How Do I Fuel a Young Athlete?
Uh oh. In the midst of testing recipes, meeting deadlines, and gearing up for Christmas, I now think I need to review the basics on feeding an athlete. Here in rainy dreary Seattle, cabin fever can settle in pretty quickly. Even though the rain hasn't been horrible lately, my athletic adolescent son has been feeling a bit antsy.
The other night he told me that he wants to buy a treadmill and start running. Hmmm. I told him that was food for thought...Yesterday, we were at Goodwill looking for snowboard equipment. There wasn't any snowboard gear, but my son spotted a perfect treadmill for $50. He reminded me about our conversation and convinced me that it was exactly what he was looking for. Will sensed my hesitation as I looked at the large thing. After he wheeled the machine to an outlet, plugged it in, hit the reset button, and then actually ran on the treadmill right there in the sports section, I had to cave and agree to the purchase.
Of course, it was an ordeal hauling the darn thing home and into the house, but eventually it got done. When the treadmill was finally in place, William hit the power button. He was literally off and running. I think he hit the nine mile mark around 8:30. Shortly after his cool down, he asked for food...lots of food.
Luckily, I had some homemade chicken parmigiana on deck. That went into the microwave. Homemade pizza was made using artisan sourdough bread as a base. That got shoved under the broiler. Fresh haricot verts were rinsed. A large Nalgene of water was spiked with an orange-flavored Emergen-C packet and handed off.
This meal came together very quickly, but it reminded me that I really need to pull out my copy of Cynthia Lair's fabulous book, Feeding the Young Athlete, Sports Nutrition Made Easy for Players and Parents. I have had this book for years and without a doubt it is time to reread it! The book has great tips and recipes. I have made numerous recipes over the years and they always hit the mark.
Do you have any tips, resources, or ideas for feeding athletes? If so, help!
--Melissa A. Trainer
HopeSew on December 26, 2011 at 05:08 AM
Taking a page from the raw food trend, green smoothies are fast and good for holding your young person over until a meal is ready. The pureed nutrients quickly start to restore what was used up during a workout. Adding raw nuts or avocado to your combos of veggies and fruits makes the protein component that rounds out your tumbler of liquid fuel. Added bonus: smoothies are so easy, any teenager can whip them up anytime so mom & dad don't feel like short-order cooks. Just make sure they aren't adding milk or ice cream. :)