Sports is an important part of a school curriculum and children and teens involved in it should get a good balance of nutrition to help them stay fit and active. Between constantly changing bodies and finicky eating habits, it can be hard for parents to understand how to ensure they maintain a healthy and well-balanced diet.
Whether your child plays cricket, football, basketball or any other sports and needs to perform at a high level regularly, it’s important to think about their dietary and nutritional requirements. However, sports nutrition can be tricky as it’s not the same as it is for adults. Additionally, young athletes require more calories to perform well, prevent injuries, improve energy levels and increase their attention span and focus.
If you have an active child, here are some sports nutrition rules to help you get started.
Young Athletes and the Importance of Nutrition
If your child plays any sport, here are some tips to ensure they receive adequate nutrition.
Grains + Fibre
Whole grains typically offer more nutritional value as they are minimally processed and their carbohydrates offer fuel to young athletes allowing them to be more active. Recently, grocery stores have started introducing new grain products that boast a range of health benefits for consumers. But your best bet is to choose options that have whole grains mentioned as the first ingredient on the list. Give your child whole-grain cereals for breakfast and use whole-wheat bread when making sandwiches or anything else that incorporates bread. You can add a mix of whole grains such as couscous, quinoa and switch white rice for brown for best results.
Protein
The tissues in the human body contain protein and the muscles, bones and organs all need it to grow. It also promotes healing in case we sustain a wound on any body part. However, the quantity of protein that your active child needs depends on the sport they play and their age. Also, teenage girls typically require less protein than boys their age.
While dairy, eggs, fish and meat are all great sources of protein, if your household follows a vegetarian diet, other foods can help supply it to your child. For instance, peas, beans, lentils, seeds and nuts are all items that supply valuable amounts of the nutrient, protein being one of them. However, excluding soy, plant sources of protein don’t supply the full range of essential amino acids which are the building blocks that link together to form the nutrient. So, if your child is consuming only plant-based protein-rich foods, it’s vital that you include a range of sources. Some options to look into are tofu, soy milk, bakes beans, whole wheat pasta and a wide variety of seeds.
Essential Fatty Acids
These are important dietary components that our body requires from an external source as the human body isn’t capable of synthesizing any on our own. Furthermore, the cells in our body rely on them to for their development and to protect the membrane around them. They are also necessary for the nervous system and brain to function properly.
While athletic children can receive an ample quantity of omega-6 fatty acids from foods like sunflower oil, soy and corn, they don’t get enough omega-3 fatty acids. Along with aiding in blood circulation, the nutrient is important for your child’s developing brain and eyes. A great way to include it in an active child’s diet is to add foods like flaxseed and canola oil, walnuts and fishes such as fresh tuns, mackerel and sardines.
Healthy Fats
Healthy fats are also another necessary nutrient that any young child that plays sports needs. It’s advisable to choose foods with healthy unsaturated fats and limit ones that contain high quantities of saturated fats. For instance, you should include nuts, fish, seeds and healthy plant oils such as corn, sunflower, canola and extra virgin olive oil and keep a watch so they don’t consume too much red meat or butter.
Active children need to consume a balanced combination of foods to support the level of activity that playing any sports requires. However, their meals shouldn’t be very different from a normal healthy diet they maintain. Remember, eating to perform better at their game should be another part of eating to be healthy for life.
