Your swimmer is off to school, have you provided the right kind of lunch to get them through the day and on to practice?

Swimmers burn more calories than other kids their age so they need to eat more. However, they also need to eat right. Just because a high school aged swimmer needs far more than 2000 calories a day does not mean a stop at the nearest fast food restaurant is in order.

So let’s talk about what fuel you can pack in their lunch.

Variety. Try to pack in all the food groups. Protein, grain, fruit, dairy, and vegetables.

There were days when I opened my lunch in high school after a morning practice of weight lifting and swimming to find......cheese and crackers. I wanted a sandwich, I needed a sandwich. I started packing my own lunch. Older swimmers should, they likely know what they want to eat. Younger athletes might need some help.

Swimmers are hungry. Some of them all the time.

Sandwiches or wraps with meat and cheese, peanut butter and jelly, or almond butter and jelly as a main course are a must. I particularly liked peanut butter and banana sandwiches. Tuna is a great option as well. It can be eaten by itself or in a wrap, sandwich, pita, or with crackers. I took the prepackaged tuna salad and cracker packs with me to school to eat on the way to practice from school.

Fresh fruit and veggies next. A bag of strawberries and a bag of carrots. Or an apple and a bag of cherry tomatoes. We go through 2 pounds of cherry tomatoes in about four days at our house and that is just me and our three-year old daughter. Maybe a bag of mixed berries and a bag of cucumber slices smeared with cream cheese. There is so much variety you can provide with fresh foods.

Snacks on the side of course. It is easy to add some carbohydrates with crackers or pretzels. Granola bars and fruit bars are easy adds but be sure to check the nutrition label for sugar content. Sugar hides itself in snacks very, very well.

Dairy can be added to lunch with a bottle of plain or flavored milk, it is a good source of protein. There is an abundance of yogurts at the grocery store to toss in a lunch sack too. Just be careful about that sugar again. Plain or vanilla greek yogurt with granola and berries is a great choice.

Fluids are huge. Fresh fruit juice, water, or a sports drink are all good choices. Do not put soda or energy drinks in your kids lunch and don't buy them so the kids can pack it themselves.

If you are packing for your young athlete try to pack a little more than they might need, better safe than hungry. Hungry swimmers tend to behave like angry bears!