There are 2 things kids can do to get an edge on the competition: sleep and nutrition. Most kids are doing the training and extra practice needed to become better, but good nutrition is definitely lacking. Every time I chat with a teenager about nutrition they always say “I eat pretty good” and then they end of driving 40 minutes for crappy fried chicken (you know who you are). All kidding aside as I said it my last article about how to get your kids to eat better, I mentioned that food is a huge part of high schoolers social experience. Pizza after football games, chipotle after school, sheetz after that big basketball game are all things kids look forward too and should be something they experience. I always try and get people to understand we don’t have to be and shouldn’t be perfect or crazy with our diets.
Lets be honest teenagers are not going to follow a strict diet plan or count macros. That’s a lost cause so we can do a few things to help our kids fuel their sport.
1) Simple sugars are for games and practices only- Kids don’t need to be walking around the house drinking Gatorade or vitamin water. A Gatorade during a game or strenuous practice makes sense as your body is going to use this for energy and fuel. Try and instill this principle in your kids and only get them a Gatorade for these times. There are so many option out there these days that are way better options than pop or Gatorade. Also this goes for post game, I’ve never understand why we reward athletes with sugar drinks and chips, feels kind of backwards.
2) Pack their lunches for school and make dinner-If anyone reads my articles you know how I feel about the food quality these days. The cheaper the food, the less nutrient dense and more artificial the food is. As I mentioned above, kids are getting way too much processed food these days. Less nutrients, more saturated and trans fats leaves kids feeling sluggish and tired. Our bodies crave nutrient dense foods (protein, vitamin rich) especially after strenuous activities. The food at schools are way below quality hence the reason they are so cheap. Try and pack their lunches and make dinner as often as possible. Its not always possible but the more we do the better.
3) Build good habits-Start off their day with a healthy breakfast. I get this a lot that kids will show up to my gym at 12 and still haven’t eaten yet saying they don’t eat breakfast. This is a habit that needs to change because its so important for morning and afternoon energy. After that you are trying to get 2 to 3 thousand calories in from 1-8 pm. Don’t get in the habit of going to fast food after games/practices. This is something I see a lot of “hey lets hit up burger king after every practice”. These days practices are almost every night so that would be a lot of low nutrient dense foods leaving these athletes feel sluggish.
4) Stock the house with good stuff-Fruits, veggies, light snack and water or low cal low sugar drinks should be easily accessible. Environment matters so much and as we always say if its in the house someone will eat it. Make them a healthy version of their favorite foods. If they like chic fil a nuggets, we an easily make breaded bakes nuggets at home. Yes this is more work but I witness people spend so much time and money on their kids training and practice resume that a little extra time in the kitchen can pay off enormously.
5) Awareness is key-I like to have conversations with teens about eating healthy and build that awareness in them that they shouldn’t haphazardly eat junk food and the effect it can have. We shouldn’t be pushy about it, but rather build that awareness. Trust me they will listen