked potato (~30 mg)

  • 1 slice cheese (~150 mg)

  • plain yogurt (~50 mg)

• 1 cup cooked broccoli (62 mg)

TOTAL CALCIUM: ~ 1332 mg

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CALCIUM SAMPLE PLAN 2

BREAKFAST

• 1 cup cooked oatmeal (1/2 cup dry oats + 1 cup milk) (~328 mg)

• 2 tsp almond butter (~28 mg)

• 1/2 banana
  
  

SNACK

• 1 yogurt, not Greek (~ 5 oz.) (~250 mg)
  
  

LUNCH

• Grilled salmon salad

  • 3 cups chopped fresh kale (270 mg)

  • 4 oz grilled Coho salmon (50 mg)

  • diced veggies of choice

  • 2 tbsp feta (~90 mg)

  • dressing of choice

• fruit / crackers on the side

SNACK

• 5 figs (~135 mg)

DINNER

• Grilled chicken breast

  • 1 slice melted mozzarella cheese (~150 mg)

  • fresh sliced tomatoes + basil

• 1 cup cooked broccoli (~60 mg)

• 1/2 cup cooked brown rice

• 8 oz. milk (300 mg)

TOTAL CALCIUM: ~1500 mg

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If your athlete is really struggling with their fueling for sport and you’re looking for a place to start to help them start improving their nutrition, I invite you to download my FREE Getting Started Guide to a Well-Fueled Young Athlete! It has some of the basic info to know and think about when it comes to getting the young athlete well-fueled for their sport. Enjoy!

Calcium for the Young Athlete

Calcium and Vitamin D are big topics for me as I continue working with young athletes.  I see many stress fractures commonly caused by a combination of overuse, under-resting, and suboptimal nutrition intake, specifically of calcium and vitamin D.  I have also had a number of friends ask me specific information regarding calcium and vitamin D and so, while not going into specific recommendations, I am dedicating a full post to these two nutrients. This and other posts will talk about general information. If you have real concerns that you or your athlete are not getting enough calcium, you should formally talk with your doctor or sports dietitian. Stay tuned for posts focused specifically on recipes and sample meal plans to come!

WHAT IS THE BIG DEAL WITH CALCIUM & VITAMIN D?

Calcium and vitamin D are two nutrients with an important role in bone health.  While calcium plays an essential role in bone development, vitamin D is a nutrient that aids in the absorption and regulation of the calcium.  Therefore, these two nutrients work together to protect against the loss of bone mass and maintain strong bones, which is especially important during the teen years when bones tend to grow at a more rapid rate. Calcium is also used for things like muscle contractions and heart function. The body uses the calcium in the blood for these functions. If not getting enough calcium to keep blood levels normal, the body will pull that needed calcium from the bones. Thus the reason we need to be getting calcium in what we eat and drink!

HOW MUCH CALCIUM DO YOUNG Kids & Teens NEED?

• 4 - 8 years old: 1,000 mg / day

• 9 - 13 years old: 1300 mg / day

• 14 - 18 years old: 1300 mg / day

HOW MUCH VITAMIN D DO KIDS NEED?

• 1 - 18 years old: 600 IU / day

WHAT ARE GOOD SOURCES OF CALCIUM?

Calcium doesn’t have to come from just dairy. There are non-dairy sources too. Just remember that if you choose to get it from non-dairy sources, you are going to need bigger portions of those calcium-containing foods!

• Leafy greens (kale, bok choy and collards)

• Chia & sesame seeds

• Figs

• White beans

• Almonds

• Broccoli (small amounts)

• Milk (any %. They all have the same amount of calcium per serving)

• Yogurt

• Cheese

• Cottage cheese

• Canned salmon

• Calcium - fortified tofu

WHAT ARE GOOD SOURCES OF VITAMIN D?

• UV exposed mushrooms

• Fortified milk substitutes & yogurts

• Egg (yolks)

• Salmon & tuna

• Ready-to-eat cereals

SIMPLE WAYS TO BUMP UP YOUR CALCIUM INTAKE:

• Make oatmeal with milk or calcium-fortified milk substitutes

• Fruit smoothie made with milk or yogurt

• Add cheese to eggs and sandwiches

• Drink a glass of milk or chocolate milk with meals or as your after practice snack (love these Horizon milk boxes that can be thrown in a lunchbox or sports bag!)

• Pack string cheese as snacks

• Add dry milk powder to oatmeal, soups, stews and baked goods

• Include a yogurt & fruit parfait for breakfast or as an after-dinner snack

• Top a baked potato with steamed broccoli, 1/4 cup shredded cheese and plain yogurt

• Add 1/2 cup of cooked calcium-rich greens to meals

• Snack on 1/2 cup cooked soybeans or 5 dried figs or toss over salads

• Make a breakfast shake with calcium-fortified beverage, fruit & greens

• Add chia seeds to oatmeal, yogurt, smoothies and salads

• Include a glass of calcium - fortified orange juice with breakfast or a snack
  
  

NUTRIENTS TO NOTE

Foods containing oxalates can inhibit calcium absorption.

Higher oxalate - containing foods = beans, nuts, soy beans, and some dark leafy greens like spinach.

Lower oxalate - containing foods = kale and Bok choy

This doesn’t mean you need to cut the higher oxalate - containing foods out of the diet, but try to incorporate some of the lower oxalate and non-oxalate - containing foods more often.

Looking for more help in fueling the young athlete?…

If this blog post was helpful, and you’re looking for other ways to make sure your athlete is eating the best they can for their sport, I encourage you to join our Waitlist for our summer sports nutrition program! Doors officially open to register for this limited-participant program in May. BUT, Waitlist members will get a chance to register early before doors open to the public AND an excellent discount off the program if they choose to register when doors open to the Waitlist.

Interested in our summer Sports Nutrition Program?

My Story: How Growing Up a Young Athlete Fueled My Passion for Sports Nutrition & Wellness

Hi and Happy New Year!  While perusing through my different posts and articles over the Christmas holiday, I realized that I have not devoted one solid post to MY story and WHY I actually went into nutrition and dietetics.  I tell my story in the beginning of every new talk or presentation I give and, while I’ve provided a small blip of my story in my “About” page of this site, I realized I have not shared my story in detail with you, my readers.  So, today’s post is not a new yummy recipe or fact on sports nutrition. It is a post dedicated to helping you get to know me and the story behind what fuels my passion for sports nutrition and wellness. Every dietitian has his or her own story of why he or she decided to study nutrition.  Maybe it was a culinary interest or a sick family member that needed a feeding tube or a desire for research or being a collegiate athlete.  The potential reasons are numerous.  My story, however started back in high school.  

As most of you who follow along with me regularly know by now, I was an athlete growing up.  My mom took me ice skating at about 6 years old and I completely fell in love with the sport.  I can still remember a few days in the first grade waiting for school to be over because mom was picking me up and we were going ice skating that afternoon.  I can feel the excitement that I felt at the age of six and seven like it was yesterday.  Ha!  I also remember how badly I wanted my first pair of ice skates.  Every night I would wish that there would be a pair of ice skates at the end of my bed when I woke up the next morning.  I know, I was quite the optimist.  I tell you this to give you a clearer idea of my enthusiasm for this sport.  As I got older I (a) finally did get my own pair of skates and then (b) started training consistently before and after school and on Saturday mornings.  In the 8th grade I began going away to training camps in the summer.  For six summers I packed my suitcases and headed to Indianapolis where I trained for about six weeks, each almost 7-hour day filled with freestyles, jump and spin classes, off ice conditioning, on ice conditioning, ballet, choreography and more.  

In the 7th grade I decided I wanted to participate in a school sport which led me to join our cross country team. Cross country being the only school sport that I could do that would work with my skating.  I joined the cross country team to be with friends but I quickly started to love running as well.  As the years went on and I got into high school, I found myself competitively participating in, not only figure skating, but running as well.

I would say that I was a dedicated athlete. I wanted to get better, learn new techniques, improve my times and be the best that I could be. So, I showed up to practice, I did what my coaches asked, and made the grades in school, and, for a while that worked… until the day that it didn’t.  I reached a point in the beginning of high school where I felt like I stopped improving.  I practiced my hardest but my times were not improving in running and I wasn’t mastering more difficult elements in my skating.  I tried to figure out what I needed to do to get over the hurdle and, as I started to focus on this, two things happened that made me realize my missing link…

The first event was a skating competition where I competed around 12:30 pm.  I had an early morning practice and so breakfast was easy, but as my skate time approached, breakfast was a distant memory and I couldn’t figure out how to navigate the lunch meal.  I had morning competitions down.  I knew what to have for dinner the night before and what to eat for breakfast that morning to support a short but intense 3 to 4 minute program.  What I did not have a clear understanding of, however, was fueling for a 12:30 skate.  I wasn’t sure where to place lunch and so I came to the conclusion that it was either (a) go ahead and eat lunch and risk it not being digested before I performed or (b) skip it all together and eat a late lunch after my skate.  I chose (b) skipping lunch, but as soon as I went into my first jump of the performance I knew I had made the wrong decision.  That was the longest program ever.  I couldn’t keep my feet under me to save my life!  I fell everywhere.  Nerves seemed to magnify my low blood sugar and as soon as I got off the ice I promised myself I would always eat something before I performed. I’m not saying every performance was perfect after that, but if I did have a bad skate, it was not because of my low blood sugar.

The second big “Aha” moment was in my running.  There was a day where I ate the chicken fingers and fries for lunch and then went to cross country practice about 2 and a half hours later.  I am super competitive by nature and so even practices were 100% for me.  I really never walked unless that was what we were supposed to be doing.  I always ran my hardest.  However, this particular day I did not.  The chicken fingers and fries caught up with me and, feeling extremely nauseated, I walked what felt like the entire course.  After that practice I vowed, “no more fried food at lunch before runs”.  

I also realized during this time that, for the most part, even though I ate fried food and sweets and pretty much all foods, I was eating too little. At many times, I think I worried about eating too much. I was in two aesthetic sports that valued leanness and often times I think I was educated more so on what not to eat than I was educated on what to eat for strong bones, muscles, practices and performances. I don’t recall ever being educated on the dangers of eating too little. Although, my parents did always make me eat something or drink a little breakfast shake before my 5:45 morning practices. That was always non-negotiable.

All of these discoveries combined along with finally landing my double axel in high school made me realize that my missing link was my nutrition. I realized the value of showing up to practices with strength, energy and power and the necessity of food to give me that strength, energy and power.  I didn’t have a dietitian to turn to.  I didn’t even know what a dietitian was.  So, I started playing around with my meals and snacks on my own.  I brought different things for lunch and tried different snacks at different times of day.  I finally figured out what meals and snacks worked best for me to be energized and fueled but not full or weighed down for my early morning and afternoon runs and skates.  

It was eye opening for me to see the difference in my skating and running when I ate consistently and ate certain foods throughout the day.  Previously I had done whatever I wanted and most often, as I mentioned earlier, probably had not eaten enough.  As I paid attention to and changed up my food and nutrition my skating got stronger, I started landing harder jumps and my running times got faster.  Seeing and feeling the impact of food on my athletic performance is what peaked my interest for nutrition and led me to study nutrition in college and grad school, eventually making it my career.  I was certainly faced with opposition as people told me being a sports dietitian was a one in a million chance and that I shouldn’t choose that path if sports is what I wanted to do.  However, I’m so glad I chose it anyway.  While I certainly enjoy my work in wellness, at the heart of it all, I picked the nutrition field so that I could help young athletes understand food and nutrition, build a healthy relationship with food and nutrition and understand how to use it to be stronger, sharper, more competitive, and injury - free athletes. Actually, being an athlete is probably what most shaped my relationship with food and later spurred my interest in and enthusiasm for wellness.  I think about what I might have accomplished in my running and especially my skating had I figured the whole food thing out sooner.  

There is more to my story woven throughout here that further inspired and continues to inspire me to work with athletes, but those stories are for another time and another post.  This one is long enough :)  My goal in my practice, my programs, my presentations and my blog posts are to help athletes, both adult athletes and young athletes, understand and build a healthy relationship with food in relation to their sport.  I learned so much about food by being an athlete. Being an athlete helped me view food in a positive light, as the best source of fuel for the body, and it is what has shaped my overall food and wellness philosophy that I practice today. 

I hope that I can help athletes and even non-athletes understand food as well and see it in just as positive of a light. My goal this year is to not only help you understand nutrition, but also help you see how to put these nutrition principles into easy tangible practice, by showing you easy meal planning techniques, simple recipes and versatile meals idea.  Stay tuned in posts to come!

Happy Fueling!

Taylor

Meal Planning for the Young Athlete

I started meal planning and prepping in high school. I had begun to find myself giving the same effort as always but with less gains and improvements. I then experienced 2 individual events, one in my running and one in my skating. I first discovered that chicken fingers and fries from the school cafeteria was not the meal that was going to give me my best afternoon run or skate. Then I discovered that, on the flip side, not eating enough before events and not being prepared with snacks at away competitions would leave me tired and underfueled for practices and competitions. Both scenarios led to poor performances and, realizing this, I started to spend more time taking an interest in what I was putting onto my body and when.

I love working with athletes who have discovered this connection between food / nutrition and their sport and energy levels and are ready to take action. What I find they need the most is simply a starting point. Where to begin? How do you think about it? What is a framework for figuring this out?

Today I’m walking through some basic steps to meal planning and prepping for the young athlete. I’m focusing on lunch here but I can talk more about including breakfast and dinners if you guys want - just comment below! I hope you find this helpful. Please share with a friend or teammate who would also find this helpful!

Happy Fueling!

Taylor

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6 STEPS TO SIMPLIFIED MEAL PLANNING FOR THE YOUNG ATHLETE

1. Look at Your School Schedule

Before you can plan anything you have to know what you are planning for! How many lunches will you need? How many breakfasts? Are you factoring dinner into the equation or just breakfast, lunch and snacks?? I like to use my personal calendar for this so that it is visible in my busy daily schedule.

2. Look at How Much Time You Have for Meals

How much time do you actually have for meals? Are you scarfing down breakfast as you run out the door in the morning? Do you eat breakfast at school after morning practice? Do you get a fast fifteen minutes for lunch that you squeeze in between last minute homework? Or do you have a full thirty minutes to an hour? ( IF your answer is none of the above, “I skip lunch”, then please resubmit your answer as either A or B, because, attention, you need all of your meals! Skipping a meal is not an option in the meal planning or prepping process! )

How much time you have for meals will also help you determine what you should plan for and bring. If you only have 15 minutes, bringing something that needs to be microwaved, is, realistically, probably not your best option. Write down lunch in your planner and how much time you think you will realistically have for it.

3. Know What Your Nutrition Needs Are

All athletes have different macro and micronutrient needs depending on their own unique body and the sport that they play. An endurance runner will have different needs than a volleyball player who will have different needs than a football player who will have different needs than a figure skater. I talk with lots of athletes who are working on increasing their calcium intake, protein intake and overall energy intake. If this is also you, then it’s something you need to be considering! Are you a vegetarian? If so, then it’s really important to make sure you are getting enough protein, iron, zinc and B12 from plant and dairy sources (if you include dairy).

4. List Foods You Like In Each Food Group

While the new MyPlate does a good job of showcasing and simplifying the foods groups and how to incorporate them into meals, it only shows 5 food groups, failing to showcase fat, which I believe is a very important part of a healthy young athlete’s nutrition plan. Now that you have in mind your time-frame and nutrition needs, take a look at the Six Food Groups and the foods that you most commonly include within these groups:

• Meat or Meat Equivalent (for those that don’t eat meat)

• Fruits

• Vegetables

• Whole Grains

• Dairy

• Fat

I like to put these categories in columns like the picture below so that it leaves room to brainstorm all of the possible foods you can include in each category.

5. Choose at Least 3 Food Groups Per Meal

Now, think about what foods you want to include in your meals that week. Say you are planning lunch and you know that you are trying to get more calcium in your meals, you have cross country practice in 3 hours and you will have about 20 minutes for lunch today. That means you should probably bring something that can (A) be served cold, (B) contains calcium, (C) will offer a good portion of carbohydrate to fuel your run but (D) be lower in fat so that digesting the meal will not interfere with your run. For me, I might pick a MEAT (or “MEAT EQUIVALENT”), some GRAINS/STARCH and some DAIRY at a minimum (this could look like chicken, whole grain crackers & yogurt). Young athletes will most likely need much more food than this, but this is an example of the minimum from different categories.

6. Vary the Foods within Each of These Food Groups Weekly

To keep it easy, you could plan to stick with a meat, starch and dairy food in each of your lunches. However, try to choose two or three foods within each of those food groups to get a variety of nutrients throughout the week and to prevent getting bored. For example, I might focus on the following three food groups and then choose the following foods within each food group to mix and match for the week. I’ll also throw in a few foods from other groups to complement meals as needed. Something I might choose would be:

• MEAT = chicken, beans, eggs

• STARCH = whole grain bread, sweet potatoes, whole grain crackers

• DAIRY = low-fat yogurt and cheese

• FRUITS = apples, grapes, bananas

• VEGGIES = spinach, cucumbers, bell peppers, mushrooms

What meals could I make from this? Examples might be:

• A chicken sandwich on whole - wheat bread with spinach, cheese and mustard + an apple + a yogurt

• A spinach salad topped with hard boiled eggs, garbanzo beans, cucumbers and bell peppers + an olive oil - based dressing + a low-fat yogurt (a Greek or high protein yogurt if I need more protein and it digests in time for my run) + a bunch of grapes

• You can also keep it super basic and make what I like to call a “grab bag”. There is certainly nothing wrong with this! Bring a ziplock baggie of chicken + a baggie of grapes + whole grain crackers + a low-fat yogurt and whatever else you might need to keep you fueled!

Remember that my examples here are not personalized. You may need less or a lot more food than this. These examples are just to give you a basic visual.

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Nutrition Talks: Key Messages for Young Athletes

School is starting back up, which means I get to be back in schools talking with young athletes about sports nutrition and how food can make them stronger, faster and sharper, and at the same time enable optimal growth, development and performance in school.  There is a lot going on with this group of athletes and I always remind them of that.   I then remind them that nutrition plays an important role during this time.

Try these Sun Butter (or Peanut Butter) Banana Overnight Oats!

My first talk of the school year was last week and I loved it just as much as I always do.  I love the challenge and  I love talking about something I'm (a) passionate about, (b) believe in and (c) have the science and life experience (before I studied it I lived it) to back  me up.  As much as I love it, though, I always feel like I'm potentially walking a fine line - the line that divides the side of helping athletes become well-rounded, eating foods they enjoy but mostly focusing on foods that will support their training, sport, and day-to-day activities and the side of propelling them into the extreme, becoming too structured, too restrictive, or fixating on just one point discussed (this is the reason I always like to do follow-up talks and not appear just once, if I can).  Keeping this in mind, when giving talks or working one-on-one, I always try to remember or mention the following things.....

 

IT’S ALL ABOUT BALANCE & TIMING OF FOOD VS “GOOD” AND “BAD”

Get the recipe for this super simple Fig & Cheddar Turkey Melt!

It's important to eat "healthy" most of the time but that doesn't mean a young athlete can't still enjoy his or her favorite "less healthy" foods.  I always want to make sure I get the point across that just b/c a certain food isn't ideal for training or competition that doesn't make it across the board "bad" (I avoid labeling foods as "bad" and "good") - it means it's not the ideal food at that time for reasons including:  it may cause stomach cramps, upset stomach or nausea during the event or it may cause blood sugar spikes and crashes throughout the day leaving the athlete feeling tired and drained at the time of the event. 

 

BE CAUTIOUS OF THOSE PRONE TO OR ALREADY STRUGGLING WITH DISORDERED EATING

Need a quick breakfast, snack, or dessert idea? These Sun Butter Banana Oat Bites are delish!

Part of my caution in talking to young athletes about sports nutrition also stem from my knowledge of the presence of disordered eating and eating disorders in adolescents and now in children, and I never want to say anything to offend or set someone off.  If one athlete isn't the one with the disordered eating or eating disorder, it may very well be the friend or teammate sitting across the bench.  These things are very personal and often not talked about.  

“HEALTHY” & “PORTION SIZE” ARE A RELATIVE TERM. UNDER -EATING OR UNDER-FUELING DOES NOT MAKE GREAT ATHLETES. IT MAKES GREAT INJURIES.

Easy dinner idea packed with nutrition, flavor and 3 out of the 5 food groups? Try this Chili Lime Shrimp Dish!

I also want student athletes to understand that as athletes they can't assume that their friend's or peer's definition of "healthy" is the same as their definition.  Young athletes want lots of fruits and veggies and lean protein and some healthy fats like everyone else, but, for most young competitive and elite athletes who have hit puberty, foods with carbohydrates should be a best friend.  On top of that,  young competitive and elite athletes typically need bigger portions or to eat more frequently than their friends and family members do due to increased energy and nutrition needs from hours of practice and playing.  As a figure skater growing up, there was a period of time in Middle School, maybe sliding into the 9th grade, where I thought less food = better skating.  I soon learned, and more on this is saved for a separate post, that that was not the case.  I'll say this again, but, under-eating or under - fueling doesn't make great athletes.  It makes great injuries.    

SUMMING IT UP

Easy to make & easy to pack, I love this Red Pepper & Pesto Chicken Salad!

Overall, yes, young athletes want to eat "healthier" foods because these are going to supply them with: (1) ample energy to work their hardest  (2) sustained energy for longer practices and maintained focus (3) strong bones to withstand the constant pounding and stress put on them  (4) decreased inflammation after wear and tear of muscles, tendons, ligaments, etc. and (5) strong muscles to keep them running, kicking, hitting, jumping, swimming and diving.  There is the saying that a sport is 90% mental and 10% physical.  I can see the validity in this statement;  however, even with the toughest "go-get-em" attitude, an athlete can only get so far if he or she does not have the proper nutrition as a foundation.  Yes, this strong-willed attitude may work for a short while, but if the athlete keeps going, keeps advancing with longer practices and harder workouts, eventually poor nutrition (whether that's too much of the nutrient-void foods, too little of the nutrient-dense foods, or just too little food in general) will catch up with him or her.  So, yes, there can be room for favorite desserts, chips, french fries, etc., but these foods have to be placed at the right time and these lower nutrient foods can't crowd out the ones that fuel the sport, growth, and school work.  

Wrapping it up, this is what has been on my mind this week.  Of course, every athlete has his or her own unique nutrition needs depending on factors including, but not limited to, age, weight, height, and sport played.  However, at the root of all of my different talks for different teams and with different athletes is the following message: 

1. You've got to get you fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, calcium and healthy fats to play / perform your best.

2. That doesn't mean you cannot or should not ever include you favorite foods that don't fall into the categories in #1.

3. Understanding digestion rates / timing is helpful so you know the best time to enjoy those favorite foods that may not be the best fuel for your sport. Knowing this will also help you incorporate those favorite foods that do best fuel your sport, helping you place them at the right times before, during and after events.

4. Also remember that you're an athlete. If you're a serious competitive or elite athlete, you're using up a lot more energy and nutrients than your non-athlete peers. This means you most likely have to eat more food. Under-eating or under - fueling doesn't make great athletes. It makes great injuries.

5. So, eat your meals and pack your snacks. Load them up with the nutrient-rich foods to support training, but enjoy your favorite foods along the way - whatever those may be.

Happy Fueling!

Taylor