Youth Sports and Calories
Kids are little calorie burners and when they play on sports teams, they can lose weight which is not a good thing for a growing child. A lot of parents add additional calories in the form of fatty sweets to make sure they are getting enough calories. For instance, one woman who has two very active skinny teenagers gives each of them a large bowl of ice cream every night after dinner. She told me she wants to give them something with fat so that’s why she chooses ice cream. I told her there are healthier alternatives that have high fat such as avocados, nuts and seeds. She can make granola with oats, honey, almonds, walnuts, coconut and sesame seeds. It’s high calorie and delicious. I don’t like store bought cereals or granola because they all contain sugar.
We all need good fats in our diets, but only a small percentage: 20%-30% of our daily intake. The majority of calories should come from carbohydrates, sometimes as much as 60% for those participating in sports. A small amount of dried fruit has a lot of carbs and calories and definitely is a treat. Another option is to serve another meal for your growing child. Now, who doesn’t want two dinners?
I recall an acquaintance of mine who was perfectly okay with her children eating a bowl or two of ice cream before meals. When it came to having a nutritious dinner, they were too full to have any. The children began putting on weight and continued to as they grew older. There seemed to be some anxiety in the parent’s mind about the children having enough food so she kept stuffing them with huge portions beyond what their bodies needed. Using food as an anxiety and stress relief is so often used in our busy and challenging lives. It seems to have become not that we “Eat to Live” by we “Live to Eat” syndrome. Large portions have become the norm.
Thanks for sharing. I can’t believe the mom gave ice cream BEFORE dinner! What ever happened to, “Don’t eat to close to dinner! I don’t want you to lose your appetite.”