Hi just wondering if you can give any suggestions of what to feed a 9 year old before he goes on the ice? No nut products though please. Any teens out there, what do you eat to stay on top of your game so to speak? Thanks

My daughter is 7, but what usually works for her is a banana, or a yogurt (or both). Or something like an orange with some protein too, like a hard boiled egg or cheese. Then there's the days where I haven't gone shopping so I make her a jam sandwich - just bread and jam.

What time of day are we talking about? If it's first thing, she should have a banana at the very least, and a proper breakfast once she's finished training. If it's after school, again, a banana or a yoghurt would be good, or perhaps honey sandwiches (on wholemeal bread) and perhaps some jelly-beans or 100 ml of sports drink (diluted to taste) during the session to keep her going. And, of course, a proper evening meal afterwards.

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Mrs Redboots
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My dd is 10, and she is not a big meal eater, more like a grazer, or many small meals kinda kid. If it is early morning, I give her something with a good mix of protein and carbs. If it is between meals...crackers, string cheese, fruit, yogurt, half a peanut butter and honey sandwich seems to keep her fueled between meals. Whatever she feels like and will give her energy. If she will be on the ice for a long session, I take a small cooler or bag with these same small snacks and some cut up veggies, sports drink or vitamin water, protein bars, a little of everything so there is something to snack on when she takes a break. In fact, I carry the cooler with me all the time now, because she is going through that age where she just powers through her energy in no time, and needs a little something to keep her going. She does much better if I let her take a break and fuel up, rather than try to make her eat a lot before the session to hold her through. I keep it all healthy. No chips, junk or sodas.

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BuggieMom
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My DD is the smoothie queen ! In the early AM she will make a smoothie of plain yougurt, bananna, and chocolate carnation instant breakfast (w/ just a touch of chocolate syurp).

She also likes to mix vanillia or plain yogurt, OJ , frozen mango and banannas, w/ or w/o frozen strawberries and a little splenda.

It's just enough to hold her over until after practice.

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Luckey

These are great ideas, thanks for the suggestions!

ETA: My kids haven't liked any of the smoothies we've bought out, so yesterday I mixed some 2% Milk, 1/2 packet Carnation Instant Breakfast French Vanilla, a small cup of unsweetened applesauce, and some cinnamon. Mixed it with my stick blender and split it between the two girls. I was told later that one twin had a "sugar rush" in Tae Kwon Do class, since I didn't ADD any sugar, I guess this does work as an energy booster.

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For smoothies, if I don't have enough variety of fresh or frozen fruit, I'll add a tablespoon of fruit preserves (that adds sugar, though). I like to do mine with plain or fruit yogurt, OJ, frozen strawberries, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and a banana, plus whatever else I have. Sometimes I top it with toasted wheat germ, but that might be an acquired taste (I didn't like wheat germ as a kid). Sometimes, I use some powdered Spiru-Tein drink mix with it (a protein shake mix that contains spirulina, which IIRC contains chlorophyll). (Not sure if Spiru-Tein is made in a nut-free facility.)

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you can get the preserves without sugar...i like that a lot

Anything that's a carb/protein blend about an hour before will work. Nothing heavy...although you should see what SOME kids eat I don't know how they can skate after eating junk.

Apples and cheese; I like pb&j but if you can't do peanut butter, then tuna & cheese is good; soft pretzel & cheese; quesadilla......hmmm you could go on and on!

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Skate@Delaware
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Oh hey, I wanted to add a plug for Luna bars; that's another snack that can live in your skate bag for an emergency. They're a good blend of protein and carbohydrates without too much sugar. They use natural ingredients. They're sweetened with brown rice syrup or cane syrup, not HFCS.

I like the chocolate carnation instant breakfast stuff. I've never put it in a smoothie though. I just Mix it with some milk and make chocolate milk. It gives as much vitamins and minerals as a real meal, but its easier. I skate in the early morning, so i'm usually running late and its convenient because I can drink it in the car.