A Winning Combination: Healthy Plates & Active Families

As part of a six-part content series presented by Sobeys, we will share the expertise of multiple Tennis Canada spokespeople including our nutritionist Ariane Lavigne, coaches, advisors as well as players and their parents when it comes to food, family, and sport. This first article focuses on helping families get back into a nutritional routine now that fall has arrived, the temperature is getting cooler, and our busy schedules have resumed, both at school and at work.

For students who are back in the classroom, Lavigne explains that a balanced lunch, including snacks, is important, especially for those who participate in sports or activities in addition to their schoolwork. She explains that smaller portions and eating more often throughout the day are key to ensuring proper digestion as well as maintaining concentration and focus. For Lavigne, a balanced lunch consists of three elements: fruits and vegetables, cereal-based starchy foods like bread, tortillas, pasta, potatoes or rice, and lastly, protein.

READ: TENNIS CANADA WINS THE ITF’S GOLD ADVANTAGE ALL AWARD IN RECOGNITION OF ITS EFFORTS TO PROMOTE GENDER EQUITY IN TENNIS

To ensure that the trio is present daily, she recommends sandwiches using bread or tortillas and to add a little variety throughout the week she suggests meal bowls with quinoa or rice as a base with chicken, vegetables, or even edamame. There’s also the option of a hot meal, leftover from dinner the night before, carried in a thermos. Often, protein is what’s missing from a school lunch and yogurt, or cheese is a perfect way to remedy that. Meanwhile, plant proteins like tofu or tempeh are also great options.

As for snacks, Lavigne recommends 2-3 per day for student-athletes as a supplement to their balanced lunch so they can perform at their best both in the classroom and on the playing field. Snacks like fruits, granola bars, and homemade muffins coupled with a protein like cheese, yogurt, roasted chickpeas, hard-boiled eggs or even canned tuna on crackers are examples of what parents should opt for. If kids don’t eat enough during the day, they will be tempted to empty the pantry when they get home from school. Catching up on the food they missed at night can negatively affect their sleep schedule.

READ: TENNIS CANADA AND ROGERS HOST GRAND OPENINGS OF YEAR-ROUND TENNIS COURT FACILITIES IN EDMONTON, AB AND WATERLOO, QC

“Kids have smaller stomachs and therefore smaller appetites so it’s better if they eat more regularly,” Lavigne explained. “It’s a good thing, kids will rarely eat more than what satisfies their hunger so giving them larger portions just means they probably won’t finish them. They’re good to stop at the right moment which helps them grow up healthy. It also indirectly helps their immune system, prevents injuries, their concentration is better, and they’ll be less tired at the end of the day.”

Understanding that our jam-packed schedules can make it challenging for parents to always have meals top of mind for both them and their children, Lavigne offers several tricks to make their lives a little easier including the fact the lunches can be leftovers from dinner the night before, parents just have to remember to make extra portions. Sobeys proposes several balanced fall-inspired recipes including loaded burger salad, sausage, squash and crispy kale sheet pan dinner, pork chop and cabbage skillet, sheet pan honey garlic chicken with roasted vegetables, and flourless chocolate quinoa cake.

Lavigne also encourages parents to involve their children in making their school lunches to give them a sense of responsibility about what they’re eating, but she also believes that meal planning is a worthy weekly investment for the whole family because it can stimulate creativity, diversify the food on our plates, and of course, save precious time. Getting back into a routine means something different for everyone. It can be a delicate balancing act that requires preparation and support, especially when it comes to nutrition, but there are plenty of resources available to ensure that we are eating well.