How to Fuel a Young Picky Eater

Adequate nutrition coming from a variety of food groups such as fruits, veggies, lean protein, whole grains, and healthy fats is essential for young athletes. Not only do they need nutrient packed foods to support their athletic performance, but they also need them to support proper growth, development, and overall health. Click HERE and HERE to learn more about what athletes need for athletic performance and optimal growth and development. Picky eating should be addressed early on to ensure athletes are receiving the energy and nutrients they need to support their high activity levels, but also so they can grow up to be healthy adults. Here are five tips to overcome picky eating with your youth athlete:

Don’t give up after your athlete refuses a food the first, second, or even third time. Did you know that it can take 8-15 exposures to a food before kids will accept it? Continue to offer foods that the athlete has refused previously several times over a long period of time. Try putting the food on their plate with foods you know they will accept and ask them to smell, feel, and taste it at least once in that sitting before saying no. Repeated exposure to unaccepted foods will help your athlete come around to trying and hopefully accepting that food down the road. Click HERE and HERE for some meal and snack ideas to expose them to.

Ask for your athlete’s help in the kitchen. The more the athlete is involved in the process, the more open they will be to trying new foods and changing their eating habits. Also, educate your athlete on the reasons why they should include these foods on their plate and explain how they can positively impact their athlete performance and overall health. Young athletes are very motivated to make changes when they know how that change will help them perform their best. If you find yourself in a situation where eating out is the only option, check out this on healthy eating out and fast food tips for athletes blogs for healthy ideas.

Set an example for your athlete by eating a well balanced diet and eating the foods your athlete refuses on a regular basis. If parents are not eating a variety of nutrient packed foods, it is less likely that the athlete will eat those foods as well. As parents, if you are also struggling with including a variety of nutrient packed foods into your diet and don’t know where to start, consider signing up for family nutrition coaching with one of our NWW dietitians. Schedule a discovery call HERE to discuss our family nutrition coaching package.

It is hard to get your athlete to eat nutrient packed foods when they are not stocked in the house. Make sure to include these foods along with their approved healthy snacks on your grocery list and have them prepped, ready to go, and easily accessible for your athlete to grab at any time. Swap out the foods that do not support your athlete’s goals and overall health with nutrient packed options such as fresh fruit and veggies, Greek yogurt, string cheese, protein bars, etc. and have these snacks stocked around the house where it’s easy for the athlete to grab when they are hungry. Click HERE for some healthy athlete snack ideas and give this green machine smoothie and sweet potato chips recipe a try to sneak some veggies into your athlete’s diet.

If you are still having a difficult time branching out your athlete’s palate, consider working with one of our NWW dietitians for professional help! We have helped a number of kids aged 6 to 18 years old who struggle with eating enough protein, fruits, veggies, and overall calories to support their growth, development, and maturation. They may not listen to their parents but they will listen to their dietitian! Schedule a FREE discovery call HERE and let us take the guesswork out for you!

Expanding your athlete’s palate can take some time so be patient and don’t give up! Focus on small, gradual changes in your athlete’s eating habits and over time your athlete will be getting the nutrients they need to support their athletic performance and overall health and development!