What are we Feeding our Student Athletes?

What are we Feeding our Student Athletes!
 
As parents, we hold the key to their health and to their healthy life choices.  We are building their foundation for their health.  We buy the food, we drive thru or choose the restaurants.  It’s time for US parents to do a better job preparing our Student Athletes to be their best.  The preparation of the menu tends to be the biggest challenge.  Having storage containers with lids, if you can find them, and preparing them for your outings.  Here’s some helpful menus items.  Buy fresh fruits and meats without preservatives.  Whole Foods or other natural grocery stores are great but can be costly.  
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Bake a whole chicken and while it is cooking grab the storage containers, add some mixed greens and slice up vegetables from the refrigerator.  Add some fresh nuts like sliced almonds or pine nuts.  Add some dried fruit like cranberries or blueberries.  Throw in some feta or parmesan cheeses.  You can then pour a little bit of salad dressing in a zip lock and put it right on top.  When the chicken cools, put it in a big zip lock and put it in the cooler.  Use zip locks to put bags of ice so you can spread it around the cooler.  Package up some other snack foods like trail mix with only nuts and dried fruits.  Add lots of bottled waters.  Freeze some melon balls or grapes.  They’re so fun to eat and keep your cooler cold too! 

Stay away from prepackaged snack foods that have chemicals and too much salt like “snackables” or other brands that have preservatives.  Stay away from the nacho cheese from the cans and the bags of chips and hot dogs sold at the snack bar.  If you’re going to a tournament ask them to stock up on fresh fruits and vegetable for sale.  Stay away from candy and other sugar treats. 

If having to eat at a multiday event, consider some restaurants that have worked for me.  Panera, McAllister’s, even Starbucks in major metros has a deli of fresh foods, or other restaurants that have healthy choices.  Go to a grocery store in the town and load up on some fresh foods instead of eating at fast food restaurants that have high fat and high sugars.  

Now it’s your turn.  What do you pack or prepare?  What tips do you all have for preparing healthy tournament meals and snacks? 

#TeamCSA #RecruitingTruth www.CollegiateSportsAdvocate.com
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