COVID-19:Student Athletes & Eating Well

Key Point: Eat healthy foods and adjust your intake to your activity level while you have to stay at home.
If you are a student athlete, you are likely facing a lot of uncertainty during the COVID 19 crisis. Will my sport resume this season? Will my sport start on time next season? How can I keep in playing condition during quarantine?
Each of you will have a coach who will direct you about specific suggestions for working out at home. If you have a yard, you can try to duplicate drills that you are used to performing with your team. There are also plenty of videos available for running drills, stick handling drills, throwing drills, etc.
One BIG way that you can help yourself while stuck at home is to eat as well as possible. Don’t let a stay at home order become an excuse for a junk food free for all. Here are 5 tips for keeping strong and healthy by eating well.

1. Quality counts. Look for lean proteins, lots of veggies, healthy carbs and fats just like you would during the season. Snack on fruit, whole grain crackers, nut butters, veggies, hummus, or cheese sticks, not chips and candy.
2. Portion control is needed now. You are probably much less active than you would be during training and competition. Start off with smaller than usual portions, and stop to assess how hungry you are before taking a second portion.
3. Watch your drinks. Now is probably NOT a good time for sodas, energy drinks, or a lot of juice. Stay hydrated with water or possibly sports drink if you have a hard workout or if it is hot.
4. Learn to cook! This is a great time to learn, especially if you have a parent at home who can teach you how to make some of your favorites. Otherwise, check out some of the many how-to videos that are available. I think every athlete should know how to make are rice, pasta, grilled cheese sandwiches, scrambled eggs/omelets, and stir fries!
5. Maintain immunity. This is really a variation on quality counts. Generally speaking being active improves immunity. (Over- training can negatively affect immunity.) For plenty of nutrients associated with good immune function, eat these foods: citrus fruits (vitamin C), winter squash/spinach/Swiss chard/kale/sweet potatoes (vitaminA), fish /lean meats/poultry/legumes (protein, iron, B vitamins), milk fortified with vitamin D, whole grains and fermented foods like yogurt (for a healthy gut.)

Looking forward to the time when you are all back in action!
Nutrition Insider’s Tip: Look for brightly colored fruits and vegetables as these tend to have a high nutrient content. Think blueberries, spinach, beets, oranges, sweet potatoes, broccoli, strawberries, etc.
© 2020 Kathleen Searles, MS, RDN, CSSD, LD

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