Making sure soccer players are well fueled every single day (including rest days!) should be a top priority for many reasons, including increasing performance levels on the field, sustained energy & faster recovery. If you aren’t getting enough fuel each day to make up for your expenditure of energy & to cover your nutritional needs- you can be at risk for RED-S (or relative energy deficiency in sport). This energy imbalance can affect ALL systems of the body & can lead to a decrease in performance on the field. Some signs to look out for:

Not being able to keep up
Feeling weak
Putting in the work but not improving
Getting tired quickly
Frequent injuries

For athletes, what and how much to eat is very individual because everyone has different bodies, needs, metabolisms, gut microbiomes, hunger cues, food preferences, goals, activity levels, schedules, etc….I can go on! Because of this, I’m a big believer in listening to your own body- for the most part! Sometimes it can be tricky for athletes to be totally tuned in:

Why?

Intense activity can often decrease hunger cues- so not feeling hungry after training or games.
Harmful diet culture beliefs can get in the way (for example-an athlete may feel pressure to conform to certain body standards leading to restrictive intakes)
Challenging academic load or work/school schedules
Anxiety
Lack of interoceptive awareness- hunger and thirst cues may be really quiet & easy to miss.
Disordered food behaviors

In many cases, we may have to use gentle external guidance to help us figure out what, how much & when to eat. As well as learning to identify other ways in which our body may be telling us it needs fuel.

Besides stomach hunger, these are some ways our bodies may remind us it’s time to eat:

Trouble concentrating
Thoughts about food
Headache
Sluggish/ tired
Grumpy/ irritable
Lack of energy during practice
Slow at recovering
Feeling weak

When I work with athletes, I aim to help them find a balance between optimizing performance through nutrition AND prioritizing having a healthy relationship with food, their body & movement. This last part is important because having a healthy relationship with food is critical to an athlete’s success- something that is often missed when talking about athlete nutrition.

For parents or guardians in charge of feeding their young soccer star, here are a few tips to help your child foster a healthy relationship with food & their body:

Offer consistent meals & snacks throughout the day.
Don’t pressure your child to eat and avoid making any comments about food. Let them eat as little or as much as they are hungry for. If they are full or don’t prefer a certain food- honor that & help them build their own body trust- don’t make them finish their plate, or take “one more bite.”
Avoid talking about foods being good or bad, healthy or unhealthy.
Model consistent, normal eating behaviors- no skipping meals.

Instead of pressuring them to eat, I recommend allowing them to listen to their bodies. It’s hard to accurately gauge the nutritional needs of a child at any given moment because they fluctuate a lot during various developmental stages and even different times during the day. Asking the following questions or observing certain behaviors can help clue you in if you are worried they aren’t eating or drinking enough:

Ask them how they are feeling during & after practice & games? How are they feeling throughout the day? Did they have energy? Or feel sluggish? Run down?
How do they know when it’s time to eat? Or when to stop eating?
Are they grumpy after school? Before bedtime?
Is their pee lemonade yellow or dark yellow?
Are they getting injured or not improving despite putting in the work?
Is your teenager talking about calories, “healthy eating” or pushing food around their plate?

If you are concerned, you might want to schedule an appointment with their pediatrician or registered dietitian that specializes in eating disorders & sports nutrition (check out our resource page for guidance).

Below is a graphic I created, based on @platebyplateapproach to help give my collegiate athletes a visual when building their plate in the dining hall. The reason I love this visual is because there are no numbers, no measurements, no tracking. This visual can work for anyone, even kids.

Building Your Plate

**Fill 1/2 to 1/3 of the plate with Carbohydrates (Grains/Starches)**

Carbohydrates are our star-especially before, during and after training! In general, grains & starches (which are both rich in carbohydrates) should make up the bulk of an athlete’s intake. When digested, carbs are broken down into glucose & used by every cell in the body (brain, muscles, organs, tissues, etc). Glucose is the brain’s primary source of fuel. Carbs are also fundamental for maintaining sufficient glycogen levels, which is your body’s “energy tank.” If you aren’t getting enough, your body will break down -and we don’t want this! You can eat meals high in protein, fat and low in carbohydrates & feel full, however, you can fool your stomach but you *can’t* fool your hypothalamus. Your hypothalamus knows what your body needs and will fight for adequate fuel. It may work in the short term but your body is smart and will do everything it can to take care of you— you’ll start day dreaming about bagels & pasta, setting yourself up for possible bingeing, have difficulty recovering, decreased endurance, sluggishness, brain fog, etc. Quite literally, there will not be enough gas in your tank to perform your best on and off the field.
Carbohydrate (Grain/ Starches) examples:
Bagels
Wraps
Rolls
Rice
Pasta
Tortillas
Granola Bars
Cereal
Oatmeal
Potatoes

Fill 1/4 Plate With Fruits Or Veggies

We all know fruits and vegetables are great-they provide vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber & phytochemicals. They also contain some carbohydrates- the starchier vegetables contain the most carbs (ex. beans, butternut squash, chickpeas, corn, peas, potatoes- which is why we added those starchier veggies to the carbohydrate group). Fruits contain fructose which is broken down into glucose as well.
So, why I am I recommending to ONLY fill 1/4 of the plate with fruits and veggies?
- The main reason is because athletes need a lot of energy (aka calories) and if you are filling up on fruits and veggies, you wont get enough. Not overloading on fruits and veggies can also help minimize bloating & gas.
- Adding fruits and veggies on the plate can help:
  - Create balance
  - Aid in recovery, Improve healing & reduce inflammation (from wear/ tear)
  - Promote immune health
  - Prevent constipation.

If your child does not want to eat their fruits or vegetables, that’s ok. Do not pressure your young athlete to eat them. Avoid telling them they have to finish their broccoli before they get ice cream. Just keep offering. If they like at least one type of fruit or vegetable- offer that often!

Fill 1/4 Of The Plate With Protein Rich Options

Protein rich foods help build & repair muscles, reduce the risk of iron-deficiency anemia & provide the building blocks for muscle mass for healthy growth and development. Variety is important- if you are only eating only chicken or fish, you may be missing out on iron found in red meat. Iron is responsible for bringing oxygen to various parts of the body, giving you energy to perform. Low iron levels can make you feel tired, weak or irritable. Although red meat is a rich source, Iron can be found in both meat & vegetarian sources.

Iron sources

Liver
Clams
oysters
beef
Vegetarian Iron Sources
beans
breakfast cereals
fortified bars
dark chocolate
raisins
(note: these non-meat sources of iron need vitamin C to help with absorption (Examples of Vit C sources: oranges, orange juice, cantaloupe, mango, red pepper, tomatoes)

Fats: Add To Each Meal

Don’t fear fats! Fats play a vital role in the body. Did you know your brain is made up of 60% fat, which is essential for brain function and the ability to perform. Fat also protects your organs from damage. And did you know receptors in the small intestine can sense when stomach contents are rich in fat? In response they send signals that slow gastric emptying & release hormones to reduce appetite. It is recommended to add at least one source of fat to your meal.

Why add fats?

They make meals more satisfying
Help aid in the absorption of fat soluble vitamins A,D,E, K
They are anti inflammatory
Help with hormone production (estrogen and testosterone)

Fat Sources

seeds
nuts
nut butter
salmon
butter
oil- olive, canola, avocado
full fat dairy
bacon
avocado

Calcium/Dairy - 3-4 Servings Per Day
Dairy is an excellent source of calcium, protein, vitamin D, potassium & phosphorus. Often those who are lactose intolerant can tolerate fermented dairy like yogurt, kefir & cheese. Dairy helps improve bone density & reduces the risk of osteoporosis. Did you know that you can add to your bone density until ages 25-35 years old?? Our bones are like storage tanks for calcium. When we are consuming enough calcium, we don’t dip into our “storage tank.” However, If you aren’t consuming enough, calcium is taken from your bones to be used on normal body functions like maintaining a steady heart rhythm, muscle contractions and blood clotting.
There are many sources of calcium. Dairy sources are well absorbed & utilized because they contain vitamin D & fats.
Dairy sources:
milk
yogurt
cheese
kefir
Plant Based Sources:

tofu
almonds
soy
edamame
dark leafy greens
fortified OJ
cereals

Putting It All Together

**Important things to keep in mind when building a performance plate:**

**BALANCE**
Are all food groups on the plate?
**VOLUME**
Are you eating enough to meet the demands of your sport? For parents- are you offering enough at meal & snack time to meet your child’s needs?
**CONSISTENCY**
Are you eating consistently each and every day. Parents- are you offering meals & snacks every day?
**TMING**
Are you eating regularly throughout the day (no skipping meals). Parents - are you offering at least 3 meals & 3 snacks per day?
**VARIETY**
Are you eating or offering a variety of foods throughout the day/ week.

In addition to having at least 3 meals per day, snacks are just as important and recommended for soccer players. They help regulate blood sugar and energy levels throughout the day, prevent extreme hunger, provide fuel for practice & games and fill in nutritional gaps.

Every athlete is different- if you are hungrier beyond your plate-listen to your body & get seconds, or thirds! Flexibility & honoring body cues are key. With proper fueling, players can maximize their potential, reduce injury risk, and stay ahead of the competition. Prioritizing fueling isn’t just an option- it’s key ingredient for success on the field.