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 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

When Your Athlete is Losing Weight

Good morning! Well, on a personal note, our kids have started waking up very early in our household. Our 3 year old who has always been the best sleeper and slept easily until 7 or 8am is now coming in our room at 6am and takes five tries to get to bed at night. With that said, time to work has been limited and so this blog will be short.  However, I really wanted to get some content out to you that I feel is important as many athletes are well into their season. And that content is around weight loss. I work with and hear from many of you who are struggling to keep your athletes well fueled now that sports have really ramped up and school is in full-swing and maybe your athlete is involved in additional activities outside of their main sport. 

Today I am going to share a post that I actually wrote a year ago on this topic. I think it is super applicable to what many of you / your athletes are facing right now. We know that weight loss is a sign of underfueling (often unintentionally for this busy athlete population) which can lead to consequences in health and performance and so we want to try and reverse the trend as quickly as we can.  I hope this post gives you some guidance and initial steps to take with your athlete if they are facing the frustrating situation of weight loss during his/her season. 

Also, I got to speak on the topic of underfueling yesterday with a sports medicine center that I work closely with. If you are interested to learn more about the signs and symptoms of underfueling, I would highly recommend watching the recording. I plan to link to it in my last newsletter of the year.

If your athlete is struggling with weight loss this season, please give this post a read….

Help! My Athlete is Losing Weight

Initital steps to take to stop the weight loss and get your athlete well-fueled for their season

I hope this post is helpful for you and your athlete as he / she works to stay fueled for the remainder of this season.

If you work through the tips here and still are needing more, I am always happy to chat about working together. You can reach out to me here to schedule a free 15-minute call to chat about your athlete’s needs / goals and see if working together is the best fit.

Happy Fueling!

Taylor

We have a Newsletter! (and 3 reasons you should subscribe!)

Did you know there is a Taylored Nutrition newsletter?! Yes, there is! I created it as a way to stay in touch with my clients, followers and those I have spoken with at various speaking events. It’s a way I can continue to provide content in a casual way straight to your inbox. Today I wanted to use this space to share a little bit more about the newsletter, why it can be a valuable resource, and give you the opportunity to subscribe if this is something you think would be helpful for you.

So, with that said, what is the Taylored Nutrition newsletter and how could it benefit you? The newsletter is three things that I think we could ALL use right now….

Three facts about the

taylored nutrition newsletter

1. It is a TIMESAVER

   Life is busy and I know many of you don’t have the time to follow me daily and keep up with every time I post something new. Maybe you don’t even really love social media or Instagram (where I hang out on social the most) that much! My newsletter will give you a recap of all the website’s most recent content as well as any new resources that we have recently released! This way you can wait and scroll through our newest content all at once, choosing to spend time only on the articles / recipes / info that best serves you and your athlete!

2. It is a TRUSTED RESOURCE

   There is so much nutrition content out there! I know from talking with past clients that it can be hard to know what you should listen to and who you should follow. Honestly, I have never loved social media that much. However, I’ve seen what (false or harmful) info is out there and how much it can confuse parents, teens and children and so I choose to show up in the social space anyway to be one of the ones who provides valuable and trustworthy content. I’m committed to providing reputable science-based content because of my love and passion for this field and profession and because of my history as a young competitive athlete (figure skater & cross country runner) who also found herself looking for reliable sports nutrition info. And, in case you still have hesitancy, I also have professional credentialing and state licensure that demands I meet a code of ethics in all the ways I practice.

3. It is a source of INSPIRATION

   Meal planning and grocery shopping for our kids, not to mention our child / teen athletes, can become monotonous, tedious and exhausting! My newsletter strives to provide inspiration for you as you work to support your young athlete, whether that is through providing recipes, reliable information & resources your young athlete can use or conversation tips to have with your young athlete when it comes to all things food, eating and nutrition.

Some FAQ’s About Our Newsletter

How so I sign up?

You can sign up 3 ways:

1. Go to our Connect page on the website and click the, “Yes, please send!” button.

2. Find me on Instagram (@taylormorrisonRD) and send me a DM, saying, “Newsletter, please!” with your preferred email address.

3. Email us at taylor@taylored-nutrition.com and ask to be signed up for the newsletter with your preferred eamil address.

How often will I get the newsletter?

We send our sports nutrition newsletter our quarterly

Can I unsubcribe?

Yes, you may unsubcribe at any time (and, of course, re-subscriber if you find it valuable later)

What if I have questions about any of the content?

If you ever have a question about an article, recipe or resource, you can email us at taylor@taylored-nutrition.com OR you can find me on Instagram (@taylormorrisonRD) and send me a DM!

I hope this gives you a good picture of our quarterly newsletter and answers any questions you might have. We would love to see you join and stay connected so that we can best serve you as you support your young athlete.

Happy Fueling!

Taylor

The Building Blocks of "Optimal Nutrition"?

I recently got to speak with a high school cross country team to help prepare them for fueling well during their season this fall. I loved talking with this group. I was a runner myself growing up who struggled to fuel well. In fact running cross country is, partially, what lead me to study nutrition and become a sports dietitian. Nutrition plays such a big role in the performance and health of an adolescent runner. It also, I have realized as I see lots of injured runners in the sports medicine nutrition clinic that I’m a part of, plays a big role in injury prevention in this group of athletes.

In putting my talking points together for this group, I knew I wanted two main outcomes: (1) understand the VALUE of optimal nutrition for performance and injury prevention and (2) Understand basic nutrition fundamentals so that they can put together great meals and snacks throughout the day each day that support not only performance and injury prevention but also growth and development.

As I started putting my thoughts together I realized that what I really needed to define before I dove into any other sport nutrition principles was this term “Optimal Fueling” or '“Optimal Nutrition”. I mean, to me, it sounds pretty “buzz wordy”, right? Sounds kind of fancy, but what the heck does it mean? So, I decided to spend a chunk of my talk defining these terms and then decided that I really think this deserves a post of its own here on the blog.

So many athletes are starting school this week or next week or they started last week. And don’t we all want to make sure our athletes are optimally fueling? We tell our athletes we want to see them incorporate good fueling strategies, but what does this mean? What is the priority? Where should our athletes start? So, sit tight as I try my best to briefly and succinctly explain and put context to this term, “Optimal Nutrition” or “Optimal Fueling” from my clinical experience.

The 4 Building Blocks of “Optimal Nutrition”

1. ENOUGH food/calories/energy in at the end of each day

   This is the foundation of a good fueling plan for young athletes. If young athletes are not getting enough total food at the end of each day every day, they are (1) definitely not going to perform at their best and (2) putting themselves at big risk of injury.

   An athlete can be intentional about getting carbs and protein and fat at each meal but, at the end of each day, if enough food/calories are not consumed to support activity + growth & development, the athlete is setting himself up for injury.

   Injuries, like stress fractures, are serious and can take an athlete out of sport for months. These are typically caused by a number of factors, with one of the big factors being not consuming enough calories at the end of each day to support the basic needs of growth, development and daily life + the needs for sport and training. Getting enough calories at the end of each day is a big first step in the prevention of this particular injury.

2. Adequate macronutrients

   After focusing on getting ENOUGH total food each day, young athletes can think about the form in which they are consuming and meeting those energy needs. Are they including carbs, protein and fat? An athlete deficient in carbs is likely going to be a super lethargic athlete. The athlete could also experience moodiness, muscle cramps or hitting a wall during practices and meets. An athlete needs protein spaced throughout the day to aid in things like muscle recovery, building and repair of any little tissue wear and tear that naturally occurs after workouts, or preventing illness. Remember to space the protein in moderate amounts vs trying to get a ton at one meal.

3. Adequate micronutrients

   Next athletes can focus on those smaller but still very important nutrients. I typically focus on calcium, vitamin D and iron in the beginning because research and clinical practice has shown that these aid in performance and bone health in young athletes.

   One reason I tell my athletes to focus on whole foods vs supplements is because if we focus on the protein powders, the shakes, the bars, etc. we could be falling short on these super important micronutrients found in whole foods that keep our bones strong and energy levels up!

4. Timing of meals & snacks

   This top part of the pyramid, in my opinion, is like the icing on the cake. It’s really performance-focused. Once young athletes shows me they understand and can implement the first three tiers, then we get to focus on timing.

   This is where real strategy comes into play and we talk about how to build the meals and snacks and where to put them based on timing of practices, warm-ups, games, meets and performances.

   It’s difficult to talk about timing, though, when you don’t have a strong foundation and understanding of the first three tiers. And, when looking at overall big-picture performance and injury prevention for the child or teen athlete, timing is irrelevant if the athlete is not eating enough each day and therefore deficient in macro or micronutrients.

   Adequate nutrition timing will make the biggest impact in a well fueled athlete!

I hope you find this helpful as your athlete heads into a new school year and another season of sports. As always, please reach out to me with any questions or if you would like to schedule a call to chat about working together.

Happy Fueling!

Taylor

When Your Athlete Is Skipping School Lunch

Ok, guys. I feel like today’s post is a big one, skipping school lunch. So many athletes that come to see me skip school lunch! So. Many.  Maybe they don’t skip every day but they probably skip at least a couple of days a week in the school week. If that is your athlete, then today’s post is for you and feel free to pass this along to your young athlete 🙂.

Today I’m going to discuss (1) why skipping lunch is counterproductive or even harmful to a young athlete’s health and performance, (2) some reasons your athlete may skip lunch (that I have seen most often in my practice), and, then, (3) how we can help our athletes fuel better when they are accustomed to skipping lunch. I hope you find this helpful as we enter a new school year!

Why Skipping School Lunch Is counterproductive or Harmful to a Young Athlete’s Health & Sport Performance:

In many ways kids and teens are resilient.  We know they tend to bounce back faster after illness or injury than adults.  However, nutrition, or I should really say, a lack of proper consistent nutrition, in my pediatric nutrition experience, is not something that their bodies are more resilient with.  Why is this?  It is because:

• Their young bodies may only be able to utilize a certain amount of a nutrient at once, a lesser amount than an adult body. An example would be protein. 40 grams of protein at a meal / snack is not going to be as beneficial for a 13 year old soccer player as it would be for a 27 year old professional soccer player or 45 year old non-athlete.  At that young age the body will use roughly 20 maybe 30 grams of consumed protein to build / maintain muscle. It may use additional protein for other needs of the body but not to build muscle. And the rest may be stored or broken down and gotten rid of by the body.

So, with this being said, why then is skipping the lunchtime meal and often going most of the school day without eating, counterproductive or harmful to a young athlete’s health & sport performance? It is counterproductive because…

1. This extremely long period of time without fueling the body can cause the body to use protein for fuel (ie, break down muscle) because carbohydrate stores have been depleted. This can hinder goals of improved strength and muscle gain.

2. This extremely long period of time without fueling the body puts the athlete at risk of dizziness, fatigue and fainting during practices due to his/her brain and muscles being depleted of energy (in an energy deficit). This can of course lead to possible injury and certainly decreased performance during games and competition. I always say, “If you want to play or perform your best then you have to show up to practice your best”.

3. This extremely long period of time without fueling the body specifically after a practice (for example: an intense morning practice followed by nothing to eat, maybe some goldfish or chips until school gets out that afternoon) can hinder improvements in strength, power or technique because the athlete has failed to consume any recovery fuel to support replenishment of energy (carb) stores, building/rebuilding of muscle (protein) and hydration of the body.

4. On a more health-related note, we all want balanced blood sugars. Getting that mid-day meal helps balance blood sugars. Low blood sugars can cause someone to feel lightheaded and dizzy, it can make it hard to concentrate and it can enhance feelings of anxiety.  So, not only does it help with performance, but eating consistently throughout the day can also be helpful in managing anxiety as well as supporting academic performance.

Most young athletes that I see are (a) trying to improve performance (b) working on recovering from an injury or (c) trying to build lean muscle.  Skipping lunch and going from 7:30 am (breakfast that the athlete is hopefully eating) to about 3:00pm (after school snack), that’s almost 8 hours, is hindering each of the above goals. While some athletes may at least grab a snack, I remind them that having a small bag of pretzles or chips is not sufficient. A missed meal is a missed chance to fuel the brain and the body for a later practice or to help recover the body after an earlier practice and eating a meal twice as big at the end of the day is not going to make up for it. 

4 Potential Reasons Your Athlete Is Skipping School Lunch:

1. They say they don’t have enough time. 

2. They don’t like the food served in the cafeteria.

3. They would rather study, finish an assignment or hang out with their friends during lunch.

4. They are struggling with disordered eating behaviors that limits their ability or desire to eat during lunch.

4 Ways to Fuel Through Lunch / the School Day:

1. They say they don’t have enough time. 

• Trying several hearty, sport-supporitng snacks throughout the day during lunch and between classes.

• I remind athletes, “If you want to be a great athlete, play in college, get the scholarship, etc. you have to do the work and that includes EATING. Eating is just as important as practice, conditioning, cross-training and sleep!

2. They don’t like the food served in the cafeteria.

• If you are able, it’s time to start packing a lunch that the athlete gets to help plan. They can eat school lunch or they can eat a lunch from home, or, in some cases, they can have a bunch of larger snacks throughout the day in place of the one meal, but not eating is not an option. And there is nothing wrong with the classic BP&J!

3. They would rather study, finish an assignment or hang out with their friends during lunch.

• This would be a great reason to start packing a lunch. And pack foods that are easy and convenient to eat while studying, working on an assignment or hanging out with friends. Ideas include: cheese sticks, turkey slices, Greek yogurts, whole grain granola bars, grapes, apple slices, carrot sticks with hummus, homemade trailmix (with cereal, nuts, seeds, dried fruit), milk/chocolate milk, and popcorn.

4. They are struggling with disordered eating behaviors that limits their ability or desire to eat during lunch.

• I am not going to go too much into this topic today because it really is it’s own series of posts for another day. But if your athlete is struggling to eat lunch because of disordered eating thoughts, I highly encourage you to find a dietitian specializing in eating disorders and connect with a counselor that specializes in eating disorders quickly. This is a hard block and can take time to work through.

If your athlete is struggling with eating lunch at school, I hope this post has given you some points of discussion when chatting with your athlete as well as some ideas to break the barrier and start getting your athlete fueled through his/her school day.

Need help fueling your athlete this fall? You can follow me on Instagram at @taylormorrisonRD for more info and tips or you can reach out to me to schedule a call and see if working together would be a good idea!

Happy Fueling!

Taylor

When Your Athlete Has a Super Packed Schedule

Do you feel like you hardly see your athlete?  Like, you get in a quick groggy hello before they are out the door for early morning practice and then you get an exhausted “hi again” or “what’s for dinner?” after school? Maybe you don’t see your athlete until even later - like 8 or 9:30 pm because they have evening practices or had an evening game. Or maybe your athlete is in a sport like gymnastics, dance or figure skating where they could be at the gym/studio/rink for hours at a time with small school breaks in-between and in the evening.

Regardless which sort of schedule your athlete follows, with this time-consuming commitment to sport it can be really really difficult to get a good fueling strategy in place and meet the high nutrition demands of sport. I see this as a roadblock with so many of the athletes that I work with and so today I wanted to take a little time and give you 5 nutrition principles along with actionable strategies that your athletes can start putting into practice now to help them optimize their intake when they have a super packed schedule that makes it hard to fuel well….

5 Nutrition Principles for the Young Athlete

with a Packed Schedule

1. Snacks are their best friend.

• Have your athlete go with you to the store to pick out different snack-type items that he or she can have on-hand in a lunch bag throughout the day for easy fueling. These should be from a variety of food groups so that the athlete is getting a variety of nutrients and energy sources throughout the day.

• Some examples include: granola bars, whole grain crackers, string cheese, chocolate milks, yogurt, goldfish, nuts/seeds, deli turkey, carrot sticks, hummus, cottage cheese cups, dried fruit, fresh fruit.

• Need help strategizing how to mix and match? Grab a copy of my Sports Snack Survival Guide! DM me on Instagram or email me at taylor@taylored-nutrition.com to grab a copy!

2. Because they are snacking, they need to eat more often (than if they sat down for a larger more balanced meal)

• A young athlete should not go 4 + hours between snacks.  

• If the athlete is mostly getting fuel from snacks, he/she likely should be getting a snack about every 2 to 3 hours, depending on the content of the snack and the specifics (age, height, weight, sport played, etc.) of the athlete.

3. Fueling meals and snacks don’t have to be beautiful or look Instagram perfect to fuel the body well. - put away those perfectionistic ideals!

• I help my athletes put together a lot of fueling meals and snacks that they end up doing really well with and feeling really good about.  Many of them are surprised at how simple and basic the meals and snacks are! 

4. Meals & snacks need carbs + a variety of these other foods.

• When it comes down to it, your athlete needs carbs from a variety of food groups to keep those energy stores up. These should be in each snack and meal.  Alongside it, depending on when the snack falls in relation to a practice or training session, there should also be some protein, some fiber and some fat. 

• Have your athlete pick different food sources of carbs, protein, fiber, and fat that they enjoy so that they get a variety of micronutrients (vitamins & minerals) throughout the day as well.

• And while the athlete may have to rely on lots of snacks some days, they should make sure one or two meals is still a part of their day. That could be a great breakfast to start the day or a great dinner with family or friends to end the day.

• Smoothies can be a great way to pack in food group variety and energy that is easy and quick.  I, personally, feel the same way about oatmeal & overnight oats!

5. Don’t forget the water bottle.

• Water is still super important to keep those energy levels up and optimize performance. We want the athlete to be drinking throughout the day.

• Remember, items like milk, sports drink, flavored water, teas, smoothies, fruits, veggies, and applesauce all contribute to an athlete’s hydration goal!
  

I hope today’s post has given you 5 strategies that your athletes can start working on today and take with them into the school year. As always, reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns regarding fueling your young athlete. I would love to chat!

Happy Fueling!

Taylor

Image credit - https://historyofsoccer.info/

Young Athletes: Not Just Little Adults

In today’s post I want to point out some of the differences between adult and child athletes. I’m pretty excited to write about this today because, if you know me or have worked with me, you know that I am super passionate about pediatric nutrition (nutrition for kids and teens) and love to educate on all things pediatric nutrition. I have loved it since the day I started my dietetic internship in Memphis to my first job at a children’s hospital to volunteering to write a kids’ nutrition and fitness curriculum for the Junior League to working with athletes today. I love navigating the extra level of complication that surrounds children and adolescents when it comes to nutrition. I love that you have to take more into consideration when treating and making recommendations for children and teens because the body and brain are still in such rapid phases of growth and development. I love understanding how the bodies of child and teen athletes are different from those of adults and, therefore, cannot be treated and guided as such.

Today I’m going to share with you four factors that I think are important to know that make the needs and recommendations of child and adolescent athletes different than those of adults. I hope you find this helpful as you continue to fuel your young athletes.

4 Ways Child & Adolescent athlete nutrition needs

Differ From Adult athlete needs:

1. Children are more efficient at using fat for energy. It is not until going through puberty that they become more efficient at using carbs like adults. 

• Putting into practice … Young athletes don’t need to do all of that carb-loading before big cross country meets or tournament days. Those pre-race carb-loading dinners are more for camaraderie than actual help with fueling. Keep enjoying the dinners if you love them (I loved these as a cross country runner in middle school & high school) but just know it’s more for fun than for optimizing fueling or giving a performance advantage. Of course, carbs are still a young athlete’s best friend, but the need for “loading” has not been proven to benefit this population of athletes. It does not mean you have to load up on fats either, but it does mean that foods with fat should certainly be present in their meals or snacks.

2. Children / teens do not cool their bodies like adults do. Children/teens predominantly cool their bodies via radiative and conductive cooling (dry heat dissipation) while adults rely on evaporative cooling (sweating). During training, young athletes’ bodies get more efficient at peripheral vasodilation while adults’ bodies alter their sweat rates. All of this means that kids and adolescents do not sweat as much as adults to cool themselves and, therefore, do not lose as many electrolytes as adults do with exercise.

   • Putting into practice … Keep this in mind before buying expensive electrolyte supplements or sports drinks for your athlete.

3. Children & adolescent athletes are going through growth spurts at different times and different seasons. It’s important not to alter food choices or restrict intake too much at the risk of stunting growth, delaying puberty or decreasing performance. What could seem like a harmless small reduction in calories or a shift in food choices to a young athlete could mean a period of unintentional underfueling that decreases performance, puts the athlete at risk of injury, or, if long-term, delays growth and development.

   • Putting into practice … It’s important to encourage all meals and snacks and all forms of carbs, proteins and fats with our young athletes. I like to encourage athletes to listen to their body (unless they are already chronically underfueled but that is a separate post for another day). They may be extremely hungry one week or one month and need a little or a lot more food. Then the following week or month their appetite is lower. That’s ok! They’ve got to allow themselves to fuel through those growth spurts, giving the body what it needs, not only for the growth & development, but also for their sport and class load.

4. Supplement benefits may not apply.  What I mean here is that most supplements related to performance (not talking about vitamins & minerals here) that have been found to be effective are tested on adults, not children and teens. Even if the supplement is third party tested, that does not mean it is proven to be effective or recommended for use in kids and teens.

   • Putting into practice … Always keep this in mind when thinking about protein or other supplements for the young athlete.

Working as a pediatric sports dietitian merges the specialty of pediatrics and the specialty of sports. I know it can be confusing to sort through all of the nutrition information and product recommendations out there, which are mostly geared towards adult athletes. If your athlete needs help with their fueling strategy and you’re not sure where to start or where to go next, reach out to me! I would love to schedule a call and chat to see if working together would be a good next step.  

That’s all for today. Happy Fueling!

Taylor

When the Young Athlete Wants to Build Muscle: 5 Nutrition Practices to Start Now

I have worked with a lot of teen male athletes over the years who have come to me with weight gain and muscle building goals. They are typically football players but have also included athletes in soccer or baseball or a few other sports.  They want to build muscle but either (a) are not sure where to start so have not yet started making changes or (b) have been trying to build muscle for months but without much of a plan or direction and are not seeing the desired gains. They most often get to me at a point of high disappointment when they feel like giving up or they are thinking about turning to supplements. I know that it can be so tough for these athletes! With all of this being said, I thought now was the perfect time for this post. I always recommend making any kind of changes in the athlete’s off season, especially when those changes have to do with the athlete’s meals and snacks and fueling strategy. And for many athletes, summer is the off season, a time when many athletes I talk to are working on changes in preparation for fall and the start of school and their sport.

So, today I want to first give you five reasons your young athlete’s efforts may not be working. Then I want to follow with five key nutrition practices that he can start implementing today that can help him meet his weight gain / muscle building goals! Keep in mind, these are only the nutrition components. Certain exercises, like resistance training, as well as sleep and other good habits are important to seeing gains in muscle. Also, if your athlete has not gone through puberty yet, it’s important to remember that he will only see so much gain. This is because he does not yet have the hormones for those big muscle gains that he may see in his favorite collegiate or professional athlete, or even in an older teammate. It might be hard for some young athletes to hear, but it is always important to set realistic expectations as you get started and take changes and goals step by step and year by year.

Five reasons that your young athlete’s efforts may not be working:

1. He is not consuming enough total calories throughout the day.

2. He is not consuming enough protein throughout the day, spaced out evenly between meals and snacks.

3. He is not consuming enough carbohydrate throughout the day.

4. He is not implementing his food changes consistently every day (instead he focuses on it one day here and one day there - maybe about 3 or 4 days/week)

5. He is not being mindful of how his nutrition fits around his daily resistance training sessions.

So, we see why the athlete’s efforts may not be working. Now let’s take a look at actions he can take to make a change and head in the right direction…

5 key nutrition principles & actions to help your young athlete build muscle:

1. Consume adequate or increased calories each day.  

• The athlete cannot build muscle and gain weight if he is in a calorie deficit

2. Consume adequate / increased protein each day.

• Make sure it is spaced evenly between meals and snacks.

• Your athlete likely only needs about 20 to 30 grams of protein at once to build muscle (but that exact amount is athlete-specific).

3. Consume adequate carbohydrates each day.

• The body does not want to use protein for energy, but it will if it has to because there are not enough carbohydrates available!   Make sure your athlete is getting enough carbs so the body can use that for energy and use the protein to build muscle.

4. Make sure your athlete is fueling around his practices and resistance training sessions.

1. He should be going into a workout energized and implementing a good recovery snack or meal about 45 minutes after the session is over.

5. Consistency is Key! The young athlete should be mindful of these eating practices every day, not just a few times a week.  These small daily changes add up to big results that meet performance and muscle building goals. Stay consistent and don’t give up!

It can be hard for a young male athlete, busy with his school schedule, participating in daily practices for his sports, and going through rapid growth spurts to meet his daily needs to build muscle. It can be tempting to turn to fancy sounding supplements that claim big muscle-building results. However, those supplements can be harmful and may not get the athlete the long-term results he is wanting. It’s always best to choose food first and, with a little planning and by incorporating the five key nutrition principles above, the young athlete’s goal of building muscle can be met!

If your athlete has been trying but struggling to see results or if you want to set out a plan prior to getting started, reach out to me to book a call! We can get on the phone, discuss your athlete’s goals and then see if booking a session together would be a good next step. Don’t give up. You CAN do it. I’ve seen athletes meet their weight gain and muscle building goals before and I know you can do it too.

Happy Fueling!

Taylor

Do You Really Need All of Those Protein Bars and Shakes?

Lately I have been working with athletes to help build meals and snacks that support their intense summer training schedules. I find that while the issue during the school year is maintaining sufficient intake with a busy school and sports schedule, the issue during the summer is maintaining sufficient intake or increasing intake to support the higher volume and intensity of training that occurs for many sports. Athletes that may have higher intensity summer training include distance runners (longer mileage in the summer in preparation for the fall season), dancers (with summer intensives), figure skaters (I went to camp for 6 weeks in the summer growing up and trained off and on ice for about 7 hours a day, whew!), football players with two-a-days in preparation for the fall, and many other club sport athletes that play year-round.

In working with these athletes and assessing intakes, it got me thinking about protein. I realized that, while I have written posts about how to meet protein needs or increase protein to meet needs, I have not written any posts talking about why you may be just fine and why you many NOT need to worry about your protein intake! I think it’s important to talk on this because the reality is that most teen athletes, if they are eating enough to support growth, training and activities of daily life are probably getting enough protein. Why? Well, because as I stated above, teen athletes need a lot of calories, especially during the height of their training! And in order to meet that increased need in a way that fills and satisfies the body, protein is usually increased as a byproduct. It’s hard to increase intake that much (I’m talking 3500 to 4000 calories a day here) and not use any protein-containing foods, especially when part of the goal with the increase is to help the athlete feel satisfied so he / she isn’t hungry ALL. DAY. LONG. Even our carbohydrate sources, like whole grain bread, pasta, milk and yogurt contain protein. And there is 7 grams of protein in just one ounce of meat! I rarely come across a male teen athlete who says he only eats two ounces of meat with his dinner…

So, what’s my point? My point is that many athletes (and many people in general) are consuming more protein than they think, especially when trying to increase their intake. It seems like society is soooo focused on protein these days and getting more protein. I actually had a hard time finding a non-Greek dairy yogurt at the store yesterday. Yes, protein is important and there are many athletes who have trouble meeting there needs but, before going out and buying all of the high protein bars, yogurts, milks, cereals and shakes out there, I would first challenge you to take a look at how much protein you are currently getting in a day . If you love non-Greek yogurts or regular granola bars vs protein bars, great! Chances are those “average products” contain some protein anyway all contributing to your needs at the end of the day.

Want to see an example of what I’m talking about? Let’s take a look!

Let’s say you’re a high school athlete that weights 121 pounds (55 kg) and your sports dietitian says you should be getting about 1.4 grams protein / kg / day, which is appropriate for some young athletes (but I don’t know you so please don’t take this as medical advise or a personal recommendation of what you should be getting in a day). The diagram below is what that would look like. And, y’all, that’s it! That’s all you need! The thing is, you are going to need way more calories (and other nutrients) than what the below chart shows and so my point is, you’re probably getting enough protein to meet your needs. What you should now be focusing on is increasing those carbs to fuel your brain and muscles, getting healthy fat to promote satiety, decrease inflammation and absorb other nutrients and micronutrients like calcium and vitamin D to protect your bones.

So, again, if you worry about your protein intake, I challenge you to take a closer look at what you are eating and drinking. Compare it to my example here and my list of protein-containing foods. If you still worry about your intake, I encourage you to reach out to a sports RD in your area. If you’re interested in working with me, I would love to work with you! You can reach out to me through the link here.

Happy Fueling!

Taylor

A Sample Menu for Injury Recovery

In my last post I talked all about nutrients needed for recovery after injury. I gave you guys some sample meals and sample snacks. Now I want to give you a little more detailed picture of what it looks like to get these nutrients in meals and snacks each day. What does it look like to get leucine every 3 hours? What does it look like to get whey protein before bed? How do you fit this in while also squeezing in the other nutrients to promote the best recovery possible? Below I have outlined a sample day for you. I didn’t get super detailed with portions except for the foods with leucine because every athlete will have different calorie, protein, carbohydrate needs, etc. This, however, is a great place to start and you can tailor portions to what works for you in your sport or phase of recovery. Let me know if you have any questions!

Happy Fueling!

Taylor

LEUCINE CONTENT OF DIFFERENT FOODS

Some recommend about 2.5 grams of leucine per meal for adults

• 1 can of white tuna: 3.3 grams

• 3 ounce chicken breast: 1.8 grams

• 1 scoop whey protein isolate: 2.5 grams

• 3 eggs: 1.5 grams

• 1 Greek yogurt: 1.5 grams

• 8 ounces of chocolate milk: 0.8 grams
  

Ten Important Nutrients For Injury Recovery

I work with a lot of injured athletes. I see athletes with torn ACL’s, history of concussion and a handful of other issues, but I most often see athletes with some type of fracture, typically one or more stress fractures. While rest and physical therapy are essential to optimal recovery, so is the athlete’s nutrition. Unfortunately, nutrition can sometimes get forgotten during the recovery stage but but I’m here to say, “Don’t let it!” What you eat during this period can really speed up your recovery or it can hold you back. If used with purpose, what you eat can decrease inflammation, help rebuild the tissue you have injured, prevent loss of lean muscle and help maintain your strength. These all seem like good reasons to focus on nutrition to me! And, like I say with most of my other tips and ideas, you don’t have to make your nutrition recovery complicated! I’m here to give you the facts and then help you most easily incorporate those facts into something doable each day.

If you are an injured athlete or the parent, coach or caregiver of an injured athlete, I hope you can take some of these ideas below and put them to use for the best recovery possible.

Happy Fueling!

Taylor

Why Should Nutrition Be Part of Your Recovery Plan?

1. Support the continued creation of muscle proteins.

   • Muscle protein synthesis (creation of muscle protein in the body) decreases after injury when activity declines and especially when a limb has to be immobilized (like getting a cast on a leg, arm, etc.)

2. Preserve the lean muscle mass you already have.

   • Nutrition becomes even more important to maintain your muscle mass since you cannot use exercise & your typical workouts to help.

3. Maintain appropriate energy balance.

   • While, yes, your energy needs may decrease some during your recovery phase, it’s important to realize that they may not decrease THAT much. This is especially true if you are on crutches, which require 2 to 3 times more energy than walking! If you decrease calories too much, you can slow down recovery due to the decrease muscle protein synthesis, increased muscle loss and impaired wound healing that this will cause.

4. Decrease Inflammation (not necessarily right after injury and surgery but starting a few days after, as inflammation right after an injury is important to the healing process)

   • Just as anti-inflammatory foods and antioxidants were important for recovery after games and practices, they are also important now as the body is working even harder to heal. Continue to include those foods high in antioxidants and those anti-inflammatory foods.

Ten Nutrients to Include in Your Recovery Plan

1. PROTEIN

   • Focus on foods high in the amino acid leucine, which stimulates the creation of protein.

     • Sources: lean chicken, beef and pork, fish, nuts & seeds, cheese, tempeh, milk, yogurt

   • Include a quality source of protein (ideally with leucine) about every 3 hours, after therapy sessions and before bed.

   • Include a quality source of whey protein before bed. Whey protein is released and digested more slowly so your body can work on maintaining and rebuilding muscle during the fasting state of sleep.

     • Sources: yogurt, milk, and cottage cheese

2. CARBOHYDRATE

   • Your body still needs carbohydrates for energy so it can use the protein you give it for muscle repair and building. You may need less carbohydrate than when you were training and competing but don’t cut them way back or out completely!

   • Focus on complex carbohydrates that take longer to digest. This will keep you fuller longer and prevent spikes and dips in your blood sugar.

     • Sources: whole grain bread, pasta, cereal, & crackers, fruit, yogurt, starchy veggies

3. HEALTHY FAT

   • Make sure to include sources of omega-3’s and some monounsaturated fats to help fight the inflammation and support your immune system.

     • Sources: nuts, seeds, avocado, oily fish (salmon & tuna), flax oil, extra virgin olive oil, nut and seed butter.

4. VITAMIN C

   • An important antioxidant that aids in wound healing , tissue repair, and a healthy immune system.

     • Sources: citrus fruits, bell peppers, tomatoes, cantaloup, potatoes

5. VITAMIN A

   • An important antioxidant that aids in cell growth and development and immune function.

     • Sources: sweet potatoes, spinach, carrots, tomatoes, cantaloupe

6. VITAMIN D

   • Aids in calcium absorption and supports bone health.

   • Sources: sunlight, fatty fish, many dairy products (check the label), fortified foods, egg yolks

7. CALCIUM

   • Important for strong bones.

     • Sources: dairy products, broccoli, kale, chia seeds, almonds, fortified orange juice

8. MAGNESIUM

   • Important for making proteins in the body and aids in the absorption & metabolism of calcium and vitamin D.

     • Sources: almonds, sesame and sunflower seeds, cashews, peanuts, bananas, beans

9. ZINC

   • Aids in wound healing, creation of protein and immune function.

     • Sources: lean beef, crabmeat, chicken, cashews, fortified cereals, beans
       

10. COPPER

    • Helps form red blood cells, helps build a strong immune system and strong bones.

      • Sources: sesame, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, cashews and shiitake mushrooms

My Up & At ‘Em Egg Cups are packed with protein, vitamin D, as well as some vitamin C and calcium, all promoting recovery after injury!

PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE:

Sample Injury Recovery Meals

• Grilled salmon with seasoned brown rice, roasted broccoli, a baked potato and glass of milk

• Peanut butter & banana sandwich on wheat bread + 8 oz milk + 1 cup diced cantaloupe

• Homemade lean ground beef cheeseburger + whole wheat bun + lettuce, tomato, mustard + homemade oven baked potato fries + kale salad

• Baked chicken + baked sweet potato + oven roasted broccoli + glass of milk

Salmon is an excellent source of omega 3’s. Try my Miso Ginger Glazed Salmon for a tasty twist on your average salmon dinner!

PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE:

Sample Injury Recovery Snacks

• Greek yogurt + fresh or frozen mixed berries

• Quaker Oatmeal Squares cereal + dry roasted almonds

• Slice of whole grain toast spread with almond butter and sliced bananas

• Cottage cheese + diced cantaloupe

• Hardboiled egg + whole grain granola bar

• Protein bar (like 88 Acres protein, Larabar protein, etc.) + glass of milk

Basic rolled or steel cut oats from the bulk bin at your local grocery store provide great fiber, carbohydrates, some protein (because it’s a whole grain), magnesium, and more. Top with a healthy fat like SunButter or almond butter and some fruit for a balance recovery-enhancing breakfast or snack.

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!

Nine Protein-Boosting Breakfasts for the Young Athlete

Breakfast seems to be the hardest meal of the day for adults, kids and teens alike. While, yes, some adults can get along just fine with a coffee-only breakfast, there are certain groups of people that really need this first meal of the day. If you have read my previous posts, you now know that the saying “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” is not just some silly phrase. This statement holds a lot of truth, especially for athletes and active individuals. For these groups breakfast really is necessary because athletes, particularly young athletes, cannot typically get all of the nutrition they need to support growth, development, regular functioning AND sport from just two meals a day! Our bodies can only utilize a certain amount of protein per meal or snack for muscle building and maintenance and other necessary body functions. We now know the rest of it gets excreted as seen with increased urea levels. So, if your high intensity or power athlete needs a higher amount of protein, it’s going to be pretty important that your athlete include breakfast as a chance to get some of that protein! Of course, the breakfast meal is also a chance to get quality carbs and healthy fats + micronutrients like calcium, zinc, iron and vitamin D, but today we’re talking about protein so I’m going to try and stay on track!

Today, I’m tying all of my previous posts together with these ten protein-boosting breakfasts for the young athlete. I hope it helps make your mornings easier and your athletes stronger.

And remember, it doesn’t have to be fancy or complicated to be effective!

Happy Fueling!

Taylor

NINE PROTEIN- BOOSTING BREAKFASTS FOR THE YOUNG ATHLETE

1.

Whole Grain English Muffin + 1 Tbsp PB + Mixed Berries

~ 12 grams of protein

2.

1/2 cup Cottage Cheese + Sliced Berries

~14 grams of protein

3.

Whole Grain Oatmeal + Peanut Butter

15 grams of protein

4.

Greek Yogurt + Egg + Mixed Fruit

~21 grams protein

5.

Greek Yogurt + Whole Grain Granola Bar

~20 grams protein

6.

Make-Ahead Egg Cups: Up & At ‘Em Eggs Cups

You can have 3 egg cups for about 15 grams of protein or have 2 + an 8 ounce glass of milk for about 18 grams!

Get Recipe!

7.

Egg Sandwiches

You can make these simple with one or two eggs & a slice of cheese on a whole grain English Muffin or, I love my 5-Ingredient Breakfast Sandwiches! About 18 grams of protein!

Get Recipe!

8.

SunButter Banana Overnight Oats

Get Recipe!

9.

Cherry Vanilla Overnight Oats

Get Recipe!

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

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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Hydration for the Young Athlete

The name of the game this month is HYDRATION.  Here I want to touch on the importance of staying hydrated, signs and symptoms of dehydration and foods and fluids that can help you keep up with your fluid goals.

We all know Texas summers (or really any southern summers) are HOT.  However, that doesn't stop our morning or evening runs, our summer hikes and lake trips, and of course our kids' summer sports and activities.  Whether you're a parent or a young athlete, you run an increased risk of getting dehydrated out in the hot summer sun.  However, if you know how being hydrated helps your health and performance, the signs & symptoms of dehydration, and some strategies to help you stay hydrated, you can go on as usual, staying fit, staying healthy and playing your best.

 

The Importance Of Being Hydrated:  

Staying hydrated keeps us energized and alert.  We have to sweat because the act of sweating controls our body's core temperature, keeping us cool and preventing us from getting overheated, which can lead to heat illness.  We must stay hydrated to replace fluids lost in this process.  Staying hydrated will keep us energized, sharp, and promote optimal recovery time after a workout, game or practice

 

How To Know If You Are Dehydrated:  You may be dehydrated if....           

• You experience fatigue early in your activity

• You notice a decrease in performance

• You get headaches or feel lightheaded

• You have a hard time focusing, whether in your workout, in the office or in the classroom

• You notice you are not sweating nearly as much as you usually do

• Your urine is dark in color (like apple juice) and / or low in volume

 

Hydration Strategies for a Fueled & Focused Day:

1. Drink fluids (focusing on water) throughout the day, starting when you wake up and make this a daily practice. You cannot make up for lack of fluids right before your event or the day of!

2. Know your sweat rate. You can weigh yourself right before and right after your workout. The body weight lost is from water. You want to drink about 16 - 24 ounces of fluid for each pound of body weight you or your athlete loses during a workout. (Note: if there is a history of disordered eating or eating disorders with the athlete, I do not recommend this method)

3. If you or your athlete is a salty sweater (notice a salty residue on the skin or clothing after exercise), a sports drink or salty snacks would be beneficial to replace the lost electrolytes (sodium & potassium, specifically).

4. If you or your athlete is not a good drinker or does not often feel thirsty, salty snacks may also be beneficial to increase thirst and promote a higher fluid intake.

5. If your athlete is not able to drink much at school, encourage high - water - content foods at breakfast and pack high - water - content foods in their lunch and for snacks

 

Hydrating Food & Fluids to Have On-Hand:

• Bottled waters

• Sports drinks like Gatorade (during or after exercise only)

• Fresh or frozen fruits (like oranges, grapes, apples, watermelon & pineapple)

• Fresh vegetables (like cherry tomatoes, carrots, bell peppers, sugar snap peas, & cucumber slices)

• Pretzels or other salty crackers (promote thirst and increased fluid intake)

• Soups

• Low-fat yogurts

• Tomato juice

• Bottled or home-made smoothies

Happy Fueling!

Taylor