In an ideal world, every young athlete would have a parent waiting at home after a morning practice or before a late practice, prepping and serving a nutrient-dense lunch that will help them perform their best. The reality is that, in the summer, many athletes are on their own when it comes to finding a lunch - either because parents work or are driving around other siblings. The good news is that great lunch options can be created in a short time with little cooking expertise. As long as the ingredients are there, the feat is easy.
Sit down with your young athlete and review the list below. Pick at least 3 options each week that your athlete is willing and able to make on their own. Use this to create your shopping list. Doing this assures you can be away from home with less stress, knowing your athlete is fueling well in your absence.
According the United Nations Environment Program, around 30-40% of the food supply in the U.S. is wasted, equaling more than 20 pounds of food per person per month! Worldwide, about 1 in 4 calories intended for consumption is never actually eaten (see more stats here). Those facts blow my mind! Especially when it is so easy to use the food that you buy, minimizing the amount that is wasted. Here are some steps you can take to decrease your food waste on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.
1. Meal plan
It sounds basic, but simply planning to use what you plan to buy is one of the most effective ways to cut down on food waste. This will assure that fresh food is used quickly and completely. Pick one day of the week as your "meal planning day" (mine is Monday night) - preferably close to your shopping day (mine is Tuesday morning). When planning, be sure to assess your current stores in the fridge, freezer and pantry before bringing in more. Finally, consider which meals often create leftover components, such as rice or potatoes. Use those for dinner 1-2 days after the first meal to assure that component get eaten.
Although the cold temps are once again swinging through Chicago area this week, the calendar tells me it is spring. What a great time to spring clean more than just the bedrooms, living room and garage - how about the pantry too? Overwhelmed by the idea and not sure where to start? Follow these steps for a performance-supporting pantry in no time!
1. Pull everything out of the pantry
Whether you think the food is healthy or not, remove everything from the pantry and place on an easily-accessible working space such as a large countertop or kitchen table.
2. Divide everything into groups of food
Sample groups might be: crackers, chips, cookies, other snacks, canned fruits, canned vegetables, grains (rice, pasta, etc.), cereal, etc.
It amazes me how many apps exist now for smartphones. I love when I find a good app that makes my life easier. Here are a few of my favorite sports nutrition apps. Whether you want to count calories, shop quicker, eat out easier or check supplements, there's an app for that.
*Disclaimer: I am not being paid by any of these apps to discuss them on this blog. As you will see, I freely discuss the pros and cons of each.*
1. MyFitnessPal - Free
There are lots of apps available for calorie tracking. I like this app because the database is HUGE, which makes it easy to find uncommon or specialty foods. For clients working with me, we can also become "Friends", which allows me to see their food diary. When entering food, be sure to pay attention to how many "confirmations" a given food has received. This will give you some indication as to how accurate the entry likely is. Because this is a user-entered food database, there will be error, but potentially not much greater than any error associated with food tracking. Another note: like all calorie counters, this app notoriously under-estimates calorie needs. However, to use a way to track patterns of mindless eating or general intake across the board, it is a great tool.
Although the economy appears to be improving, many still follow a strict budget when it comes to food. The complaint I often hear is, "Eating healthy is expensive". While healthy food prices can't necessarily compete with the dollar menu at the local fast food place, there are plenty of ways to save money while making the right choices for your health and performance both now and long-term. Here are 15 ways (in 3 areas) to keep your stomach full and your wallet too.
Meal-Planning
Sorry but yes - you really do need to do a little planning. It is likely that you plan for other things in your life - laundry, kids carpooling schedules, deadlines at work or school - and planning for meals should be one of those. Here are few ways to make meal planning easier and result in bigger cost savings:
1. Before you leave for the grocery store, check your fridge and cupboards for what you already have on hand that you can use.
2. Make a list of meals based on weekly store specials. Use online websites such as AllRecipes.com for meal ideas based on what you find is on sale.
3. When planning meals, try the "flexitarian" lifestyle: go meatless 2-3 nights per week. That can save you big dough.
