If kids knew that their sports performance could be improved by certain foods - would they be more motivated to make healthier choices? According to professional surfer and athlete extraordinaire Laird Hamilton, exercise is only half the equation - the other half is what we eat. Kids who are in sports need good nutrition - to fuel-up before, during and after their games. Watch Fox 5 Sporty Kids segment.
Pre-Game:
The game starts before your kid even hits the field - with what they eat and drink leading up to the event. For most amateur athletes, a balanced diet (approximately 60-70 percent complex carbohydrates, 15-20 percent protein, and 20 percent fat) in the days before the game is just fine. Carbo-loading is only needed by endurance athletes, or when there is strenuous activity continuing on for over 90 minutes (such as an all-day soccer tournament, triathalon or swim meet). Being conscious about drinking plenty of water leading up to the sports activity is prudent, because even slight dehydration can diminish muscle performance, and could make an athlete more prone to acute dehydration.
If you have a meal before the sports event, it should be about 3 hours before. A snack can be an hour or so before the game, as long as it is light. Fatty or heavy foods take the longest to digest - and we don't want to bog the body down with digestion. Sugary treats are not a good idea either. If an athlete has a bag of candy and heads out to practice and then the game - you can bet her energy and focus will slump before the end of the game. Not only can it be difficult to play - it can be dangerous to lose some focus in some sports - where injury could be more likely. A healthy snack with some complex carbohydrates and a small amount of easily digestible protein will provide lasting energy, and are a good way to get kids ready for a game.
Some pre-game snack ideas:
- Smoothies
- Sliced apples with a little nut butter
- Yogurt with sliced banana, berries and a low sugar granola/cereal
- Cheese & whole grain crackers with some grapes or apples
- Pasta - a good “mini-meal” after school if they have sports that evening
- Oatmeal with some chopped apples and a little agave nectar
After a couple of seasons of cupcakes, juice boxes and cookies; I was dreading the snack schedule for soccer last Fall. But a few other parents agreed - and we all decided to offer healthy choices instead. If your team has a snack schedule, consider the following:
- Consensus is Key: Instead of doing away with the snack schedule completely - perhaps parents and coaches can work together to make sure that sports snacks don't resemble birthday party treats. If all parents and coaches agree - then kids won't be embarrassed when mom or dad brings something healthy. Their bodies will feel and perform better too.
- Allergies: Parents should know if there are any allergies - and if so, what foods are not allowed. Kids with severe allergies often bring their own "safe" snacks - in case what is shared is not okay. But if there are severe allergies - like peanuts - just having those around a child who is allergic could be dangerous. So all parents providing snacks should be aware of any allergies, and make sure they they will not be brought for snack. Parents need to read the label very closely to be sure ("processed on equipment that processes peanuts" is still a concern for some kids).
- Zap the Energy Zappers: Sports snacks should boost kids energy and endurance, facilitate their brain activity, instead of zapping their energy. Sugary treats - especially those that are also high in fat - are not a good choice - before, during, or after sports activities. Sugary treats make the blood sugar spike and crash, and promotes inflammation - both interfere with focus and recovery. Can you imagine the Padres or Lakers celebrating their games with cupcakes? There is one Lakers' player that literally eats candy around the clock - Lamar Odom. He even wakes up at night to have candy! But according to Dr. Amen, Odom's candy habit might have lost the Lakers a game or two. Choose healthier carbohydrates for energy, and the body will perform and recover better.
- Timing: When snacks are handed out is also important. Games that are less than an hour - it is probably more appropriate to pass out snacks at the end. But many games last 2 or more hours long. instead of bringing snacks out at the end of the game as is traditional - bring them out at halftime or around the middle of the game - just when kids need a boost. My daughter's soccer team was always happy this Fall when those orange slices came out at halftime, they were working hard, and sweating and needed a boost to get through the rest of the game. The oranges offered calories for quick energy, and also helped to rehydrate them. Last Spring during baseball our team had "power snacks" around inning #4 - even though snacks traditionally get passed out at the end of the ballgame. I often wondered if it might have given them the edge they needed to win - I could see the other teams' energy & focus fading by about inning #5 while our teams' energy was boosted (they also won the championship)! Offering a small "power snack" and some water can add up to big gain in energy, see below for some suggestions.
Good for quick energy - but nothing that will bog them down:
- Sliced Fruit (orange, apple, watermelon)
- Dried fruit (raisins, apricots)
- Seeds or Nuts (if there are no allergies)
- Trail mix or Granola bars (watch sugar content)
- Whole grain crackers or Sunchips
If kids know that eating healthy is what all the top athletes do - then maybe sugary sweets will be “out” and healthy eating is going to be the new "cool" thing to do! Well, that might be a stretch - but healthy snacks could just be the edge your team needs to win the championship, or what your kid needs to make it to All Stars! The same goes for heading into the classroom - food feeds our brains too.
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