Snacks:
I am on the hunt for healthier sacks that Cooper especially will eat during the school year. I pick him up at 4:25 pm (**all the eye rolls**) and take him straight to diving. He gets home around 8 most nights and eats a big snacky meal. Most people would eat dinner then, but Cooper is a super selective eater, so he probably didn't like what we had for dinner.
He does not like cheese.
He does not love nuts or nut butter (but will occasionally put peanut butter on a bagel).
He loves cereal but has rejected Magic Spoon.
Loves pancakes and waffles; hates Kodiak Cakes.
I also have to assume that he ate approximately NOTHING at lunch because his meds make him not hungry. Also, he wakes up and eats a bunch of sugary cereal with chocolate milk and maybe a bagel with nothing on it-- so he is already running on empty.
AND! I need to be SUPER CHILL about what he's eating because I try really hard to never make food an issue. And in terms of Gretchen Rubin's tendencies, he is FOR SURE a rebel, so I have to frame things delicately. BUT ALSO he needs to eat more to stay on his growth curve and to maintain his mood.
We definitely practice the division of responsibility with food-- you can assume that if the food is on our house, we approve of it and the kids can eat it-- nothing is off limits. Sooooo that means I need to make sure to have lots of snacks that I feel fine about and that the kids like.
Things I am going to try:
Eggo protein waffles (maybe because they're Eggo he will like them?)-- might be a good add-on to breakfast
Drumroll donuts -- I feel like these might be good for lunch box and after school
Just Bare chicken nuggets: These would be good for that 8pm meal, plus maybe in the car on the way to diving if we could work out the temperature thing
Bear Fruit Rolls: Would be great for lunch and also to have in his dive bag for a quick (no-added) sugar hit instea dof/in addition to the fruit snacks he already likes (Motts).
Other subs I plan to make:
Fairlife Nutrition Plan chocolate shakes instead of Naked Juice smoothies. All he wanted for snack on the way to dive last year was a strawberry banana Naked Juice, a few packs of goldfish, and some applesauce pouches. This year, we are going to add the protein shake (and hopefully ease off the Naked Juice).
Whole grain Goldfish: Why not make this snack a little bit more nutritious? Also more fiber equals more satiety. (we are talking 2 grams instead of no grams, but still!)
Apples: Applesauce pouches are great for the dive bag, but what about eating an ACTUAL APPLE on the way to practice? Mind-blowing, huh?
Any other snack ideas for me?
Sleep:
Sometimes (like once or twice a month) I can't sleep. The nights I am going to have trouble, I can tell right away -- usually well before bed time. I just feel... jacked up. So I have been taking melatonin and sleeping on the couch on those nights, making sure I have a book, the TV remote, my glasses, and my book light. It's been... fine, actually.
Most nights, (the other 29 or so a month) I sleep great. I take a pre-bed nap from like 9-11 on the couch with various kids and then go to bed and fall asleep instantly. It doesn't matter if I have had afternoon coffee (yes, I am back on the caffeine) or a glass or two of wine. I sleep great.
Except for the nights I don't. The Calm app has been awesome for the rough nights-- it's so nice to notice where my mind wanders and sort of nudge it back to focusing on breath, which usually eventually works.
Anyway, I think it's a cycle of some sort, but I am still mostly loving my estrogen/progesterone combo, and I am still on the lowest possible dose, knowing that I can take more when if I ever need to.
What do you do when you can't sleep?
I had such a bad sleep last week, totally hormonal based, and I did nothing about it except feel like shit the next day. I had already taken melatonin - I take a lot of melatonin regularly, also sometimes nighttime Advil or straight-up sleeping pills. I have no compunctions about it! But last week nothing worked so I just lay in bed hopefully.
ReplyDeleteWould Coopers dive coach be able to offer useful suggestions for healthy snacks?
ReplyDeleteAnd for sleepless nights, I read blogs, play Wordle et al. ( it opens at midnight my time, but spelling bee not until 2am), endless games of solitaire, ebooks- anything that won't wake up the rest of the house. I'd love a shower, but the bathrooms are next to bedrooms.
Honestly, if I had only two bad nights a month, I'd be thrilled. I try just not to obsess on the fact that I'm sleepless- that would ramp up anxiety.
I sleep poorly around the full moon. Basically always.
ReplyDeleteLike Nicole, I don't mind taking a sleep aid when I need to (for me, drowsy antihistamines because I have allergy issues). I also think I generally sleep worse in the summer.
Usually if I move to the guest bed, I'll manage to get to sleep...But for the 3-4 nights a month I struggle to sleep, it doesn't seem to be avoidable, TBH. It just...happens.
Have you tried Thrive Market? They have a big snack section with lots of options that are "healthier" or at least have a little more protein, fiber, a little less sugar, etc etc.
ReplyDeleteDoes Cooper like yogurt (go-gurt?)? My kids have found that to be a good snack filled with protein. I am guessing you already have bars with protein in them for him (from Costco)?
ReplyDeleteI have a selective eater so can relate. It would be hard if my selective eater was burning a ton of calories. He's already 4th percentile so I would hate for him to fall of that curve... Luckily he loves milk and other dairy products like cottage cheese and, to a lesser extent, yogurt. If I needed to get some calories in him, I'd let him eat more cottage cheese since it's a great source of protein/fat. He would never eat an apple but will eat applesauce pouches. He will also eat some granola bars. Gah, it's tough!!
ReplyDeleteLong time reader, first time commenter. My kiddo is also on meds that keeps him from eating lunch, and getting protein in him has been a lifelong struggle. One thing he does love is hard-boiled eggs with a little salt. He's also a fan of cheese and whole-grain crackers.
ReplyDeleteI’m the mom of a very, very active 9-year-old boy who plays travel soccer as well as many other sports, takes meds that ruin his appetite for lunch, and is an incredibly picky eater when it comes to protein/fat sources (but luckily likes many veggies/fruit). We have been through many different snack trials over the years. He will love a snack for a while and then get sick of it.
ReplyDeleteThings that have worked at different times over the years include homemade muffins with lentils (see Kids Eat in Color for great pediatric dietitian created recipes for healthy muffins and other snacks, I make 2 dozen at a time and freeze them); dark chocolate covered cashews with a piece of fruit; uncrustables (the whole wheat/honey version); various granola bar brands (I try to aim for less than 8 g of added sugar); “sprinkle toast” - toast with nut butter of choice plus hemp seeds, dried blueberries or other fruit, and sprinkles; chicken kabobs - alternating chunks of rotisserie chicken and cucumbers; Dave’s killer bread bagels - they generally have slightly more protein/fiber than other grocery store brands; chobani flips because that’s the only type of yogurt he will actually eat; various smoothies (but he hates protein powder and can detect even small amounts so we use yogurt, milk, or cashews for protein, and also if I find a combo he likes then I will prep smoothie “packets” in advance by putting all of the frozen ingredients for one smoothie in a baggie and making several of those for the freezer so it’s faster to make the smoothie after school); frozen Greek yogurt bars; hummus and pita and veggies; homemade trail mix with whatever nuts he’s willing to eat at the moment; almond flour crackers - not a ton of protein or fiber in comparison to other crackers but they seem to have more healthy fats; and sometimes just leftovers from dinner the night before. I don’t know if you pack lunches but sometimes I will pack him a lunch while I’m packing my other kids’ lunches but just keep his in the fridge until after school and have him eat it then.
I have a selective eater-athlete as well, and getting enough calories is really hard.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that helped both my selective eater and their less-selective sibling get enough calories is a home-made protein smoothie. Maybe you and he could create one that is like the juice he likes but has more protein and calories? The favorite recipe in our house is: two scoops orgain pea protein powder (chocolate flavor), like 1/3 (or more) cup of Nutella, plop of heavy cream (at least 1/4 cup), one banana, ice, and water. Both of my kids drink this and say it tastes like a chocolate milkshake.
I also second getting the coach involved. Having a non-parent encourage my selective eater helped a LOT with getting his buy in.
I'm super passionate about nutrition and I've struggle with my 10 yo who is a competitive athlete. I've had a lot of success with tortellini, taquitos, and dumplings...so basically anything that is a carb wrapped around meat she'll eat and I"m good with that. It's very true that student athletes need a lot of carbs but he does need more protein. Some other simple ideas--lunch meat, hard-boiled or scrambled eggs, yogurt, smoothies with yogurt and protein powder. Good luck and report back please!
ReplyDeleteWill he eat jerky? Portable and tons of protein, and he can follow it up with the carby snack of his choice. Also, might be a tough sell, but if he’s a chip lover there are salted or flavored chickpea and bean snacks that contain a decent amount of fiber and protein (bada bean bada boom; Biena).
ReplyDeleteI'm a mom of three who play seven sports among them. I'm a broken record in our house that "student athletes need to fuel their bodies." I like www.eatforendurance.com for ideas. I also have learned that no foods are bad foods and that has made a difference. Instead of pushing smoothies which were taken but not consumed, I switched to peanut butter milkshakes. Instead of gels for endurance workouts, we switched to watermelon sour patch kids and no more vomiting in between races. Food is food. While I would prefer more healthful choices, I am happy they eat. My one athlete lost a lot of weight last year during one of her seasons from working harder than she ever had before and her coach was kind and spoke with her often about eating enough and learning how to bulk her foods which made a difference. We've also exposed the older two to multiple college coaches through summer camps who almost always offer a nutrition class or two. Hearing from experts other than mom makes a difference. Sometimes we want to help them fast track their progress and know how important nutrition is but sometimes they have to experiment themselves. Find out what their teammates are eating and encourage them to do their own research. Often times when they realize what a difference certain fueling methods do to impact their peers' performance, it is enough to encourage a change. And I think your approach of being willing to supply whatever he wants is a great strategy. You're being supportive and flexible while still making sure he is fed. You're doing a great job!
ReplyDeleteI don't know, Sarah. I live with an adult with an eating disorder and I just pretend to ignore it, but stew internally. I guess that's not an option for you. Good luck!
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