A common question a lot of trainers get from parents is “What should I feed my kid.” This is a real challenge for parents, as kids seem to be the extremes—from picky eaters to eating you out of house and home. In general, kids will eat when they need to eat. The challenge is getting them to make healthy choices.
I commented recently on the movie, Greater, about Brandon Burlsworth. He put on a tremendous amount of food trying to make it as an Arkansas Razorback. He had to unlearn the eating habits that earned him the nickname “Cheescake”. I did much the same in my days of yo-yoing between my high school football and wrestling weights. If only I knew then what I know now—I would have consumed fewer of those nasty tasting weight gain shakes and been less inclined to cleanout the buffet at Pizza Hut. John Belushi and I trained on little chocolate donuts. Unfortunately, this is not the best fuel for young athletes.
For young athletes, the quantity of food is less of an issue than quality. As parents, we are to make the healthy options most available. Given the choice between an apple and Ho-Hos, a teenager is naturally going to go for the Ho-Hos. Bag of chips? Teens can somehow inhale the contents of the entire bag. The key to healthy eating is creating healthy habits and making the healthy choice the easy choice.
Parents, it is probably not the best idea to take your kids grocery shopping—especially to Costco/Sam’s Club! Otherwise, you will come home with a cart full of sweets and junk food. If the choices are only healthy foods, the kids will eat these rather than starve.
In general, the same rules apply for kids as for adults who are managing their weight. In general, calorie balance is the same: hypocaloric losses weight, hypercaloric gains weight, eucaloric maintains weight. If the child is getting overfat, assess the activity level and quality of what they are eating. A kid who is eating healthy will not likely gain excessive fat.
Macros are of second greatest importance. The balance of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins will greatly affect the quality of the weight they gain, as well as affect performance in sports and school.
Protein is very important to growing bodies. Kids should be getting plenty of protein. Eggs are a great source. Meat should be of good quality—don’t consider hot dogs or baloney a protein source! I am a carnivore, and so are my kids. For a variety of reasons, some families don’t eat meat. This is okay, but make sure the athlete is getting a balance of protein from many non-meat sources. A protein supplement might be wanted for vegan athletes. Don’t assume. Track the proteins. While the average individual needs only 0.6-0.8 g per pound of body weight. Athletes need more—especially growing athletes. For most, 1 g per pound of BW should be sufficient.
Carbohydrates should be complex rather than simple sugars. Kids are going to want sweets and, generally, this is okay—within reason. Sweets should be thought of as a special treat rather than the mainstay of the diet. In most cases, they aren’t going to have to worry about the ocassional sweet. The bulk of the carbohydrates, however, should come from whole fruits and vegetables. As with adults, about half the dinner plate should be fruits and vegetables, one-quarter can be starchy carbs, and one quarter should be protein. I like to plan carbs based on activity level. If we are talking about an athletic, active, growing kid, carbohydrates should not be an issue unless they are of poor quality or weight gain is excessive (i.e., mostly fat). Remember quality is the issue with carbs for most young athletes. Better to eat too many strawberries than a box of Gummy Bears (but, still, avoid “too many”)
And don’t forget the fats. Roughly a thumb size serving of fat may be included with each meal. Fats are necessary for hormones and nervous system development.
Breakfast seems to be a troublesome meal for families. We have grown to enjoy high carbohydrate breakfasts in the US. We are usually rushing to catch the bus and to get to work, so sugary convenience foods have become the norm. This is the worst time of the day for carbs and the worst way to start off the day. Insulin levels spike and a crash follows—not the best scenario for school-aged kids. Protein and slow digesting carbs are the best breakfast for young athletes. It doesn’t have to be the traditional breakfast. Leftovers are quick and can be healthy. My son loves quesadillas for breakfast. This is not ideal, but it gets him to eat. The cheese will last him a quite a bit longer than a donut or bowl of Sugar-O’s. He goes through phases of liking a protein shake—which I more prefer. If you have time and can get them to eat, omelets are great breakfast food. Sometimes, the best I can do with my daughter is turkey bacon. Something is better than nothing, but avoid the sugar.
Lunches? School lunches can be good, but they have no reputation as being healthy. I prefer to send my kids with a packed lunch. I try to include a lot of options so they don’t go hungry, if the get finicky. Again, I try to get them eating more protein.
Kids are going to want snacks. Keep healthy choices around.
Bottom line, kids are going to eat what is available to them. They don’t do the shopping. You, the parent, does. So, you make the choices. If you want your athlete to eat healthy—you must eat healthy. Eating habits are developed in the home. If you let them, your kids will eat junk. If you lead them well, they will make healthy eating choices.
If you want to keep sweets around, first, make healthier choices; and, second, keep them out of reach. Kids are going to eat what is most accessible, so keep the healthiest choices where they can be accessed, and keep the worst of the junk food and sweets hidden.
If time is an issue, skip the McDonald’s Drive-Thru and use the slow-cooker. On a budget? Buy smart. Buy in bulk and make healthy choices. Frozen vegetables keep and are reasonably healthy—certainly better than Family Deal at the Fast Food Restaurant.
Most important, healthy eating is a family issue. Who knows? If we, as parents, provide our kids with access to healthier food, we might just get healthy ourselves.
Be your best today; be better tomorrow!
Carpe momento!
Image source: https://static01.nyt.com/images/2015/10/07/sports/07NCAAFOODweb/07NCAAFOODweb-master1050.jpg