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Warrior Nation

BY SHARON THOMPSON

McClatchy-Tribune

Hey kids!

Two exciting things are happening nowadays: the Summer Olympics are wrapping up and a new school year is beginning.

The best athletes in the world compete at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. On TV, you may see men and women participate in 28 sports, including diving, fencing, weightlifting, synchronized swimming, taekwondo, volleyball, rowing, judo, and archery.

Long before these athletes could compete for Olympic gold, their bodies had to be motivated, focused and strong. Many of them began training at an early age. Health experts tell us that it's nutritious food that gives athletes the edge they need to get up to the metal stand.

When school starts, one of the most important things you can do is give your body the nutrients it needs to grow strong.

And it all begins with breakfast.

Statistics show that kids who eat breakfast do better in school and are more likely to participate in physical activities.

Athletes often refer to breakfast as their "pre-training meal" or "pre-competition meal." So tell Mom or Dad what you would like for your "pre-training" breakfast so he or she can have the pantry stocked with healthful food choices.

Registered dietitian Monique Ryan, author of Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes, said breakfast should be rich in carbohydrates, such as whole grains and fruits. Carbohydrates raise your blood sugar, which fuels your muscles and brain, and prepares you for school work.

Begin your day by eating a small amount of lean protein, which is important for building and repairing muscles; healthy fats (such as the monounsaturated kinds in peanut butter and the omega-3s in salmon) can help your body stay fueled until lunchtime.

A typical breakfast for American athletes in Beijing includes oatmeal, whole-wheat pancakes with grilled peaches, honey-glazed country ham and sweet potato hash browns.

Swimmer Erik Vendt told a reporter for Eating Well magazine that breakfast was his favorite meal of the day.

"I love cooking up a 4-egg omelet with Cheddar, peppers, onions and tomatoes," he said.

Going for the gold means you have to have a strong healthy body, and if you dream of being a star athlete, you must jump start each day with a nutritious breakfast.


Break out
of breakfast's mold

There's no need to have traditional breakfast foods every day, Lexington, Ky., nutritionist Patti Geil says.

"Breakfast can be any food kids like, from macaroni and cheese to a lean beef sandwich," she said.

Geil, who wrote "Cooking Up Fun for Kids With Diabetes" with Tami Ross, said it's a good idea to always keep healthy, quick-to-fix foods on hand, and get breakfast foods ready the night before. If you're running late, grab a carton of yogurt, a bagel spread with peanut butter, fruit, or cheese and crackers.

Geil offers the following breakfast ideas for children who desire to be champions, in athletics or academics:

--Fruit (bananas, straw-berries, raisins) and milk on instant oatmeal.

--Iron-fortified cereal and milk, with banana slices.

--Peanut butter on toasted whole-grain bread or waffle, or rolled inside a wheat tortilla.

--Cheese slices melted on whole-wheat toast.

--Hard-boiled egg sliced on an English muffin.

--Apple and cheese slices between whole wheat or graham crackers.

--Bran muffin and yogurt topped with berries.

--Whole-grain waffle topped with fruit, nuts and ricotta cheese.

These ideas are from Sandra Bastin, nutrition and food specialist at the University of Kentucky:

--Add berries or other fruit to pancake batter. Grated carrot and zucchini work well, too.

--Try baked bagel chips with salsa, made from fresh ingredients from the farmers market.

--Broil a bagel topped with apple or pear slices, sprinkled with cinnamon, and low-fat cheese.

--Try using mashed avocado as a spread on bread.

--Add applesauce to a peanut butter sandwich.

--Try raw vegetables with a cottage cheese or yogurt dip.

--Add diced vegetables to a soft tortilla to make a vegetable quesadilla or a breakfast burrito.

--Add diced vegetables on an English muffin to make a vegetable pizza.

--Stuff pita bread with lettuce, tomato, cucumber and low-fat salad dressing.

--Try dipping strips of toast or waffles in applesauce.

--Add your favorite chopped vegetables to an omelet, quiche or frittata.

--Top an omelet with chutney or salsa, made from fresh fruits or vegetables from the farmers market.

--Add fruit to your favorite muffin recipe.

--100 percent fruit juice is a good dietary choice, but whole fruit contains additional dietary fiber.

--Bake or steam an apple or pear.

--Hot vegetable soup might be better than you think for breakfast.


Banana dog

Whole-grain hot dog bun

Peanut butter

Wheat germ or sunflower seeds

Banana

Jam

Spread peanut butter on a whole-grain hot dog bun, sprinkle with wheat germ or sunflower seeds, and top with a whole, peeled banana and a squiggle of jam. Add a side of milk to round out the meal.

Note: For a banana burrito, substitute a tortilla for the bun.

From FamilyFun.com


Ready-to-go smoothie

Fruit

Yogurt

Zip-top bags

Milk

Juice

Measure 1/2 cup of your favorite fruit and 1/2 cup of yogurt, and spoon into an individual zip-top bag. Place in the freezer.

In the morning, pull a packet from the freezer, put it in a blender with 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup juice, and blend until smooth.

Try these combos:

--Bananas and blueberries, banana yogurt, and pineapple-orange-banana juice.

--Strawberries and -bananas with strawberry yogurt and orange juice.

--Raspberries and blue-berries with vanilla yogurt and cranberry juice.

From Kraft Foods


Peanut energy bars

Youngsters who like to cook can prepare these energy bars. Wrap individual bars in plastic, and they will keep at room temperature for as long as 1 week, or freeze for as long as 1 month.

1/2 cup dry roasted salted peanuts

1/2 cup roasted sunflower seeds or other chopped nuts

2 cups raisins or other chopped dried fruit

2 cups rolled or instant oats

2 cups toasted rice cereal, such as Rice Krispies

1/4 cup toasted wheat germ, optional

1/2 cup creamy or crunchy natural peanut butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup or honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Coat a 9- by 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Combine peanuts, sunflower seeds (or other nuts), raisins (or other dried fruit), oats, rice cereal and wheat germ (if using) in a large bowl.

Combine peanut butter, brown sugar and corn syrup (or honey) in a large microwaveable bowl; microwave on high until bubbling, 1 to 2 minutes. Add vanilla and stir until blended. Pour the peanut butter mixture over the dry ingredients, and stir until coated.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. Press down firmly. (It helps to coat your fingers with cooking spray.) Let stand for about 1 hour to harden. Cut into 16 bars.

From Eating Well


Breakfast
bruschetta

2 slices multi-grain bread

2 tablespoons strawberry cream cheese spread

1/4 cup each sliced strawberries and bananas

1 tablespoon orange marmalade

Toast bread slices; spread evenly with 2 tablespoons cream cheese spread. Add -toppings. Serve immediately.

Other choices:

--2 slices Hawaiian bread, pineapple cream cheese spread, 1/4 cup sliced strawberries, 1 tablespoon Angel Flake coconut.

--2 slices cinnamon raisin bread, plain cream cheese spread, 1/4 cup each sliced apples and chopped walnuts, 1 tablespoon maple syrup.

From Kraft Foods


English muffin breakfast

2 tablespoons reduced-fat cream cheese

1 teaspoon reduced-fat sour cream

1/2 English muffin

1 small peach, peeled and sliced

Ground cinnamon to taste

1/2 teaspoon light brown sugar

Preheat broiler. In a small bowl, combine cream cheese and sour cream. Spread evenly over English muffin half. Arrange peach slices on top. Sprinkle with some cinnamon and brown sugar. Broil until cheese browns around the edges, about 2 minutes. Cut in half or quarters, and eat warm. Makes 1 serving.

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Photo/Alex von Kleydorff. Nanette Green offered a seminar on dealing with Holiday stress at the Wilton Library.