ROUSES_Fall2023_Magazine

Are your high school athletes eating the right foods? By Sarah Baird April Sins has devoted her career to helping people at every stage of life make thoughtful, healthy choices where food is concerned. As a retail dietitian for Rouses, Sins aims to “meet people where they are with their particular goals and help them shop healthily” — all while ensuring that her teenage athletes at home, a 13-year-old swimmer and 17-year old runner, are getting the nutrients they need for optimal performance in the pool and on the track. “I think there are a lot of misconceptions about athletes, and one is that it doesn’t matter what they eat because they’re going to ‘burn it off.’ In reality, an increase in activity doesn’t decrease the need for proper nutrition from a variety of foods,” says Sins. “Properly fueling the body can actually give an athlete an advantage over others who don’t focus on nutrition.” The foundational need for a balanced, vegetable-and-fruit filled diet holds particularly true for school-aged athletes, who are not only performing strenuous exercise in the blistering Gulf Coast sun but are still in the process of growing and developing. Below, Sins walks us through some accessible ways to encourage smart mealtime choices for your budding football star or tennis pro, building good habits that they will carry with them long after the final touchdown dance or perfectly placed backhand. PROTEIN = SECRET WEAPON While the practice of carb loading, like eating a massive plate of spaghetti before a big race, gets quite a bit of attention as a simple way to jump-start energy, Sins is quick to point out that protein is also crucial for athletes’ overarching endurance. “In any pre-sport meal, you need to think about energy, which includes higher carbohydrate intake as well as a moderate protein. Don’t forget about protein, because it helps make the carbohy drates last longer,” explains Sins, who suggests chicken, tuna, eggs and milk as go-to sources of not only protein but calcium and leucine, the latter of which helps to build and repair muscles. “Athletes actually require more protein than the average person. And if you think about school-aged athletes, they’re growing. They have growing bones. Their bodies are still developing. They need proper nutrition, not only for their growth and development, but also to fuel them for sports and recover from activities.”

ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Breakfast “A pregame meal is more of a buffet-style setup. We’ll have full breakfast items: omelets, breakfast potatoes, turkey sausage, bagels, pancakes, waffles, fruit — the whole nine yards. In addition, we’ll have some lunch items set out, like pastas, chicken, vegetables and filet. Some guys like a heavier meal before heading to the Dome or to the stadium, and others would rather have something lighter, but we do push to make sure that they get some protein in them and, of course, a good amount of carbohydrate. That’s what’s going to give them that extra boost of energy throughout the game.” ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Snacks “When they get into the locker room, I have a little nutrition station setup with all sorts of different snacks and hydration products — everybody has their own regimen. Sometimes, I’ll shake up certain drinks for certain players if they’re busy doing something and get them squared away. On the field itself, I’m on the sidelines helping the trainers hydrate the players. I also have some quick carbohydrates readily available to grab. If a player feels that he’s low, has a low blood sugar, or just needs a little boost of energy, I’ll have some quick carbohydrate options for them, whether it be energy chews, applesauce, light granola bars — things like that.” ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Halftime “When it comes to halftime, they go back into the locker room, and a lot of guys like to snack on Nutri-Grain bars, bananas, oranges, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, pretzels…real simple things. We’re not looking to make sure everything’s whole grain and high fiber, because that will mess up their stomachs. We just want something quick and appealing. Usually, Rice Krispies Treats are their favorite.” ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Post-Game “We’ll have different hot meals set out for them in the locker room, whether it’s chicken sandwiches or burritos. Maybe it’s a pizza. Maybe it’s some sort of chicken meal. We also have a family area that’s fully catered for the players and their families to have a nice sit-down meal, and they can let the kids run around on the field after the game. It’s very family-oriented.” It’s never far from Meeks’ mind that the care portion of “care and feeding” is every bit as important as the nutritional value of the food itself for building a holistic wellness program for the Saints players. After all, what’s more connected to a person’s mental, emotional and physical health than what they eat? “Food is a very important thing for so many people — and not just us here in New Orleans. Food brings back memories. It can change your mood, and especially for these guys who have a lot of stress. They’re humans, too! They’re not just football players,” Meeks emphasizes. “It’s important to work within the stresses of the season to make sure that we are fueling them correctly, but also that we give them a nice comfort when it’s mealtime.”

62 ROUSES FALL 2023