The Diet of a Teenage Athlete

With 30 million to 45 million American youths participating in athletics, sports nutrition is becoming a top priority. If you think of young athletes as sports cars, you would want to use a superior grade fuel to get the highest performance out of them. Unfortunately, most youths are filling their tanks with high-fructose corn syrup, saturated fats and nutritionally void processed foods as part of the Standard American Diet (ironically known as SAD).

Choose Whole Foods for a Complete Diet.

• Instead of buying into the SAD fare found in school cafeterias and vending machines, give your teens nutritionally packed whole foods. Whole grains like oats, corn, brown rice, buckwheat and quinoa are a few excellent sources of the essential carbohydrates young athletes need to fuel sports performance. Lean proteins are also vital for building, maintaining and repairing muscle. Substitute fast food burgers with beans, eggs, yogurt, chicken, and organic, grass-fed beef. Add healthy Omega-3 fats found in olive oil, avocados, oily fish and nuts. For dozens of whole food recipes that help athletes play their best, check out "Feeding the Young Athlete" by Cynthia Lair with Scott Murdoch, PhD, RD.

Eat Your Colors for Optimum Nutrition.

• Registered dietitians are seeing a disturbing trend of young athletes with deficiencies in many critical micro-nutrients, such as calcium, iron, folate, vitamin B6 and zinc. You could rely on multi-vitamins, but the tastiest solution is to increase your teen's consumption of nutritionally dense vegetables and fruits. As a rule, the darker the colors, the more nutritionally rich the produce. Choose dark leafy greens and bright orange vegetables like sweet potatoes or carrots. Also, pick berries, peaches and melons for a vibrant burst of vitamins and energy.

Feed Their Thirst for Knowledge.

• Proper fluid intake is critical for young athletes--especially if their sport requires endurance or takes place in the heat. Kids do not instinctively drink enough fluids to replace those lost through sweating, so it is up to parents and coaches to remind them to drink plenty of water and sports beverages for hydration and electrolytes. While you're at it, keep educating your teens on how to make healthier food choices. Despite what their friends and the media says, the right sports nutrition offers a win/win solution that gives young athletes the energy they need to perform at their peak.