Thursday, August 19, 2010

Football Practice and Feeding an Athlete

This week was Alex's first week of football practice. When I say first, I mean first. He's never played a team sport before (swimming, but to me that doesn't count) 
My oldest son, J.D., lives in Texas and is a middle school football coach and math teacher. (I'm so proud) He was also a HUGE football stud when he was in high school, so when I needed a refresher on food, equipment, etc, I called J.D. Now if my husband was going to football practice, he wouldn't eat. He doesn't like to work out with anything in his stomach, so I wondered...is Alex this way?  So I asked my son the football coach, "Should I feed Alex breakfast before practice?"  He said, "yes, but no sugar and no dairy."  Ok then, no "normal Alex breakfast" of sugary cereal and a quart of milk. (baby steps people, I can't take all his vices at one time"
Alex was thrilled with scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast. I added some grapes, or other fruit and a glass of OJ.
First day, there is a small lunch break and then back for more practice. I pick him up, bring him home, and he makes a PB&J sandwich and has a banana.  Ooops.. bad mom, our jelly is packed with sugar.
So, day two:  scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast, chicken strips and mac & cheese with fruit for lunch (begging forgiveness now, I can't tell you how long it's been since I made a meal like that and it almost made me gag) Dinner that night, shrimp scampi with angel hair pasta. I added diced tomatoes and spinach to the scampi. He ate around the spinach.

Bad photo, I know. It was taken with my phone. This is after day two. He is sitting up in the chair and still holding his glass.

Yesterday: eggs and toast for breakfast, beef hot dogs and baked tortilla chips for lunch. Oh wait, add a banana, and a granola bar, and a half gallon of gatorade. Then I took him back for afternoon practice. Last night's dinner: rib-eye steaks on the grill, baked potatoes, and broccoli. I put cheese on his broccoli to make sure he'd eat it. He cleaned his plate, ate Callie's leftover steak and most of the whole steak that was left over. Holy shopping trip, batman, I'm going to go broke!

After day three of practice. He got a cleat to the hand. When he called his big brother (the coach) to brag on his first battle wound, JD said "keep your hands off the ground!!"  Typical.


I love being home to cook for him and take care of him. When my oldest son was playing, I was a single mom and worked full time. He was lucky to get Subway between practices and have a ride back to school. He did ok, I don't feel guilty.
I would love ideas on how to get veggies and other healthy foods into a boy that would eat cupcakes, sugary cereal and cookies 24/7 if I didn't hide that stuff. (yes I hide it, he has NO self control)
Tonight we go to the Pawtucket Red Sox baseball game. I see a hot dog and a beer in my future. Did I just write a post on eating healthy? Yes, do as I say, not as I do.

4 comments:

Mindee@ourfrontdoor said...

That sounds awesome!!! I'm coming for dinner at your house.

Will he eat raw veggies with dip? We go through a lot of baby carrots here. Also, for variety sometimes I'll spread peanut butter and a little honey on a whole wheat tortilla and then roll up a whole banana in it. We call it a banana burrito.

JG said...

Veggies with dip is what my mom did too. It was the only way my brother would eat vegetables. What am I saying, it's STILL the only way he'll eat them. :) But eat them he does!

Paula said...

Ladies, if only it were that simple. The kid does NOT like ranch dressing!!??? help me! What kid doesn't like ranch? He likes bland, bland, and more bland. I blame his mother ;) She must have been a terrible cook! (it makes me feel better)

TheAlbrechtSquad said...

How fun!!! This week has whipped my middle son who is the one who is playing football. It is wearing me out and he keeps eating, eating and eating.

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