Last week was about eating enough. This week is about what goes on the plate. Almost everything your athlete eats breaks down into three main nutrients: carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Each one has a different job, and young athletes need all three.

Carbs: The Main Fuel

Carbohydrates are what a working body burns first. Sprints, swings, throws, and the last lap of conditioning all run on carbs. When a young athlete cuts them out or doesn’t eat enough of them, practice feels harder and energy runs out early.

Good choices are oatmeal, rice, potatoes, pasta, whole grain bread, beans, and fruit. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that at least half of the grains we eat be whole grains. Sugary drinks and candy are carbs too, but they burn fast and don’t bring much else along. Save those for the occasional treat.

Protein: The Rebuilder

Training breaks muscle down a little. Protein builds it back stronger. Growing bodies also use protein for, well, growing.

Good sources are eggs, chicken, beef, turkey, fish, beans, milk, Greek yogurt, cheese, and peanut butter. Most kids who eat a variety of real food get plenty of protein without powders or shakes. The bigger issue is timing. A lot of families eat most of their protein at supper. Spread it out instead: some at breakfast, some at lunch, and some after practice.

Healthy Fats: Long-Lasting Energy

Fat isn’t the enemy. Kids need it for steady energy, for growth, and to absorb some vitamins. The best sources are nuts, seeds, peanut butter, avocado, olive oil, eggs, and fish. Fried food and packaged snacks are the ones to keep to a minimum.

For kids 4 to 18, the Dietary Guidelines give a healthy range for each nutrient: about 45 to 65 percent of calories from carbs, 10 to 30 percent from protein, and 25 to 35 percent from fat. You don’t need to count any of that. A balanced plate gets you there.

Building the Plate

Here’s an easy way to think about a meal:

Half the plate is fruits and vegetables.

A quarter is a carb like rice, potatoes, pasta, or bread.

A quarter is a protein like chicken, eggs, beef, or beans.

Add a glass of milk and a little healthy fat.

On a hard training day, make the carb portion bigger. That’s the fuel.

The Homeschool Angle

Lunch at home is where this falls apart, because it’s easy to grab crackers and call it lunch. Keep a few protein options ready to go: hard-boiled eggs, cheese sticks, leftover chicken, peanut butter. A sandwich on whole grain bread, an apple, and a glass of milk covers all three nutrients in about five minutes.

This is also a great science lesson. Have your kids read a nutrition label and find the carbs, protein, and fat. Then let them build their own plate for supper.

This Week

At each meal, check the plate for all three: a carb, a protein, and a healthy fat. If one is missing, add it. Start with breakfast, since that’s the meal most likely to be all carbs and no protein.

Next week we’ll talk about building strong bones, and why the teen years matter so much.

“For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.” 1 Timothy 4:4