The Complete Bowl

MYTH VS. FACT

Myth: Protein, not carbs, are best before a workout.
Fact: Carbohydrate is the body’s #1 source of energy & quickly digests to give the body energy. Protein can be used moderately in a pre-game meal/snack, but cannot provide the same effect as carbohydrate for “quick energy” to perform!

No time for a complete breakfast of whole grain carbohydrates, lean protein, & healthy fat to get your metabolism going?
Let our new sports dietitian introduce you to her favorite healthy, complete breakfast for athletes that provides lots of nutrients, fiber, and will keep you full for hours… “The Complete Bowl.”

“The Complete Bowl” starts with an old fashioned bowl of oatmeal. One serving of oatmeal provides lots of B-vitamins, 4-6 grams of fiber, and plant protein. The fiber in oatmeal has been shown to help lower blood cholesterol and help with maintenance of healthy lipid levels for adults & kids. All you need is some water microwave, & a bowl!

Now oatmeal provides great carbohydrates, but because “carbs” are our body’s #1 source of energy, they digest quickly when eaten alone. So the goal is to add lean protein & healthy fat to help slow down the digestion.

If you are like most Americans, you do not have time to make eggs or breakfast meat in the morning so a great option in powdered whey or soy protein. Both provide about 24-26 grams of protein per scoop & mix easily with food, smoothies, or in water. So…as you are stirring your oatmeal, dump 1 scoop of protein powder in to increase the nutrient density of the meal.

We all need “good” or unsaturated fats in our diet; they help with blood health & make a meal more satisfying. So, to complete the bowl we need to add 1 Tablespoon of peanut butter. One tablespoon provides us with 8 grams of healthy fat and a little protein. The goal is to use regular, not low- fat, peanut butter. Low-fat peanut butter has added corn syrup solids which is a form of processed sugar; it would be better to have more “good” fat than processed sugar in our healthy breakfast.

Mix all 3 ingredients together and a spice if you like, and you have created “The Complete Bowl”.

Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 380
Protein: 25-30gm
Carbohydrates: 35 gm
Fiber: 6-8gm
Fat: 10-12
Cholesterol: 0mg

“The Complete Bowl”
•1 pack Quaker Weight
•1 scoop vanilla whey or soy protein powder
•1 Tablespoon peanut butter
•Can add a sprinkle of cinnamon, nutmeg, or cocoa for added flavor
Sports Nutrition On-the-Go!

Supermarket Savvy… “The Product Pick”

Control Oatmeal or 1/2 cup dry rolled oats
If I, as a sports dietitian, say “eat healthy cereal”…do you wonder which box of the 100 boxes on the shelf to choose? Should you and your child eat the same cereal? Is cereal even healthy for you?

The truth is that cereal is very confusing…some are low-calorie, but very high sugar, and some are high-calorie, but jam-packed with good nutrition…so what do you do?

When choosing what cereal is best, it is important to look at a few important things on the food label:
►Fiber
►Sugar
►Serving size

Fiber
Fiber is key in cereal and more fiber is found in flaky, whole grain cereals. Fiber slows the rate at which carbohydrate impacts your blood sugar and thus keeps you full for a longer period of time. It is also key in good gastrointestinal health for people of all ages! Aim to pick a cereal with at least 2-3 grams of fiber per serving.

Sugar
Many cereals, though low in total calories, are full of sugar and contain hardly any fiber or vitamins/minerals. It is pretty safe to say that if a cereal is colored, yellow (Kix, Corn Puffs, Rice Crispies, etc.), or has the word “cocoa” in it…it is probably pretty high in sugar. Choosing whole grain cereals will reduce the sugar content. Look for cereals with less than 10 grams of sugar per serving.

Serving Size
Most cereals have a serving size of 3/4 cup; however there are many that now are 1 cup, 1 & 1⁄4 cups, etc. Note that a cup is about fist-size…so think of your bowl of cereal and how many fists that is…and you can easily see how we can eat a lot of calories from cereal without even knowing it! So the goal is to eat a serving to a serving and a half w/ low-fat milk and then eat a protein like eggs, string cheese, or yogurt with it so that you stay full throughout the morning. The protein will help slow down digestion and keep you full longer.

Good Cereal Choices
Choices for Weight Gain (higher calorie)
Quaker Oatmeal Squares • Quaker Mini Wheats • Kellogg’s Cracklin’ Oat Bran • Kellogg’s Raisin Bran Crunch • Kellogg’s Smart Start • Low-fat Granola • Total Oatmeal Crisp • Fiber One Honey Clusters • Post Grape Nuts • Trail Mix Crunch • Kashi Go Lean Crunch • Quaker Oatmeal Crunch (hot)

Choices for Weight Loss (lower calorie)
Multi-Grain Cheerios • Yogurt Burst Cheerios Total Whole Grain Flakes • Post Grape Nut Flakes Post Honey Bunches of Oats • Complete Bran Flakes • Kashi Heart-to-Heart • Kellogg’s Raisin Bran • Kellogg’s All Bran Yogurt Bites • Quaker Weight Control Oatmeal (hot)

–Amy Goodson

amy-goodson-quarterback-ranchAmy Goodson, MS, RD, CSSD, LD is a registered dietitian for Ben Hogan Sports Medicine and serves as the sports dietitian for the Dallas Cowboys, Texas Rangers, FC Soccer Dallas, Jim McClean Golf School, Texas Christian University Athletics, and University of Texas at Arlington Athletics. In addition, she is an adjunct professor and dietetic intern preceptor for Texas Woman’s University, Texas Christian University and the University of Texas at Arlington and is a state media representative for the Texas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. . She received her Bachelor of Science degree in speech communications from Texas Christian University and Masters in Exercise and Sports Nutrition from Texas Woman’s University.