10 sport nutrition guidelines to help your child reach their peak

Are you feeding your kids according to these guidelines.

• The athlete’s diet should consist of 60-70 percent carbs, 20-35 percent fats, and 10-20 percent protein.
• The pre-game meal should be high in carbs 3-4 hours before the event. Carbs should be easy to digest, such as breads, potatoes, pasta, and fruit.
• Before the event, avoid bulky, fiber-rich foods (e.g., raw vegetables and high bran cereals) and stay away from carbs with little to no nutritional value (e.g. soda, candy and cakes).
• Examples of pre-game meals include: tuna sandwich with a fruit smoothie; crackers, peanut butter and a fruit cup; muffin, fresh fruit and yogurt; turkey, bagel and low-fat milk.
• 2-3 hours before the activity, drink 2-3 cups
• 15 minutes before the activity, drink 1-2 cups
• During activity: 1/2-1 cup every 15 minutes
• After activity: 2 cups for each pound of body weight lost
• Post-game nutrition should be a high-carb meal (similar to pre-game) eaten within 15 minutes-2 hours minutes after physical activity.
• If your child is not hungry after the game, have them drink a beverage with carbs, such as sports drinks or fruit juices.

Ten years ago, when my kids were busy playing sports, I could have used these sports nutritional guidelines. They were great athletes, but I sometimes wonder if they would have been even better if I had done a better job of putting the right foods into them.

Hopefully this post gives you somewhere to start, as you feed your kids this week. I know you want to do everything you can to help them give their best effort.

       

Janis B. Meredith, sports mom and coach's wife, writes a sports parenting blog called jbmthinks.com. Her new booklet 11 Habits for Healthy and Positive Sports Parents is available on Amazon.