{"id":15058,"date":"2011-08-19T09:45:02","date_gmt":"2011-08-19T13:45:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nomeatathlete.com\/?p=15058"},"modified":"2020-04-13T15:46:48","modified_gmt":"2020-04-13T19:46:48","slug":"vegetarian-sports-nutrition-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nomeatathlete.com\/vegetarian-sports-nutrition-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"Perfect Snacks for Kids Who Play Sports (and How to Convince Them to Eat the Healthy Stuff)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Note: This is a guest post from Danielle Elliot, who writes the blog That Normal Vegan<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

When I hang out with my younger cousins, I cringe as Isabella, 11, tells me she ate PopTarts before her soccer game.\u00a0 Or when Frankie, 10, says he had a burger in the middle of his little league doubleheader.<\/p>\n

As any parent knows, it can be challenging to get kids to eat healthy snacks. I once had the nerve to ask my neighbor why he lets his kids eat Oreos at half time.<\/p>\n

\u201cQuite frankly, he has to eat something,\u201d he said. \u201cHe\u2019ll burn it off anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

He couldn\u2019t have been more wrong, but I get it. He\u2019s tired of begging his kids to eat oranges. I hope you don\u2019t feel as defeated!<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not a parent, but I spend enough time with kids to understand the challenges of getting them to eat healthy foods. Isabella and her sister, Olivia, are usually willing to try what I\u2019m having, but Frankie is another story. He seems to exist on chocolate and Captain Crunch. He wouldn’t go anywhere near my vegan birthday cake last year, especially when he heard my mom had added sweet potatoes to the recipe.<\/p>\n

One recent afternoon, I mentioned that I wanted to go for a run. \u201cCan I come with you? I run really fast. I can go really far. How far are you running? Like a 5K? I can do a 5K,\u201d he exclaimed, the words spiraling out of his mouth faster than a runaway train. How could I say no?<\/p>\n

So, you want to be the best? Then eat this!<\/h3>\n

Olivia and Frankie soon decided it was time for a snack. They asked for Cheetos; I smeared some peanut butter on sliced bananas. Frankie suddenly lost his appetite.<\/p>\n

He tried to tell me it was because he didn\u2019t want to get a stomachache while we were running. That\u2019s when the idea popped into my head. What if I appeal to his love of sports — and winning — to get him to eat; if I go beyond the \u201cit\u2019s good for you\u201d approach and treat him like the athletes he idolizes?<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, bananas with peanut butter is a great breakfast before a run<\/a>,\u201d I explained. \u201cThat\u2019s what I eat before my races. The potassium is good for your muscles, so that you don\u2019t cramp up, while the peanut butter adds protein and gives you that little energy kick to keep you going longer than your friends.\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019d caught his attention. You could see the shift in his eyes, the wheels turning in his head.<\/p>\n

He cautiously picked up the banana: \u201cThis is actually kind of good. I didn\u2019t think I\u2019d like it, but I do,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat else is good for soccer? What\u2019s gonna make me stronger? Is that why you eat all this stuff?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d opened Pandora\u2019s box. Two hours later, we’d gone through the entire pantry and half of the fridge, showing him all the vegetarian foods that might help him hit a baseball a little further. Maybe I was promising too much, but I\u2019m not afraid to resort to desperate measures. He seemed enthralled to hear that food fuels our bodies in the same way gas fuels a car.<\/p>\n

We also discussed endurance, and how sugar actually zaps energy. \u201cBut I\u2019m always full of energy after sugar,\u201d Frankie contested. \u201cDo you stay full of energy for long?\u201d I asked. \u201cBut what about chicken?\u201d he asked. \u201cMy mom says I need to eat chicken.\u201d That\u2019s when we talked about how much energy the body wastes in trying to digest meat. I introduced him to all the vegetarian sources of protein<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s amazing to realize how early the Standard American Diet is ingrained in young minds. I take every opportunity I can to teach them about vegetarian and vegan options, but am careful not to leave them thinking their mom doesn\u2019t understand nutrition. It\u2019s a fine line when you\u2019re not the parent.<\/p>\n

Quick, healthy snacks for young athletes<\/h3>\n

Once I had Frankie willing to try nutritious foods, I needed to brush up on childhood nutrition. Research confirmed what I assumed: young athletes thrive on many of the same foods as adults, but the recommended portions and nutrient ratios vary.<\/p>\n

Researchers Jennifer Sacheck, Ph.D., and Christina Economos, Ph.D., delved into the topic a few years ago for MLS.com<\/a> (that’s Major League Soccer).\u00a0 Here is a list of healthy snacks, based on Sacheck & Economos\u2019s recommendations as well as conversations with several nutritionists. I tested them out on a string of kids lately, and all got the thumbs-up. (I prefer not to count calories, especially when eating with kids, but I\u2019ve included the recommendations here for those that are interested.)<\/p>\n

Pre-Activity (~100-300 calories)<\/em><\/p>\n