Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
MURRAY — Once your fridge and pantry are stocked with nutritious foods, it should be easy to prepare balanced meals and snacks for your family. But, it turns out healthy eating is not one size fits all as parents discovered at a sports nutrition workshop for young athletes.
"Carbohydrates serve as an energy source for very high intense activities," says sports dietitian Claire Siekaniec.
Siekaniec co-leads nutrition workshops at TOSH, The Orthopedic Specialty Hospital in Murray. Earlier this month, a group of 11- and 12-year-old competitive softball players gathered in the TOSH sports kitchen to learn how to eat for health and performance.
The girls quickly discovered they need to fuel up with more carbs and less protein than their parents. "They come in thinking that their children are just mini-adults, so we have to go away from that because they're not," says TOSH sports dietitian Ashley Hagensick.
However, the girls still need to focus on eating healthy carbs and fats. They're the ones found naturally in nuts, seeds, whole grains, fresh veggies and fruits.
Jaidyn, a softball player for Rampage, says, "I'm not a big fan of dry fruits, but I like fresh fruits and veggies."
Softball mom Julie Roberts was an athlete herself growing up. She believes "Your kids will eat what you feed them for the most part," so it's important to offer a variety of healthy high-energy foods.
Roberts also encourages her kids to make their own choices. She knows athletes especially need to listen to their bodies.
"My parents let me decide, but they kind of make sure I don't overeat on candy and sugar," says Ayden, who also plays softball for Rampage.
The truth is that when it comes to high levels of processed sugar, even athletic kids need to exercise some self-control.
At one point in the workshop, the girls gather around a display of sugar packets to try to guess how much added sugar they need to take in on an average day.
Hagensick tells them about 25 grams on top of the natural sugars in fruits and veggies is considered a healthy amount.
Also on display in the kitchen classroom are bottles and cans filled with naturally sweetened and heavily processed juice, cola and energy drinks. The softball players learn quickly that most of the drinks have more processed sugar in them than the girls need to drink or eat in an entire day.
Ayden says the bottom line is "you need to balance out your nutrition and diet."
The workshop wraps up with the girls taste testing energy bites they helped mix up before class. It's an easy recipe with healthy ingredients like dry oats, cranberries, dark chocolate chips and chia seeds. Ayden declares, "They're really good and a much better alternative than candy."
These free sports nutrition workshops are offered monthly at TOSH. They are especially designed for athletes ages 9 to 18 and their teams. Call 801-314-4038 for more information.
