Nutrition

Because most children and teens eat a lot of snacks, their nutritional content may go a long way in determining whether their nutritional needs are being met. There are a wide variety of healthy snack choices for children and teens, including crunch, chewy, creamy and juicy snacks.

Food fulfills three basic needs: (1) to provide energy; (2) to support new tissue growth and tissue repair; and (3) to help regulate metabolism. These three requirements are met by components of foods called "nutrients", which consist of six classes: carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and water. Foods that are "nutrient dense" supply a significant amount of these nutrients for their calories. A high-performance diet emphasizes nutrient-dense carbohydrates necessary to maintain muscle glycogen - the primary fuel for most sports.

Looking for ideas for a high-carbohydrate menu for your child? Here's a sample menu.

Need some ideas on high-carbohydrate meals to feed your young athlete? Here are some sample meals.

Studies have shown that adequate dietary carbohydrates must be consumed on a daily basis, especially after exercise, to restore levels of carbohydrates (glycogen) which, as the preferred fuel for most types of exercise, is required for peak athletic performance. So what foods are rich in carbohydrates? Check out our list.

What counts as a single "serving" of foods in the major food groups in the USDA's food guidance system.

A list of nutrition tips for active children to meet their energy and hydration needs.

When you or your child athlete thinks of food, think about carbohydrates, such as the whole-grain products, vegetables, and fruits that make up three-fourths of the FDA's new MyPlate food guidance system.

Athletes should consume carbohydrate-rich foods or drinks every half hour to hour while playing stop-and-go and endurance sports.

Training for and competing in endurance events like cross-country running and skiing, triathlons and bicycle racing significantly lowers muscle and liver glycogen stores. Muscle glycogen depletion is a well-recognized limitation to endurance performance. Athletes who train exhaustively on successive days must consume adequate carbohydrate and calories to prevent the cumulative depletion of muscle glycogen. Here are some nutritional recommendations for endurance athletes.