TrueSport: March 2021 - Nutrition

Good news -- research shows that kids who cook at home are more likely to eat more fruits and vegetables.

While getting in the kitchen and cooking healthy meals after practice might seem daunting and unreasonable, it doesn’t have to be hard with these quick and easy meals that will provide your young athlete with plenty of carbohydrates to refill glycogen stores, protein to promote rebuilding and recovery, and healthy fats that are essential to an athlete’s development -- plus plenty of fiber and micronutrients to round out a healthy diet.

Breakfast for dinner: Super quick scramble

It’s hard to beat brinner -- breakfast for dinner -- for an easy, quick meal after practice. A single-pan scramble is also a simple way to ensure that your athlete is getting carbohydrates, protein, healthy fats and plenty of vegetables for fiber and micronutrients in a delicious plate that takes minutes to prepare. With seven grams of protein per egg and the opportunity to mix up the vegetables in this scramble, as well as the toppings, you can tailor this to your athlete’s preferences. Big practice? Add an extra egg or chop up some sliced turkey or chicken lunch meat to add extra protein. You can also toss in another potato or add a side of whole grain toast.

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 2 small yellow potatoes
• Vegetables: spinach, tomatoes, peppers, onions, broccoli (whatever is in the fridge or freezer. This is a great recipe to use leftovers!)
• Optional toppings: cheddar cheese, salsa, avocado slices, hot sauce

Directions:

1. Heat skillet on medium heat; add olive oil.
2. Scrub potatoes, then chop or grate into pan and cover.
3. Allow potatoes to cook while chopping vegetables.
4. Add vegetables to pan once potatoes begin to soften; stir occasionally.
5. Crack eggs over potatoes and vegetables once vegetables have begun to wilt or soften.
6. Allow eggs to cook fully before scooping onto a plate and serving with whatever toppings your athlete prefers.

Love breakfast? Get more easy breakfast ideas.

Quinoa bowl with tilapia

Tilapia is one of the speediest protein options and has a mild flavor that even picky eaters often accept. Combined with the nutty flavor that protein-and-carbohydrate powerhouse quinoa provides, tilapia is a great base for building out a bowl designed to make any athlete happy. For harder or longer practices, increase the amount of quinoa on the plate, and always make sure there are plenty of vegetables! (Feel free to mix up the toppings here. There are two different flavor palates below, but your athlete might prefer something different!)

Ingredients:

• Rice cooker
• Tilapia filets
• Quinoa
• Olive oil
• Topping option 1: soy sauce, sushi ginger slices, frozen package of Asian stir fry vegetables, fresh kale
• Topping option 2: salsa, avocado slices or guacamole, chopped tomatoes, cilantro, frozen onion and pepper mix, fresh spinach

Directions:

1. In the rice cooker, measure out your desired amount of quinoa and water in a 1:2 ratio.
2. In a pan on the stove, sauté your frozen vegetables in olive oil.
3. When vegetables are hot, add spinach or kale and cover until they have wilted.
4. Add tilapia filets to pan and cook thoroughly.
5. Scoop into a bowl with quinoa and add toppings as desired.

Kitchen sink stew

You can’t beat a hearty stew for warming up an athlete after a hard outdoor practice in winter. Stew is also a great vehicle for all of those leftover vegetables wilting in the refrigerator, and the perfect way to provide hydration, protein, micronutrients, carbohydrates and plenty of fiber in a single bowl. Added bonus: It’s a great make-ahead meal for a busy week, with minimal prep or mess.

Ingredients:

• Slow cooker
• 1 pack of frozen mixed vegetables (most brands offer a few different mixes, from Parisian to hearty stew to Italian medley, so choose the one that has the most vegetables that your kids like)
• Vegetable stock bouillon cube (look for an organic, gluten-free option)
• Frozen spinach
• Frozen meatballs, pre-chopped chicken or can of kidney beans
• 2 cans of diced tomatoes
• Whole wheat macaroni noodles (or use gluten-free version if your athlete has a gluten sensitivity)
• Add any other vegetables you have in the fridge or freezer that are starting to go limp or that you need to use up—this soup is a great way to finish off leftovers!

Directions:

Morning:

1. Chop and wash any whole fresh vegetables. In your slow cooker, add a quart of water and all the ingredients except for the noodles

After practice:

1. Add noodles and allow them to simmer for the time required on the package.
2. Salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Healthier grilled cheese with tomato soup

It’s hard to beat the classic grilled cheese with a bowl of hearty tomato soup. Even as an adult, this meal is one of the ultimate comfort foods, and for a hungry athlete, it’s filling and satisfying any time of year. While the traditional option -- white bread and American cheese with tomato soup from a can -- is less-than-optimal from a health standpoint, there are a few tweaks to make this a perfectly healthy meal option.

• Swap white bread for a whole-wheat or sprouted option for slower-burning carbohydrates.

• Add extra protein to your grilled cheese by putting a slice or two of turkey or chicken lunch meat into the sandwich.

• Add flavor by putting in chilis, pickled onions, chunks of tomato or other vegetables your athlete likes.

• Opt for a hard cheese like cheddar for the most flavor without using several servings of cheese per sandwich.

• Lower the amount of oil needed to fry your sandwich by getting a panini press.

• Stir a cube of frozen spinach into the tomato soup. (Or blend it in if you have a truly picky eater!)

• Look for soups made with organic ingredients and skip the ones that are preservative and sodium-packed.

Takeaway

It’s no easy task to cook after getting home from your athlete’s practice, but these quick recipes will make it easier than ever!

Resource: https://truesport.org/nutrition/4-quick-meals-after-sport-practice/

It's no secret that many young athletes are over-extended, often playing on school and club teams in one or more sports, traveling for competitions and squeezing in conditioning sessions. Two-a-day practices have become the norm for many athletes.

While this can lead to great sporting success, it makes eating right throughout the day more difficult. Here, TrueSport Expert Kristen Ziesmer, a registered dietitian and board-certified specialist in sports dietetics, offers some tips for how to keep your athlete satisfied and ready to head to practice for the second time in a day.

Plan efficiently

A busy week for your athlete is likely a busy week for you between pickups and drop-offs, so make sure you have plenty of easy-to-eat food on hand before the school week begins. Sit down with your athlete and talk through what they should be eating during the day. Let them choose what options sound the most appealing to ensure they are fueling enough over the course of the day, rather than waiting until they are home for dinner to pack in the calories.

Don't skip breakfast

Often, one practice will be early in the morning, before school. For young athletes, it's tempting to stay in bed as long as possible and skip breakfast in favor of the snooze button. But if your athlete has an early morning practice, they still need to eat something beforehand. It doesn't have to be a heavy, large breakfast, says Ziesmer. "A really quick and light-on-the-stomach option would be a banana, maybe with a bit of peanut butter and some water," she says. "But after practice, make sure they have something bigger for breakfast like a sandwich or a bagel with some carbohydrates and protein."

Prioritize eating between practices

“Between the two practices, an athlete really needs to focus on getting in as much food as possible because one practice is draining, and they shouldn't go into the next practice already depleted," says Ziesmer.

"Ideally, an athlete would have several hours between practices, and even if it is a back-to-back session, they definitely need to have a good snack in between. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich or a string cheese with fruit and a handful of granola or pretzels would be a good idea."

A snack like that after practice is ideal to kickstart recovery and refill depleted glycogen stores, followed by another snack later in the day before heading into the next workout in order to top off those glycogen stores and allow your athlete to train hard for a second time.

Think simple, portable foods

A smoothie after practice sounds great in theory, but in actuality, it may be a melted disappointment by the time your athlete gets around to drinking it. Finding a snack that your athlete can munch on throughout the day during school and during practice is critical.

Homemade energy balls are one perfect solution. They're quick to make, can be made in big batches, and are easy to eat quickly as your athlete navigates between classes and to practice. Ziesmer recommends blending cashews, raisins, cinnamon and salt together in the food processor until the ingredients are sticking together, then make them into small ball shapes and store in the refrigerator. You can change up ingredients, using different nuts and dried fruit, and roll the finished balls in cocoa powder or shredded coconut.

"I like these because they're easy to eat, so your athlete can grab one of them between classes," Ziesmer says. Other great recovery snack options include granola bars, easy-to-eat fruit like apples and bananas, and simple snacks like cheese and crackers. If all the practices take place around school, make sure your child's locker is stocked like a healthy convenience store!

Hydrate with carbohydrates and electrolytes

Carrying a water bottle and sipping throughout the day to maintain optimal hydration levels is critical. "At the second practice, I would also recommend having electrolytes and carbohydrates in their water because your athlete is getting into the realm of multiple hours of exertion," Ziesmer says. "Your athlete could use a traditional sports drink, or you could make one with diluted fruit juice and a pinch of sea salt."

Ziesmer’s favorite recipe is simple and makes 4 8-ounce servings:

• 5 cups water
• 1/2 cup orange juice (or grape or apple)
• 5 tablespoons of honey
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt

Have a recovery meal planned

Dinner shouldn't be nutrient-empty fast food on the way home from practice: The recovery meal is as important as what your athlete is eating before and during practice. Make sure that your athlete is able to kickstart recovery with a quick snack after practice, like chocolate milk or a half a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, followed by a dinner that contains plenty of carbohydrates, vegetables, and lean protein, Ziesmer says. A brown rice, vegetable, and chicken stir-fry or burrito bowl, for example, can be a great and easy post-practice dinner that will promote muscle repair and recovery so your athlete is ready for the next session.

Takeaway

"If your athlete says they feels nauseous, if they feel like their legs are super heavy, if they have problems with cramping, or if they report having no energy, then they definitely did not eat enough during, before, or after practice," Ziesmer says. Add more fuel throughout the day, make sure your athlete is drinking enough, and consider letting them take a rest day (or skip one of the two practices) to catch up on fueling.

Resource: <a href="https://truesport.org/nutrition/fuel-two-a-day-practices/" target="_blank" >https://truesport.org/nutrition/fuel-two-a-day-practices/

If you've been wondering if you should start feeding your growing athlete an organic diet, the answer isn't a simple yes or no. There are certain reasons that an organic diet may be healthier, but eating more fruits, vegetables and lean proteins in general is perhaps even more important.

“There are a number of reasons that an organic diet may be healthier, including more nutrient availability, a greater number of antioxidant phytochemicals and lower pesticide amounts,” explains TrueSport ExpertKristen Ziesmer, a registered dietitian and board-certified specialist in sports dietetics. “However, eating an overall balanced diet with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins is more important than eating an unbalanced, organic diet.”

Here's what you need to know to shop organic in a thoughtful way.

1. Look at the Dirty Dozen

When it comes to produce, if the fruit or vegetable has a thick skin, then the pesticides are less likely to permeate that skin. Bananas and oranges, for example, are generally fine to buy non-organic. But it’s better to buy organic strawberries or other berries that have a very thin skin. Every year, the Environmental Working Group releases the Dirty Dozen, the list of the best foods to buy organic. In 2020, for instance, strawberries, spinach and kale topped the list of foods that contain the most pesticides. (The Environmental Working Group also has the Clean 15, a list of the cleanest options to buy if you can’t find organic options or are on a tight budget -- this year's chart-toppers were avocados, sweet corn and pineapple.)

2. Aim for local

"Another good option is just to buy from a farmer's market or from a local farmer, because a lot of times, the smaller farms actually do practice organic or low-pesticide farming," Ziesmer says. "If you go to a farmer's market, talk to the farmer and ask about their practices." It's also a better way to ensure high nutrient-density in your fruits and vegetables since the nutrients in produce decrease over time and local foods can be consumed sooner.

3. Wash your fruit and vegetables

You might be surprised to realize that you can wash some pesticide and chemical residue off traditionally grown fruit and vegetables, especially those with a thicker skin. "It's not going to get rid of it completely because pesticides permeate through the skin. But it would certainly help,” Ziesmer says. Research has shown that rinsing fruits like apples with water and baking soda can dislodge certain pesticides.

4. Start drinking organic early

"I recommend that people do buy organic milk because those cows are not treated with antibiotics unless they absolutely need them due to illness. If a dairy cow has too many antibiotics, then that medication can end up in the milk, which could cause antibiotic resistance in your child," Ziesmer says. "The earlier your child starts drinking organic milk, the better, because all of those antibiotics can build up in their system."

5. What you need to know about grass-fed beef

"This is actually kind of a cash cow right now -- pun intended," says Ziesmer. While grass-fed beef is trendy, you can't always buy into the hype. Yes, grass-fed meat is healthier because by eating all that grass, the good fats -- Omega-3s increase -- while the unhealthy Omega-6 fats decrease in the cow. But the problem is that any cow that’s been fed grass even once can be considered grass-fed.

"So the best thing that you could do is find a local meat farmer who you can vet based on their practices," Ziesmer adds. Butcher Box, the online ordering service, is another way Ziesmer recommends getting good-quality meat.

6. Look for free-range chickens

Free-range eggs are similar to grass-fed meat: they should be lower in saturated fat and lower in cholesterol because the chickens are eating bugs and seeds from a pasture. But again, the problem is that the designation ‘cage-free’ could be applied if the chickens were housed in a warehouse and not outside. "Do some research and find companies that are open about their standards," Ziesmer says. "Additionally, a lot of farmer’s markets now have people who are selling eggs, or you could even consider having backyard chickens to get your own eggs!"

7. Don't let perfect be the enemy of good

After researching the benefits of organic options for children, Janet Silverstein, MD, FAAP, a member of the American Association of Pediatrics, concluded, "What's most important is that children eat a healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat or fat-free dairy products, whether those are conventional or organic foods."

Takeaway

Getting your children to eat vegetables and fruit regularly is the most important part of the healthy eating equation, so don't let a lack of organic options stop you from adding non-organic string beans to their dinner plates. Ziesmer says that if organic produce is outside of your budget (or you don't have time to shop farmer's markets), just check the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 lists to keep those in mind while shopping and perhaps skip the strawberries in favor of pineapple.

Resource: <a href="https://truesport.org/nutrition/7-things-know-buying-organic/" target="_blank" >https://truesport.org/nutrition/7-things-know-buying-organic/

When it comes to youth sports, we’ve all seen the shocking videos of parents letting their emotions fuel violent outbursts against other parents, coaches and even young officials. But what if that angry outburst comes from one of the athletes on the field? How would you as a coach or parent help your athlete manage that outrage?

Dr. Kevin Chapman, TrueSport Expert, licensed clinical psychologist, and founder of the Kentucky Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders, explains that anger is “a normal basic core emotion.” He adds, “Angry is the result of a perceived social slight. Someone has knowingly, intentionally or unnecessarily acted in a hurtful way toward us.”

Dr. Chapman also emphasizes that anger is an important emotion that prompts people of all ages to defend themselves and their loved ones. For example, if you get carded unfairly in a game, anger is a healthy response as long as the actions tied to that anger are focused on appropriate resolutions, such as telling the coach or asking the referee to explain their decision.

In order to avoid aggressive outbursts as a result of anger, Dr. Chapman recommends sharing and practicing a three-point check system with your athlete to help them reframe their internal dialogue in frustrating situations and respond in an effective way.

1. Thoughts

According to Dr. Chapman, “The most pivotal facet of any emotion is how we interpret the situation. An event occurs, we think about the event a certain way -- usually based on previous experience with similar events, and this leads to the emotional experience.”

For instance, if a young athlete just found out they won’t be starting the game, they may feel angry at the coach for leaving them off the starting lineup. As the emotion builds, the thoughts follow suit:

“This is unfair. I work so hard. I don’t understand why he picked them over me.

This sport is pointless. I don’t deserve to sit on the bench. Why do I even try?”

At this point, Dr. Chapman recommends that the athlete “take a step back, take a deep breath and ask, ‘_What am I thinking right now?_’” Acknowledging the thought process triggered by anger will help the athlete evaluate those thoughts more objectively and consider how they would describe the situation after the emotion passes.

2. Feelings

After athletes assess what they are thinking about when anger flares, Dr. Chapman explains that they should then ask themselves, “What am I feeling in my body right now? What’s my heart doing? What’s my stomach doing?”

According to the American Psychological Association, when people get angry, they can feel internal sensations in their bodies, such as heart palpitations, stomach distress, sweating, hot or cold flushes, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle tension, increased energy and others.

Recognizing the physical signs of anger and becoming more self-aware of those sensations can help athletes understand that what they’re feeling is normal. If athletes experience physical signs of anger, encourage them to practice relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing exercises, to help with muscle relaxation -- which will help dissipate the other physical sensations they begin to feel when angry.

3. Behavior

“The last step in the three-point check recognizes that behaviors are a manifestation of the thoughts and physical feelings that people experience during the bout of anger,” says Dr. Chapman.

“In attempting to feel more comfortable, we often engage in actions that may lead to temporary relief that could make us feel worse in the long term,” Dr. Chapman adds. He continues to explain that “learning the functional nature of [your athlete’s] basic emotions and effective ways to regulate these emotions will help [them] live a fulfilling life that is not dominated by the ‘feeling’ component of our emotional experience.”

If an athlete wants to act on their anger, whether that be yelling at the coach or storming off the field, encourage them to instead ask themselves, “What do I feel like doing right now? Will that action lead to anything positive in the long-term?”

After your athlete acknowledges what they want to do, have them practice the first two steps in the three-step system to further process their reaction to the situation and identify a more effective response.

Takeaway

Dr. Chapman concludes, “All emotions have three parts. It’s important for young athletes to understand that all emotions are meant to help us, not hurt us.”

As young athletes become more aware of the thoughts, sensations and actions connected to anger by practicing the three-point check, they will become increasingly better at managing unnecessary anger and responding effectively in difficult situations.

Resource: https://truesport.org/decision-making/regulating-anger-youth-athlete/