Episode 69: How to Super-Fuel Super-Active Kids with Rosanne Robinson and Cara Kasdorf
In this episode, we chatted with Rosanne Robinson and Cara Kasdorf! Rosanne and Cara are both Registered Dietitians, and co-owners of Blueprint Nutrition, a virtual nutrition counselling, consulting and online education practice specializing in child and adolescent nutrition, as well as sport nutrition for youth and adult athletes. Through their work, Rosanne and Cara support families, kids and athletes in nurturing healthy relationships with eating, food and their bodies. Don’t miss out on this great conversation.
Check out Rosanne and Cara online:
Blueprint Nutrition Website
Youth Sport Nutrition Instagram
Adult Sport Nutrition Instagram
Child Nutrition Instagram
Healthy Habits, Happy Homes Podcast
Season 7, Episode 69
Guest: Cara Kasdorf and Rosanne Robinson
Marciane Any (0:05)
Hello, welcome to the Healthy Habits, Happy Homes podcast hosted by the Guelph Family Health Study.
Tamara Petresin (0:14)
If you’re interested in the most recent research and helpful tips for healthy, balanced living for you and your family, then this podcast is for you. In each episode, we will bring you topics that are important to your growing family and guests who will share their expertise and experience with you.
Marciane Any (0:31)
Our quick tips will help your family build healthy habits for a happy home.
Tamara Petresin (0:41)
Welcome back to the Healthy Habits, Happy Homes podcast. I’m Tamara.
Marciane Any (0:45)
And I’m Marciane. Today we’re excited to have Rosanne Robinson and Cara Kasdorf join us.
Rosanne and Cara are both registered dietitians and co-owners of Blueprint Nutrition. Blueprint Nutrition is a virtual nutrition counselling, consulting, and online education practice of registered dietitians who are breaking the generational transmission of diet culture in the specific areas of children/adolescent nutrition and sports nutrition for both youth and adult athletes. Rosanne leads the Pediatric and Adolescent Nutrition division of their business, while Cara leads the Sport Nutrition division.
Through their work, Rosanne, Cara, and their colleagues support families, kids, and athletes across Canada in nurturing healthy relationships with eating, food, and their bodies. Welcome Rosanne and Cara!
Cara Kasdorf (1:36)
Thank you! Thanks for having us! Thank you!
Marciane Any (1:39)
Listeners, please note that this episode contains discussions about eating disorders and disordered eating. Please listen with care. To get us started, can you both tell us a bit about yourselves, your current roles in higher education, and experiences led you to where you are now?
Rosanne Robinson (1:57)
Yeah, we can dive in. So, I’m Rosanne, and I’ve been a dietitian since 2010, and I’m, like you said, the team lead for our Child and Family division. I kind of fell upon nutrition. So, I started out my interest with a post-secondary degree in kinesiology at McMaster University and took a nutrition course there in my third year and decided that, no, I did not want to be a physiotherapist. I wanted to go into nutrition after all. And so, then switched over after that degree to University of Guelph, where I was able to complete that undergrad in two and a half years instead of four with all those lovely transfer credits, and then completed my internship at Hamilton Health Sciences.
It was at Hamilton Health Sciences during my internship that I was able to be mentored by a lot of really exceptional dietitians, especially in the pediatric hospital, which is McMaster Children’s Hospital. And, like a lot of other dietitians, I kind of was hired on there on a part-time basis covering maternity leaves until I was able to get my own permanent line there in pediatric oncology. So, I really started off, you know, in a lot of different areas, kind of a jack of all trades until I was in that area of oncology for a while.
And then, I had children of my own, and we were at the time living in Waterloo, and I was commuting to Hamilton, and that’s not always the most ideal commute, especially with young kids. And so, I remember the moment where one day I was like, well, I still want to work with children, but there’s only one hospital in the region where I live in Waterloo. And I knew that the dietitian there, you know, wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
So, I thought, you know what? I’m just, I’m going to open up a small practice and just, you know, see where this goes. And so, it was never my, kind of like, lifelong aspiration.
But here we are. I, yeah, opened it up, I can say maybe even on a whim. And then, I’ll let Cara share, kind of, our story about how we met, but I dragged her along with me.
So, I’ll let her share. I’ll let her share that story.
Cara Kasdorf (3:46)
Yeah. Yeah. So, I’m Cara, and I have been a registered dietitian for around 18 years.
I did my undergrad, my Bachelor of Science at the University of Manitoba, because I’m from Winnipeg originally, and then moved to Guelph to do the MAN program, the Master of Applied Nutrition at the University of Guelph. And, yeah, I always had a strong interest in sport nutrition, but really wanted to get a variety of different experiences. So, once I graduated from the MAN program, I started a small practice in sport nutrition.
But really, that was, kind of, alongside working at other, you know, clinical RD roles. Primarily I worked in primary care, which was in three different family health teams, which gave me a lot of experience in, you know, working with a wide range of different nutrition-related conditions and challenges, and also different age groups. So, everything from, like, infants and children, all the way to, you know, teenagers, and then lots of adults as well.
Rosanne, kind of, approached me once she had started Blueprint Nutrition, and, you know, we started talking about what it would look like to kind of bring our two practices together under kind of the Blueprint Nutrition umbrella. We thought it would be a great idea because we both really enjoyed working together. And Rosanne was actually a volunteer for me when she was doing her undergrad, and I was a new dietician in the Family Health Team.
So, we knew that we liked working together. Actually, Rosanne worked — I hired her when I was the program lead at that Family Health Team too — and she worked with me for a little bit there. So, we knew we really enjoyed working together.
We really valued, kind of, that team approach and working as part of a team. So, that’s kind of the neat thing about owning a private practice, but also working as part of a team with other dietitians. And so, that was, I think, 2018 or 2019 that we joined forces.
And so, since then, our team has grown. We now have five other dietitians working with us as contract dietitians. And we primarily work with clients through one-on-one nutrition counselling, but we also have a growing online nutrition. We call it Blueprint Nutrition Academy as well, where we offer a variety of different online courses and webinars and different things for parents and athletes to access there as well.
Tamara Petresin (5:57)
Very cool. That’s awesome. Yeah, you clearly both come to us with a wealth of experience, and it’s always nice, too, to have the fellow University of Guelph connection as well, too, among all four of us here today. There are so many connections throughout that internship, and it’s funny how things, kind of, come around later on in life, too.
But I think just to start us off, too, with, kind of, some basics of what we’re talking about today with fueling children, how can parents best support the nutritional needs of their children who are highly active or involved in sports?
Rosanne Robinson (6:24)
Yeah, I love this question. And, if I had visuals that I could bring to the podcast, I would put up a visual that Cara developed — I don’t know when it was, quite a long time ago, Cara– where she, kind of, has a pyramid in terms of, like, where do we start? Where’s the basic, kind of, fundamentals for sport nutrition? And I think the thing — and I’m going to speak more to her? to kind of younger kids, so, thinking of kids, like, 10 and younger, again, not a hard stop there, but those kind of younger kids who are quite active, right? They might have practices two or three times a week, you know, they’re active outside, they’re playing at recess, all of that kind of stuff. And, at this age, we really want to just build a solid foundation and prioritize the basics. I think sometimes we try to get too — we’re a little bit too wrapped up as parents into the fancy side of sport nutrition, which can come, but at this stage, it’s really the basics. And so, when I talk about the basics; it’s things like making sure they’re eating enough, getting enough calories into their body to support the energy that they’re expending in terms of all the, you know, the activities that they are doing. So, making sure they’re eating enough, making sure they’re eating a variety, making sure they’re sleeping enough, because if they’re not sleeping enough, they’re not going to be able to recover properly for the next, you know, hockey practice or dance recital or whatever it is that they’re, you know, participating in, you know, making sure they’re involved in family meal times, hands-on in the kitchen. All of these basics like are so underrated around sport nutrition. And that is where we always start because having a conversation about protein powder isn’t really, you know, we’re way ahead of ourselves when we don’t have the basics in place.
And so, this is where also, I know you have, you know, other podcasts where you’ve talked about picky eating, that is a huge, kind of, specialization of our company in terms of the child pediatric side. But, if you have a selective eater at this stage and they’re highly active: get support, right? We want to make sure that, you know, we do that as early on because then as we, you know, transition to doing more of the fancy side of sport nutrition, if they’re not open to eating a lot of different foods, it can be a little bit more challenging, right?
So, really making sure we’re just laying solid foundations, you know, getting that, like, really solid start for them So, that we can, you know, move on from there. And, you know, Cara will talk to this as well, too, I think. But, in terms of, you know, what we look at this age, sure, Canada’s Food Guide, you know, is a good start.
But, as children get more active, there are other tools out there that we need to consider because that sometimes Canada’s Food Guide isn’t going to give us enough in terms of calories to support a child who is very active. But, really, again, going back to this, you know, we want to make sure we’re focusing on those basics.
Tamara Petresin (9:09)
Yeah, for sure. I mean, even when you mentioned, like, it’s so easy to get wrapped up in those details, like, as soon as we talk about it, I feel like especially with sports nutrition, too, it’s a very like hot topic. It’s always, kind of, a hot topic.
It’s very interesting. There’s a lot of, like, supplements and, like, products that come out. So, yeah, like, how you mentioned, yeah, we’re talking about protein powder, but we haven’t even gone back to the basics of like, oh, protein, like food sources of protein. Or, even I was thinking, I’m sure, like, sports drinks or something that come up very often for you as well in your work. So, yeah, it’s, kind of, nice sometimes to remember the big picture, take it back to those basics before, kind of, getting down into the details. So, that’s really helpful to, kind of, have that perspective shift a little bit.
And, you mentioned, too, a little bit about how this is, like, you know, for those kids around 10 and under, but how does the support look differently as the kids get older or, like, their activity levels change and develop, too?
Cara Kasdorf (9:57)
Yeah, so, definitely as kids get older, and, you know, typically we see this at around, you know, 10, 11, 12, and then into their teenage years, where they often become more, you know, specialized in what sports they’re involved in, or they might be playing at a more competitive level. And that’s not always the case. So, you know, we’ve worked with like gymnasts, for example, that are eight and nine and training for 15 to 20 hours a week, right?
So, there are definitely younger kids, as well, who are training and competing at a very high level. But I would say in general, that usually tends to happen a little bit later on when they’re a little bit older. And this is where we really, and especially because during this age, they’re also going through puberty. So, there’s, like, a whole, you know, another bunch of factors that, kind of, weigh in there. But this is where we want to make sure that they, you know, it’s really important that they had that that foundation, kind of, throughout their life, you know, up to that point. And then, we can, kind of, look at more of the sport nutrition specific strategies. So, like Rosanne mentioned, Canada’s Food Guide is a good starting point. But, you know, oftentimes these athletes are taught in health class, like, that plate that we all have in our memory of, like, the quarter plate of grains and the quarter plate of protein and the half plate of vegetables. And, actually, for an athlete, that’s not enough food, right? That’s not enough carbohydrates. And so, we often talk to young athletes about something called “performance plates” or “athlete’s plates.” And those are plates that have been created and validated in the research to, kind of, coincide or provide like a visual plate.
So, similar to, kind of, Canada’s Food Guide plate, but it actually, like, provides, or is in line with the macronutrient recommendations for sport nutrition. They have different plates, but they have, for example, like, the high training day plate. So, if they have, you know, if a kid has a two-hour practice, or if they’re in a tournament and playing multiple games, then the high, high training performance day plate would have half a plate of grains and starches, a quarter of vegetables, and a quarter of protein. So, that’s quite a bit different than what they’re taught in school. And, oftentimes what their parents are, kind of, maybe, you know, teaching or encouraging them to do, as well. But I think oftentimes, like, when we show these performance plates, families are, like, wow, I had no idea, right? And so, it’s, you know, it’s good to provide that education around, like, actually, carbohydrate needs are quite a bit higher in athletes. And that’s why when they’re training more, they need more carbohydrates specifically to support that. And, then we also look at things like nutrient timing. So, what are they eating before and during and after practices and games. And we kind of, look at, you know, a strategy for that. When we work with clients, we look at nutrient deficiencies, right? Like, for a lot of kids, they’re not getting blood work done regularly. But, for, you know, a 14-year-old athlete who’s, you know, gone through puberty as a, you know, let’s say a female athlete and training, you know, multiple hours a week or every day, we need to get some blood work done to see if there perhaps is an iron deficiency or something like that. So, yeah, so, just a few more things to consider there as athletes get older.
Marciane Any (13:11)
Wow, I took so many notes. I was, like, this is really informative because my family, me and my siblings were a bit more on the nerdier side. So, like, I was a cheerleader for a summer, and I like played soccer with the, like, dads and brothers in the neighborhood, but not competitively. And, so, when you were talking about like performance plates, I was like, oh, that’s so cool. Like, I never heard of that. But just like you said, it’s so great to have that foundation first and then you can get to the more specific things. But, yeah, I’m sure when parents heard that they were, like, that’s so helpful. That makes sense. If they’re expending more energy, they need to eat, you know, a bit more.
So, oftentimes youth in sports can have busy schedules, so, how can parents manage mealtimes and snacks when kids have irregular and often demanding sports schedules?
Rosanne Robinson (14:02)
We definitely hear this question a lot from our parents. And, I would say that Cara and I both having, you know, young kids highly active and involved in sports as well. They have the same balance, you know, and struggle here when it comes time to making this all fit together. Really no surprise here that planning is going to be your friend. You know, meal planning is your friend. Meal prep is your friend. You know, trying to get ahead on some of these things when you do have some downtime. And, this is why, again, like, when we support families, you know, around sport nutrition, it’s just not always just about, like, education on the sport nutrition piece. It’s, how is meal planning going in your home? Where are the barriers and where can we help support you in that? We have a whole course about this for families for that reason, because sometimes, you know, parents have really high expectations of themselves, but like zero time. So, is there any way we can buy back that time? Can you have a sitter come over to watch your kids so you can put one hour or two hours into meal prep or planning for the week so that it does run a bit more smoothly? You know, can you involve your kids in meal prep with making some energy balls or some muffins and like homemade trail mix or whatever it is and freezing some of these things, you know, in advance? And, then for some families around this conversation, it’s, you know, do we want to invest in a, you know, if you don’t have a crockpot already or an Instapot or something that just, you know, we can do things when we do have time and not have to worry about making those things at the five o’clock frenzy, you know, when everyone’s dashing in different directions. So, I think it’s really helpful to, kind of, have that meal planning conversation to manage the schedule. The other thing, too, is that when it’s an erratic schedule, we want to bring — and it’s, like, more of a mini-meal mindset is the way that I view it to, kind of, the eating opportunities that we have. Your child might need to eat, you know, “supper at four o’clock.” Right? And, so, can we, you know, if you don’t have supper ready, can we bring, like, almost, like, a mini-meal mindset to that snack? So, it is a bigger, more, kind of, full, you know, snack that’s going to cover more of the nutrient needs.
And then maybe they do have like a later supper. Right? Instead of just, kind of, saying, here’s an apple, you know, and a lot of families will say, oh, just have a piece of fruit or have a vegetable. Well, yes. But can we add to that? Right? Is there something else that we can do to bring that mini-meal mindset as we kind of walk throughout the day to help, kind of, fuel them? And then, you know, even just thinking ahead to pre and post snacks, we’ll talk about this, I think, a bit later in terms of the nutrient composition. But we want to make sure we’re fueling, kind of, before and after.
So, even thinking about shelf-stable snacks, you know, can you buy a pack of, you know, soy milk, chocolate milk, tetras that are shelf stable that you can have in the car that can provide some carbohydrate and protein alongside some crackers or something else, you know, after that game is finished and you have a two-hour drive home, you know, it’s good to have something to help, you know, start that refueling process. So, it’s just, you know, it’s, like, thinking ahead and just making sure that we have those pieces in place. And I certainly do, you know, as a more pediatric-focused dietitian have to, you know, remind families that family mealtimes are still possible, even when the schedules are crazy. A family mealtime in my definition is when like two people eat together. Right? And, so, if you are at, again, for me, I’m at the arena all the time. So, that is an example. But, if you’re at the arena or you’re at the pool and your child, kind of, has to eat there, can you pack something to eat with them? And you sit at that little table in the corner and eat together. That is still a family mealtime. There is still the power there of role modelling eating together.
And, so, it may not happen every night, but even if we can, you know, kind of commit to that as parents time to be with them, even if you’re just sipping your coffee, right. But you’re there in your present that they’re not just eating on their own. I think that can go a long way. And there’s, like, multiple kids in a family, multiple schedules. And, then they not only have their extracurricular activities that, like, are away from school, but they also have school sports teams. And so, there has to at some point be a conversation around not just can our family, you know, get to these different practices. You know, it’s not just a time question. It’s, can we actually fuel another activity? So, there’s a great quote, and it’s “With great athletic power comes great eating responsibility.”
And, so, part of the process in this year, it was interesting, so, my son’s an AP player, which means an alternate player for, you know, the next local league hockey team above him. And, part of the process was not just, OK, do we have the time to commit to that schedule?
But can you eat enough to fuel more activity? And are you going to commit to that? Can you commit to having, you know, smoothies and something else when you get home from practice every night? Can you commit to helping me on the weekend with meal prep? So, I think a lot of families forget that amidst the chaos of schedules that when we say yes to an activity, we also say yes to supporting them in eating more. And, they’re also saying yes to yes, I sign up to take care of myself, to eat more, to fuel what I’m doing.
So, I hope that makes sense. But it’s something I think that is really important that a lot of families, you know, forget about in the process of those conversations.
Tamara Petresin (19:12)
Yeah, definitely. And I don’t think I’ve ever heard that, kind of, side of it either. So, I’m, like, I’m, like, that makes so much sense. Like, I’m also just, like, scrolling down writing so many notes. But it makes a lot of sense to almost give a little bit of that, like, accountability and, like, ownership of, you know, your child to, kind of, take a bit of responsibility and take part of that meal-planning process and meal-preparation process. And, of course, it looks differently depending on how old they are. But we also know, too, that when kids are involved in meal prep, it also has really beneficial outcomes for their health and their wellbeing and everything, too. So, yeah, that’s a really, really impactful quote. And also, just such a different way to, kind of, phrase it and to put it, too. It’s not just, like, oh, yeah, I’m going to play this additional sport or do this, too. But it’s like, okay, what else does that mean? Because there’s so many things that go on in the background that allow them to be able to play that sport and to show up and to have enough energy and everything, too. So, that is, that is super, super helpful. And I just love, I also love what you mentioned, too about the family mealtimes. I think that’s, like, you know, Canada’s Food Guide says, you know, eat with your family, eat with others. Like, it’s such an important thing. And I can only imagine the stress that causes for some parents when they’re, like, oh, I’m not, you know, because of X, Y, Z, like these schedules are so demanding. So, the way that you phrase it just is, like, yeah, even if you’re just there, like, the two of you together and you’re drinking a coffee while they’re eating, like, that still counts. Like, it’s still okay. Like, take some of that pressure off. I think that that’s really, really helpful for parents, too. So, I love that perspective of it, too. And, I’m even just thinking back to, you know, when I was younger and I played some sports and for me, it was mostly, I didn’t do anything outside of school, but even just, like, going to a different school for like tournaments at arenas and different things. Like, there’s a lot of like vending machines and a lot of like snack bars and a lot of things like that.
So, what are some tips for maintaining those good nutrition habits during competitions or tournaments where food choices might be limited?
Rosanne Robinson (20:59)
Yeah. And this kind of piggybacks on some of the stuff that we just talked about, but it’s planning ahead, especially for tournaments and competitions. Like, I think this time of year, you know, there’s a lot of swimming, I don’t know if it’s called tournaments or matches.
There’s hockey, it has a lot of tournaments. You know, we’re often trying to help the athletes in our practice create what’s called a “fueling timeline.” So, once you get that schedule for your competition day, even if you just perform or compete once, right, knowing what time that’s happening or what times during the day, you know, that’s going to be slotted in for, then you can create a plan. And, if you can create a plan, then you can pack accordingly. Right? So, if your first meet or match is that, you know, eight o’clock in the morning, well, that mean that you might want to get up at five or 5:30 to eat, you know, something more complete for breakfast. Right? And have you practiced that in advance? So, it’s really creating these, you know, these fueling timelines can be super helpful in terms of understanding, kind of, how it’s all going to fit together. And, then for the tournament aspect, especially when you’re going away, you know, you’re at a hotel, that kind of stuff. We want to, I say, it’s great to pack snacks, but it’s also great to pack with that mini-meal mindset. Right. So, we’re not just packing a bunch of random foods; we’re actually thinking about what nutrients do we need for the pre- you know, game snack? What do we need for the post-game snack? And, not banking on, again, the vending machines or the concession stands, having what you, you know, want on hand. And, also, you know, the costs of extracurricular activities and sports add up. So, if you can get some of this stuff, you know, at the grocery store versus buying it at, you know, wherever you are, it can be really helpful that way, too. So, I always say, you know — once you know what it is and where you’re staying — like, scout out the area, you know, what grocery stores are nearby, what restaurants are nearby, figure out what you’re going to bring along, not just in terms of food, but appliances. So, does the hotel room have a fridge and microwave? Most do. Can you bring along a kettle? Is that allowed? Can you bring along a toaster? Is that allowed? You know, do you need to bring along bowls and spoons and forks and dish soap or disposable things, you know, So, that you can have things to eat that cereal in, right? So, a lot of people remember the food, but then not some of the other things that, kind of, go along with it. So, yeah, you might want to pack, you know, a bunch of, you know, carbohydrate-rich snacks in terms of providing, you know, the energy your child’s going to need. And then, some things like perhaps yogurt that you can put in the fridge or cheese strings, pumpkin seeds, right? Some different things to provide some more lasting energy for those times. So, I think, yeah, it’s just helpful to, once you have that schedule to really just make a plan so that you’re just not caught off guard. And then, figuring out, you know, when you’re going to enjoy pizza, because it’s fine and athletes who enjoy pizza, but maybe not right before, you know, a game, especially if, you know, that heavier, sometimes, you know, cheese can just sit a bit heavy in the tummy. And, so, maybe we’re not doing that right before a match. We’re doing that afterwards, right? You know, making sure we just have a really good plan in place so that everyone, you know, can, yeah, feel good going into it. And, especially your child, you know, won’t have any, you know, GI issues because they’re eating new or different foods that they’ve never eaten before.
Tamara Petresin (23:56)
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense, too. Even just thinking, I’m like, oh my gosh, like so much goes into having a kid in sports. Like, I’m not a parent, so I’m, like, wow, I have like a newfound respect for all of you out there, all of you parents out there with kids in sports. Because it’s not just the food, right? It’s not just like, what snacks am I going to pack? Like, the appliances, like, that’s genius. Yeah, like, is the hotel going to have like dishware and stuff or cereal in the morning? Because cereal is easy to pack, but then, like, yeah, if you have nothing to eat it with. That is, yeah, there’s so much that goes into this. So, I definitely shout out to all you parents. You guys are working very, very hard. And I have like so much respect now, too, even for my own parents who drag me around to different tournaments and competitions. Because, yeah, I know, I know it’s not easy.
But, thinking back to that fueling timeline, so, what would, like, a balanced pre- and post-workout meal or snack look like for an active kid?
Cara Kasdorf (24:42)
Yeah, so, I can speak a bit to that. So, when we’re looking at, kind of, building that fueling timeline, we always want to make sure that we’re including a good snack beforehand. But we also encourage kids and families to think about, kind of, what they’re doing that entire day is really kind of like their pre-workout fueling, right? So, if they didn’t eat their lunch at school because they didn’t have time or they were too busy doing other things, having a small snack before their practice is not going to necessarily be as beneficial because they haven’t fueled enough during the day, right? So, you, kind of, want to think about that whole lead up, up to the practice or the workout or the game. And, it also is very individual, right? So, some kids can have a larger meal an hour beforehand. And other kids are maybe a bit more sensitive, like, they’re maybe more sensitive to GI issues or maybe feeling a bit more nervous or anxious about the game or the practice and can’t eat as much or maybe can’t eat anything. And they’re just drinking a bit of juice or a small smoothie or something like that. So, it really, kind of, depends on the kid. But there are some general guidelines that typically we follow when we kind of look at what we want to consume pre- and post- workout. So, we want to look at how much time we have to digest and before the workout. And we also want to look at the intensity of the activity they’re doing, right? So, if they’re doing something that’s more skills based, or where they have a really long warm up where they have still have some time to digest, we can factor all of those things in versus if they’re just, like, getting out there and like high intensity right off the start, it’s going to be harder to digest when they’re working at a higher intensity. So, typically, if they’re consuming a snack, kind of, within 30, even 60 minutes beforehand, we want that to be mainly carbohydrate based, because carbohydrates are the fastest to digest, they give us that good energy source. And, so, things like, you know, an applesauce pouch and some crackers or a granola bar, even like I mentioned the juice or the fruit smoothie, those sorts of things, or some dried fruit or a fig bar or a fruit bar, those kind of things that we typically think of as, you know, maybe like quick carbs, fast sources of carbohydrates are actually going to be helpful right beforehand, because they get into our system quickly. And we can use that for energy. And we do normally recommend, we, kind of, call that, like, the top-up snack, right? So, ideally, you’ve been feeling well throughout the day, but then that’s, like, the final little top up before the practice or the game. And then, if they have, you know, two to or even one to two hours beforehand to digest, they can have a bit of a bigger snack that will actually, should actually include some protein so that it’s a bit more satiating and keeps them feeling full and energized a little bit longer, because there’s more time there. And, they have more time to digest as well. But, for both of those snacks, we want we don’t want them to be fat is a super important nutrient, I will preface what I’m about to say with saying that. But if we have fat right before exercise, because it, kind of, delays gastric emptying, sometimes it can cause people to feel a bit nauseous once they think something really heavy or higher in fat, like Rosanne mentioned, the pizza with the cheese, or, you know, something like that, like chicken fingers and fries right beforehand may not sit right. And so, we just want to minimize some of those GI issues. So, we tend to recommend kind of the lower fat snack right beforehand. And then, if they’re having a snack, you know, one to two hours beforehand, maybe it would be something like, you know, Greek yogurt and fruit and some granola or a sandwich or a wrap or something like that. And then, we, kind of, recommend having a bigger balanced meal three to four hours beforehand. That includes all of the nutrients, right? Your protein, enough carbs, you know, the vegetables, fruit and fat, and all of those things. And then, when we’re looking at, kind of, a post-workout or post-training meal, or snack, we usually recommend and there’s no set timeline, like, you must eat something within 30 minutes of finishing your practice. But the way we, kind of, talk about it is, like, the sooner you can start that recovery process, the better, right. And, so, if you’re not having something right afterwards, you’re, kind of, missing an opportunity. help your body recover better. So, instead of, like Rosanne mentioned, like, you know, the two-hour drive home or even like the 30-minute drive home, right, and then you get home, and you shower, and you make something, like that whole process can take quite a while sometimes by the time you sit down and have dinner or whatever. So, we often recommend having something on the drive home or having something as soon as you get home. And we talked about the four hours of recovery. Recovery in the first hour — and that would be including some protein in your snack, right. And I think protein is, kind of, the biggest one that people often associate with recovery, right? Like, they will drink the protein shakes and things like that. So, usually, athletes are pretty good with that one. But then, we also want to replenish muscle glycogen stores. So, we need carbohydrate. Carbohydrate, again, is actually really important in recovery. And it can even help with things like immune function, which can be a bit suppressed after intense exercise. So, carbohydrate is really important. And, then rehydrate is the third one. So, we want fluids in there. And, then revitalize is the fourth one. So, we want some good nutrient dense foods, right? So, oftentimes with an athlete, like, let’s say they’re a teen athlete, and we’re working on a recovery nutrition plan, we’ll look at those four things. And, we’ll say, okay, so, your protein shake. Protein powder and water, what is that? You know, what is that missing? And, okay, it includes the protein and the fluids, but there’s no carbohydrate and, actually, protein powder is a very processed food, so there’s no vitamins or minerals, right? So, then we look at what can we add to that.
You can still have the protein powder if you enjoy it and if it’s a convenient and easy way to get that protein in and that fluid in, but perhaps we add some fruit and nuts to that or perhaps we add something else to that so that you cover off the other components of that recovery snack. Yeah, and sometimes you need those experiences to learn and then make a different choice next time, right?
Marciane Any (31:32)
This, and so many of our episodes are, just, again, reminding me how much, like, my parents had to go through and just how much parents have to go through in general and, you know, one of the things that you were talking about in the beginning is, like, not only going back to the basics, but also, like, making sure that they’re eating enough. So, I could imagine some parents could be, like, oh, well, I need to make sure they’re eating enough and that might bring some, like, anxiety or added pressure. I know for my family, like, when I was really active, I didn’t want to eat too much and I was kind of a picky eater, so that brought some concerns to them. So, too, kind of like, ease parents’ minds and help them gain more knowledge, like, what are any specific signs that parents should watch for that indicate their child might not be getting enough nutrients for their activity level?
Cara Kasdorf (32:20)
Yeah, so I think that’s a great question and we actually have an entire webinar called “Is Your Athlete Eating Enough?” on our website because we get that question a lot, right? Like, are they eating enough? Like, it’s a huge concern that parents have and, you know, I think it’s a valid concern for sure. When we look at kids, just even without being athletes, like, their energy needs are quite high and their nutrient needs as they’re going through, you know, various stages of growth and development and puberty and then obviously just for their day-to-day activities and, you know, there are some kids that are just more active, more fidgety and always “on,” you know, always have to be moving and expending a lot of energy that way, as well. And then, when you add on kids that are training for hours a day sometimes or hours a week, their energy needs do get to be quite high or their calorie needs. They’re quite high and oftentimes higher than adults, right? And, so, I think sometimes as parents we think, oh, they’re, you know, they’re little people, they don’t need to eat as much as we do. But, oftentimes, like, when I actually talk to parents and explain to them, like, this is, kind of, you know, what a typical day should look like based on what their needs are. They’re very surprised because it is quite a lot. It can be quite a lot of food. There’s a term called “low energy availability” that basically describes, kind of, this phenomenon where you’re expending more energy than you’re taking in, right? So, there’s a low amount of energy available for, kind of, the basic physiological processes in the body, right? So, the body will always preferentially give energy to whatever activity we’re doing. We’re not going to be, like, in the middle of running and just, like, collapse because we have no more energy available, like, the body will keep us moving and keep us going. But, if we’re not eating enough, then it will come at the expense of something else, right? Processes in the body like metabolism and digestion and hormone production can start to be turned down, slowed down to preserve energy so that there’s energy available for other things like activity. So, this is, kind of, you know, this is actually quite common in a lot of athletes, unfortunately, and can lead to something called “relative energy deficiency” in sport, which has, you know, a whole bunch of negative consequences both in athletic performance, but, also, like, general health consequences and can really affect every system in the body. So, it is something that we want to, kind of, keep in mind when we’re looking at our kids and fueling our kids and making sure they’re getting enough to eat. And, this can be, this low energy availability, can happen in some cases intentionally, you know, when an athlete is intentionally restricting calories, maybe they’re struggling with an eating disorder or disordered eating, but in most cases it happens unintentionally. So, maybe they’re just not hungry. Their hunger is not keeping up with what their body actually needs, right? We know that exercise suppresses hunger cues. So, sometimes that can really impact things. Sometimes the picky eating can be a big thing, right, if they’re very selective in their food choices and they’re just not getting enough in. So, some of the, kind of, common signs that this may be occurring is that, like, if there’s any plateau in their growth. So, again, that’s why it can be really helpful to bring your child in just for a check-up at the doctor to do some measurements and look at their growth charts. Just because, you know, oftentimes kids, especially as they’re, like, preteen and teen, they’re maybe not seeing their doctor very often. So, that can be something you don’t want to be, like, put a huge focus on it either because you don’t want the child to become really preoccupied with their weight or their growth. But it’s something, as a parent, that can be helpful to just, kind of, know where they are on the growth curve and that they’re following their growth curve, things like digestion can slow down. So, if there’s a lot of stomach issues, abdominal pain, things like constipation. Those sorts of things can really be a sign of inadequate intake. Sleep. So, if they’re not able to sleep well, if they have a lot of, like, disrupted sleep. If they’re getting sick very often, so immune function can be impacted if they’re getting injured more often. So, we actually get a lot of referrals from physiotherapists that are working with teen athletes that are like, hmm, this injury is not getting better, or I’m seeing you recurrently for the same types of injuries. So, you know it may be an issue with your food intake and not getting enough. And then, you know, mood can be a really good indicator, too, if they’re feeling really anxious or seeming to be a bit, you know, down and depressed or very irritable and that’s a change, kind of, from their norm. And that can definitely be a sign that they’re not getting enough energy or calories in, and I would say that’s probably the biggest thing. There are obviously nutrient deficiencies, as well, but the number one thing is, like, are they getting enough food, right? Are they getting enough energy from, you know, whatever sources those may be?
Tamara Petresin (37:14)
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense, too. It’s obviously important to be aware of those things and to, kind of, look out for those signs and to definitely seek support, too, if you’re noticing them because, yeah, there are people out there who are willing to and able to help, especially when it comes to the experts in this area, like you two both are.
Rosanne Robinson (37:31)
I’ll just interject there. I remember one of the first times that Kara, I think I was still volunteering for you, Kara, so you probably won’t remember this, but I had supported her with doing, like, a plan for a, I think, it was like a football player, but, like, calorie requirements just, and again, we don’t like talking about this, you know, for children because we don’t think it’s helpful for children to know calories, to count calories. That’s not what we do. But as dietitians, it’s really important for us to know how much they need so we can like show them what does a day look like, and I remember that being close to three to four thousand calories. You know, it’s really it is a large amount, and I remember being so shocked as like a new dietitian working with Kara at the time. It’s, like, oh my goodness. I had no idea and, so, I think it is really helpful, especially if you’re seeing some of these, you know, signs. It’s also hard when you have a preteen or teen. Are they just moody because they’re a preteen right? You’re not sleeping well because there are, you know, there’s, like, social drama at school, or is this, like, linked to something bigger? And so, that’s why it can be super helpful just to reach out for an assessment, right, to get to get a little bit of support to be able to start to cross off your list. Okay, you know, you know, what do we think is contributing to this? Can we start to rule out a few things?
Tamara Petresin (38:43)
Yeah, definitely.
Cara Kasdorf (38: 46)
It’s almost part of that, like, investigation and I will say to you, like, I think that’s a great point, Rosanne. A lot of kids that I work with, especially teenagers, they’ll say, like, but none of my friends at school have to eat this much, right? And so, oftentimes there’s that comparison, so even just education around, like, what’s healthy for an athlete is different than what’s healthy for someone who’s not an athlete, and like really, like, educating around that can sometimes help because that can be something that they’re self-conscious of, too.
Tamara Petresin (39:12)
Especially in those, kind of, years, too, right? Where, like, it is just your peers around you and like there is just so much comparison going on. That’s a really good point. Yeah.
Shifting gears a little bit. Earlier on you both, kind of, talked about your, you know, your online presence and, of course, I think we’re all pretty much aware of how much nutrition misinformation floats around on Instagram and various different social media platforms and things like this, and we’ve talked about this in the podcast before as well, too. And so, with that, I think comes a lot of, like, myths, especially within nutrition in the sports world. So, what are some of these myths about what active kids should or shouldn’t be eating?
Cara Kasdorf (39:44)
Mm-hmm. Yeah, there’s so many out there and I think, you know, with teenagers being on social media more and more, you know, it really can impact how they feel about their food choices and their bodies and the trends that they see and that they want to try — you know, the drinks that they choose and energy drinks. I mean, there’s so much out there, right? One of the biggest ones that we see with the families we work with, oftentimes, and the teams we work with, is, kind of, this idea that, like, you know, lower carb is better, or, a little bit of this, like, I don’t want my kid eating too much sugar, and, like, that’s a very valid concern for sure. But we’ve even seen coaches, like, giving teams, like, low-carb meal plans and, like, you know, sometimes if the parents are on a low-carb diet, kind of, like, also giving that to their kids and not understanding that that actually has, like, huge negative consequences when it comes to their health and their performance. And understanding again, kind of back to what we were talking about with the performance plates, like, their carbohydrate needs are very very high, so anytime we demonize carbohydrates, it’s, like, kind of, even worse for athletes because their needs are that much higher and actually having sugar or higher sugar things strategically is part of a fueling plan for athletes, because their bodies actually need that, right? So, for example, a lot of parents will say, like, oh I only give my kid, like, the Gatorade Zero, or whatever. It’s called, like, the “no-sugar sports drink,” and, actually, like, sugar in sports drinks is one of the main purposes of having that sports drink. And while we don’t tell you, you know, we don’t tell kids to drink Gatorade all day long as their main beverage but using it strategically as an athlete is actually really important and can be really beneficial when we’re looking at, you know pre-workout or during longer training sessions or games or for rehydration after a game or in a tournament situation. So, it’s understanding, kind of, the science behind it and, you know, again, we often talk about, like, what’s healthy for an athlete is not the same as what’s healthy for someone else, necessarily. So, we have to look at what’s healthy for you. What your body is doing physiologically, what you’re asking your body to do, and how can we fuel that and take away all of the other stuff around the trends and the judgment around foods and all of that stuff. But really focus on, like, what nutrients does your body need for what we’re asking it to do?
Rosanne Robinson (42:11)
Yeah, and I think here on that just thinking about, you know, the low-carb trend that you were talking about, the push on protein. So, the, like, when we, kind of, say no to one nutrient, we say yes to another one, in terms of diet culture, and right now it’s the push on protein and has been for a while. And protein is an important nutrient, like, don’t get me wrong, but parents especially, kind of, put a huge emphasis on that. We see that take a really negative toll and I think, again, you’ve had, you know, speakers talk about pressure on kids, you know, with eating and that’s not a helpful approach. I mean, so there’s big push on protein, like, I remember having a client who’s daughter was playing hockey and Lacrosse both, like, Triple-A, very competitive, and when I met with her, I believe she was around like, you know, 12 or 13, one of the first things she said to me was, “I have a PhD in protein,” and I was, like, oh my goodness. Um, that’s not a good thing, because, in the conversation about protein, she’s, like, at every single meal, and, you know, there would be amounts or quantities read out about protein and you’re not getting enough protein. So, you know it’s just a reminder that, A. protein needs for kids are actually a lot lower than a lot of parents think, even if they’re an athlete I know carry you might, you know, suggest protein requirements, you know more or greater than the DRI, but even at, like, a conservative, you know, an amount, say, at 1.5 grams per kilo when normally requirements might be 1 gram per kilo, even at that amount for, say, like a 100-pound teen, even if we think about a higher amount that might be 68 grams of protein, you can get a third of that amount just at breakfast with a bagel, two tablespoons of peanut butter and a glass of milk. Like, there’s a third of your protein requirements in a meal. That’s not necessarily viewed as like a protein-rich meal if that makes sense, right? So, it’s understanding, kind of, again what those needs are, and knowing all of the food sources where protein can come from. Not putting a hyper-fixation or focus on that as a parent and, then, again, like, realizing that pressure, or you know, telling your child that, you know, they’re not going to be able to, or, really, kind of, fear mongering them about, like, you’re not going be able to keep it up at practice, or, you know, Bob’s going to make the team and you’re not. Like, that kind of stuff and those tactics, just, it’s not it’s not helpful. We’ve never seen that be, like, a really helpful approach. I mean, so, I think, again, some of these, like, trends and social media myths. It’s understanding, like, what is, like Cara said, what is appropriate for your child and knowing the science and understand all of that behind it.
Marciane Any (44:41)
Wow, no, all of that is so true. And I feel like we could have a whole other episode on, like, our thoughts of diet culture and things like that. But no, you’re so right. One, I feel like all of your tips are not only, like, super informative but just very, like, grounded and, like, honest and, you know, it is about going back to those basics and remembering that it’s just about your overall diet quality, because diet culture is so variable and changing and something’s hot today and then not tomorrow, and superfoods and all that stuff. And also, just talking to professionals, too, so you can better understand your individual needs. If there is something that you, maybe, you should be getting more of or less of. So, yeah, I just appreciate all that you said.
What kind of food challenges do you see in kids who are regularly highly active and athletic?
Cara Kasdorf (45:33)
Yeah, so I think we’ve highlighted some of them already. I think a big one is just the schedule at, like, the very busy schedule and a big part of that is managing sleep and getting enough sleep. Like Rosanne and I, we work with a figure skating club, and we did a talk for them the other day, and the athletes were, like — we were talking about sleep — they were like, “Well, I’m up at 4:30am to get to the rink for school practice, then I go to school. I go right back to the rink and I’m there till like 9 o’clock. And, then I have to do my homework. And so, like, there’s no possible way that I can get the amount of sleep you’re telling me to get, right, like, so it’s just not possible.” And so, it’s really working with, like, the best we can with whatever scenario and schedule we have, and really being creative about how to, you know, get enough sleep. How to get those meals; in how to plan ahead. I know a lot of parents are concerned that, like, the amount of time their kids have to eat at school is very limited. They don’t have a lot of time sometimes. Oftentimes. They’re involved in sports during the school day. So, they’re don’t even, like, they literally have no time to eat. So, it’s, like, it can be, you know, a bit challenging to deal with all of those. Oftentimes, there are some mental health concerns too. Like, athletes oftentimes tend to have some of the personality traits, like, being a little more on the perfectionistic side; a little bit more, like, obsessive and rigid and very, like, have very high expectations for themselves and high standards for themselves, so that can lead to a lot of stress and anxiety, which can impact food choices, as well. So, that’s something that we often see in our practices. And then, you know, we know that athletes are at a higher risk of eating disorders and disordered eating, and so, you know, the prevalence is higher for that, as well. And then, also the unintentional under fueling, right, which can lead to a whole host of other health concerns. So, yeah, so those are some of the main challenges, I would say, that we see now.
Marciane Any (47:35)
This one is a bit of like a touchy subject and can go into a lot of different conversations, but what role does disordered eating and eating disorders play in the conversation about the nutrition of young athletes? Particularly for those who engage in competitive sports, and how can parents foster a positive relationship with food?
Cara Kasdorf (47:57)
Yeah, so I’ll start off and then maybe Rosanne can add in here, as well. I think, for when we’re talking about nutrition, we have to be very sensitive about the fact that for all kids, but especially for athletes, because we know there is a higher risk of eating disorders. Although, you know coaches and parents often talk about nutrition with the best of intentions, but unintentionally it can still do a lot of harm, right? And so, we want to be — and, even, you know, even dietitians, you know, sometimes we’ll do that, as well. And, I think that’s why, if you’re working in the area of sport nutrition with youth athletes, you need a background in training and eating disorder treatment and prevention. Because it is so critical just not to not to do harm, right? It’s better to just not talk about nutrition than to talk about it in a way that’s going to be harmful and create, you know, unhealthy relationship with food or eating disorders or obsession around food rigidity around food, creating a lot of food rules. And that’s often what we see when young athletes and families first come to us is that, maybe, that has been created a little bit already through, maybe, comments that coaches have made or, you know, even comments that parents make, kind of, unknowingly, right? We all have our own issues with food and sometimes that gets, kind of, you know passed on to our children through our relationship with food. Or, you know, even through teachers, right? Like my 10-year-old, you know, made a comment about “oh I can’t have granola bars because they have too much sugar in them.” Well, you know, we have never ever said that at home, but that’s what she’s learning at school. Again, a well-intentioned teacher, but it’s not true. Obviously, we talked a lot about that. That’s not true and, kind of, tried to do some damage control there but those are the messages that they’re getting from all over the place. And then when you have an athlete who is a rule follower who is wanting to do the right thing and is, you know, maybe a bit more rigid in their thinking, then that can really be taken to the extreme. So, we are always, at Blueprint, we’re always very conscious and aware and cognizant of that, and we approach every talk that we do with athletes and every session that we do with clients, from a manner of, like, you know, we want to preserve that food relationship. We use an additive approach of what can we add to your diet versus what can we restrict or take away? We never talk about restriction we try to talk about food in a very neutral way and really try to dispel some of those myths and messages that they’re getting out there about food.
Rosanne Robinson (50:23)
Yeah, and in terms of that relationship with food, to piggyback on that, I think it’s really important for parents just to, kind of like, look inward first and just, you know, what is your own personal relationship with food? Like, a lot of the athletes that we work with, the parents were also athletes themselves growing up and there were vastly different messages that were given in the 80s or the 70s or whatever year it was, you know, around that, you know 90s, around sport nutrition or lack thereof, you know than, what, you know, we would want to have shared with kids today. So, looking at, kind of, your own relationship with food and, like Cara said, like, if you observe, you know, some diet culture messaging on, you know, the coaching staff, or whoever it is there, to be okay to bring that up and to speak up, and to, you know, ask them. Like, you know, we do a lot of talks, I think about two a month for sports teams, you know, virtually or in-person, and, you know, just being able to bring someone in who has the expertise is, you know, really helpful.
Marciane Any (51:25)
No, that’s a hundred percent. It makes me, you know, wish that more of these conversations were happening. When I was growing up, because it brought back a memory when I was cheerleading, there was a girl on our on our squad who, like, her parents were really into it, and I’m sure she probably did something competitive down the line, but, I remember one practice, one of her parents said something to the effect of — she, like, wanted to eat something and her parents said something to the effect of — “You’re not going to fit in your uniform anymore. It’s already getting small.” And, like, that broke my heart. And as someone who also, as they were growing up, there were just certain family members who anytime they saw you, they thought it was like their job to comment on your body. And, that just broke my heart, because I already knew that there was a lot of pressure already on her to, not only perform, but now, also to look a certain way. And we’re growing, our bodies are changing, like, now, I’m, like, you just get a bigger uniform. It’s not a big deal, but, you know, back then, as a child, like, it just broke my heart. And, so, yeah, we need to be careful, you know, what we’re saying to each other. And also, just advocating for each other, too. If you’re hearing that, or something like, that just be, like, “No. No, no That’s not okay. It’s okay to have your bodies change and all these things.
Tamara Petresin (52:40)
Yeah, it’s so true. There really are just like so many influences all around us and diet culture is all around us. And, of course, kids are going to encounter that from so many different mediums like we’ve talked about, so it’s really important to, kind of, teach and, kind of, help them navigate this because they’re going to come across it, unfortunately. It is the way that the world works. And, you know, it’s not just school anymore now, you come home and it’s all over social media because we’re all just so connected. But it’s really really important skills to have for sure, as kids.
So, to close up the podcast, we like to give families three practical take-home tips. So, considering the topics we’ve discussed today, what are three tips that can be shared with our listeners to help them fuel their active kids?
Cara Kasdorf (53:18)
So, I always like to talk about, kind of, this idea of wrapping your activity in good nutrition. So, whenever you have a practice or a game or a workout or training session to think about, how can I wrap that in good nutrition. So, what can I have beforehand, right? So, we talked about some ideas for that that boost up pre-practice pre-workout snack, and, then what can I have right afterwards? And really, your practice or game or workout isn’t done until you’ve had that, until you’ve refueled, right? So, always thinking about: how can I wrap my, workout or my child’s workout or practice in good nutrition?
Rosanne Robinson (53:53)
Yeah, and, Number Two, you know, would be that athletes are still, you know, children, adolescents who need to learn the skill of cooking and that, kind of, food literacy piece, and so I have this little thing that I share with parents. It’s a goal, but does your child know how to cook as many meals as the grade they’re in? So, if you have a child in Grade Seven, do they know how to cook seven meals? If you have a child in Grade Eight, do they know how to cook eight meals? And when I say a meal, you know, a meal could be like assembling their own sandwich, you know, having a side, like, making a balanced an athlete’s plate right from their meal. But does your child, even a Grade One, you know, can know how to pour a bowl of cereal and add a piece of fruit, right? So, there’s one meal, right? So, you can build up in their competency because at the end of the day, you know, even if that child athlete goes on to play in the NHL, or to the Olympics, at some point, that sporting career ends and there’s still you know a person that needs to fuel their body, and they need to fuel their body throughout that whole process. So, we do need to make sure that we’re still equipping them with those tools.
Cara Kasdorf (54:59)
And I think the third point would just be to really be aware of how you talk about food and your body and other people’s bodies, and be more aware of how, maybe, other parents are talking about bodies, and, you know, how that’s coming across. Whether it’s, you know, good comments, bad comments, you know, any kind of body comments can just put the focus more on what your body looks like. And same thing with comments around food. Sometimes, we’ll get parents who are talking about, you know, my kid needs to bulk up, or they need to, you know, put more muscle on, or, you know… And yes, becoming stronger is, you know, often a goal of an athlete, but it’s not helpful when you’re talking about a prepubescent, you know, athlete who is just not developmentally at that stage and that can start to make them feel like there’s something wrong with their body. And same thing with, you know, comments around puberty and changes in the body and just really normalizing those changes and trying to change that narrative and how we are just, like conditioned to be okay with some of those comments and it’s socially acceptable to make some of those comments. And so, just being aware of that and then maybe challenging that a little bit as well with, you know, if people feel comfortable doing that.
Marciane Any (56:17)
Awesome tips. Thank you so much, Rosanne and Cara, for taking the time to chat with us about how to fuel active kids, and for sharing your knowledge and expertise with us on the Healthy Habits, Happy Homes podcast.
Tamara Petresin (56:28)
Yeah, and please just let us know where people can find you and all of your amazing content and resources, if you wouldn’t mind sharing.
Rosanne Robinson (56:37)
So, our website is blueprintnutrition.ca. If you go to .com, you’ll find a very different website. So, it’s blueprintnutrition.ca and then, on there, is a link to our online education platform. That’s blueprint nutrition academy. So, you can all find that through our website. In terms of youth athlete nutrition, we just opened a new Instagram account, like, a handful of months ago. It’s @fueling.youth.athletes. And then, both Cara and I each have our own, you know, separate Instagram channel. So, for mine, it’s @blueprint.nutrition.kids. I mean, that’s more for that pediatric nutrition side. And, then Cara has one for more adult athletic nutrition for athletes at @blueprintnutritionsport. So, feel free to check those out and we’d be happy to connect with you there.
Tamara Petresin (57:22)
Incredible. Yeah, we’ll be sure to link those resources in our bio, as well, so our listeners can find it easily. You’ve provided us with such helpful tips, and we really hope that our listeners can take away some of these useful tips that you’ve shared, and we’ll see you next time.