Category Archives: Kid Snacks

12 Teen Summer Snack Ideas for Original G·E·M·S!

Posted on July 21, 2021 by The GEM and currently has Comments Off on 12 Teen Summer Snack Ideas for Original G·E·M·S!

As parents of teenagers and young adults ourselves, we know firsthand how challenging it can be to convince your kids to keep on the straight-and-narrow when it comes to eating right. So we’re offering our tried and true Eat Clean food rules catered to teens who want to look good and feel even BETTER — the basis of our Original G·E·M·S Life program. Check out our top recommendations below for helping your teen eat clean.

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Preparation is the name of the game when getting our kids to eat clean. While it’s likely they will never straight up ask for cucumbers and hummus, your teens will snack on what’s in front of them, so having healthy options on deck is a must!

My go-to healthy options make staying true to Original G·E·M·S Life easy for our teens at home. They’re what I call my “Jedi Mind Trick Snack Plates”…fun-looking, health-filled plates with a little bit of everything on them. Before they’ve even realized it, my teens are gobbling up organic veggies and nutrient-filled bites like it was their idea.

Try some of my favorite at-home snack plate ideas for your teens this summer!

12 Healthy Summer Snacks for Teens

Be-A-GEM Platter: Made with our fave grab-and-go options, including The GEM’s hummus with jalapeno pesto, our Vegan Ranch and Sami’s Flax Chips served along with snap peas and Sunset’s Sugar Bombs grape tomatoes. This plate is a hit for obvious reasons.
Netflix & Healthy Platter: Here’s one for the movie buffs—organic popcorn made on the stove top with coconut oil and sea salt, peanuts, pistachios, and Healthy Chex Mix from Unrefined Bakery (this stuff is the BOMB!).
Taste the Rainbow Platter: Take watermelon cubes, Cuties oranges, kiwis, blueberries, frozen grapes, and some mini marshmallows for clouds (brands like Smash Mallow or Dandies are our go-to).
Piatto d’Italia: Take a quick trip over the pond and into Italy with an array of olives, nitrate-free sliced salami, toasted almonds, sliced red peppers, parmesan chunks, and steamed artichoke. Go even further and make mini pizzas with whole grain English muffins, marinara and mozzarella. Buon appetito!
Mexican Fiesta Plate: Made with fresh GEM Pico de Gallo, guacamole and our 3 Bean Salad and served with Siete Tortilla Chips. Make quick and easy quesadillas by adding leftover seasoned taco meat or organic rotisserie chicken for quick access and using whole wheat tortillas. Look for brands that just have simple ingredients (hit: Mission is NOT it!).
Veggie Lovin’ Platter: Served with steamed broccoli, GEM Vegan Ranch, sliced cucumbers and carrots marinated in lime juice and salt (this is an important step!).
Let’s Do Brunch Platter: Make toasted waffles cut into triangles and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, served alongside boiled eggs, Alyssa’s oatmeal cookies (sold at The GEM!), and Applegate Farms chicken sausage links.
Open-Faced Avo Toast Plate: Serve avocado toast with lemon, cayenne, sea salt, PBJ, and toasted cheese—all cut into small squares.
At-Home Happy Jars: Organic Greek or plant-based yogurt (Siggi’s is my fave) parfaits made with Marge or Park Lane granola and berries, drizzled with honey. Save yourself some time by making a few of these at a time, storing them in small Mason jars.
Asian Snack Plate: Get store bought California Rolls (Whole Foods and Central Market have the best!), AshaPops, sliced red bell peppers, GEM Collard Wraps, and steamed organic spicy edamame (with “Slap Your Mama” seasoning).
Baked Potato Bar: Keep potatoes on hand and with fun toppings. Use that leftover taco meat! Super simple, filling, AND healthy.
Smoothie Station: Blend one frozen banana with a cup of dairy-free milk, raw cacao and organic peanut butter for a yummy treat. Or, pick up some of our ready-made Smoothie Kits at The GEM and store in the freezer until ready to serve. Your teens will LOVE you!

Help set your teen up for success by providing them with these healthy snack options. And don’t forget to lead by example! For more inspiration on keeping you and your family inspired to Eat Clean, check out our Original G·E·M·S Life inspiration page with tried-and-true, easy-to-follow food rules.

By selecting one practice that resonates with you from one or all of all of the four Original G·E·M·S categories (Gratitude, Eat Clean, Move and Shine), and committing to doing it daily for a week, then a month (and eventually forever), you’ll be well on your way to Shining Brighter in all areas of your life!

How to Help Your Teen Eat Clean with Original G·E·M·S

Posted on July 6, 2021 by The GEM and currently has 2 Comments on How to Help Your Teen Eat Clean with Original G·E·M·S

As parents, instilling healthy food habits is one of the best things we can do for our children. It’s obvious for us, but it can be difficult to get our teenagers to actually buy into this idea. And as moms of a few teenagers ourselves, we know firsthand the struggle is REAL.

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Fortunately, our Original G·E·M·S Life program isn’t just for grown ups looking to Shine Brighter — its practices are also perfectly catered to families who want to raise kids with healthy habits. And what better way to start than by introducing our Eat Clean practice ideas to try at home this summer with your teens?!

Why Eating Clean Matters to YOUR Teen!

Nutrition affects the trifecta of most-important things to our teens: athletics, academics, and appearance. Chances are your teenager cares about one or all three of these—so as a parent, you can influence your teen to want to eat clean by emphasizing the positive results that eating healthy will have on their athletic and academic performance and their appearance. For instance,

More green leafy vegetables, less dairy & sugar = fewer breakouts
A GEM smoothie before a game = better sports performance
Loaded protein breakfast = increased focus on tests

Still not getting through? Here’s what happens with regular consumption of inflammatory foods, such as fast food, sodas, fried junk, sugar, etc:

Acne. Breakouts. Zits.
Low energy, sluggishness.
Weight gain and obesity.
Inability to focus (caused by artificial dyes and lack of good fats and proteins).
Mood swings, anxiety, anger (food can be a BIG factor in managing our mood).

You’ve identified the problem, now give them the healthy solution!

3 Tips on Getting Your Teen Eat Clean

PLAN FOR QUALITY GREENS at every meal. Salads, sautéed broccoli, steamed artichokes…you get the gist. Add spinach into their smoothies. And keep it up, even if they turn their noses up! Eventually they will come around. Even ‘one bite’ is a start!
CLEAN OUT THE PANTRY. Throw out foods with ARTIFICIAL FOOD COLORS and SWEETENERS immediately. These things are known to cause cancer, ADHD, allergies, and lots of other infuriating problems. Even replacing super bad junk with organic, non-GMO junk is a non-toxic step in the right direction. The simplest of foods like bread or tortillas have more chemicals than you can count, much less pronounce, so be sure to read the labels!
DUMP THE PROCESSED SUGAR. Sugar is the main culprit behind bad skin, bad moods, and bad performance. Let your teens know this—they will thank you!

This is just the tip of the iceberg, but by doing these three things on the reg, you can help them adopt a few good habits that will keep your teenagers thriving, healthy and happy—not just now, but straight into adulthood. It’s never too late to jump on the healthy disco train. But it all starts with YOU.

Want more tips on Eating Clean? Check out our Original G·E·M·S Life inspiration page with tried-and-true, easy-to-follow food rules to help keep your body at its best. By selecting a practice from one or all of the four Original G·E·M·S Life categories (Gratitude, Eat Clean, Move and Shine), and committing to doing it daily for a week, then a month (and eventually forever), you’ll be well on your way to Shining Brighter in all areas of your life!

10 Teen-Approved HEALTHY Summer Snacks

Posted on August 7, 2020 by diamondsonyourinside and currently has Comments Off on 10 Teen-Approved HEALTHY Summer Snacks

Those hungry teenagers eating you out of house and home? Don’t order Dominos just yet! We’ve got a few yummy, homemade ideas to keep them happy on snacks that are filling, fun and most importantly, HEALTHY.

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The biggest key to eating healthy is to BE PREPARED! When you hit the grocery store or visit The GEM, pick up these staples to keep on hand for when hunger strikes this summer.

10 Summer Snacks For Hungry & Healthy Teens

CHIP DIP STATION! Siete Tortilla chips surrounded with a fun array of dips! Siete also makes an amazing, plant-based queso blanco that is really tasty! Add guacamole, GEM Pico, Rick’s Salsa, and GEM Jalapeno Pesto. Don’t forget our Badass 3 Bean Salad with corn chip dippers, too!
VEGGIE PLATE with carrots, cucumbers, sugar snap peas, red bell pepper, grape tomatoes. Add a ramekin of our GEM Hummus, Ranch AND Jalapeño Pesto for the best dipping trio. The secret is to douse the carrot medallions and cucumbers with lots of fresh lime juice and sea salt. Don’t skip over this one! It’s magic.
SMOOTHIES. Pick up a few frozen smoothie kits from The GEM (our Maui GEM with pineapple, banana, orange and coconut is a crowd pleaser), or make your own at home with this perfectly simple, lightning-fast recipe:
- Add 1 cup of water, 1/2 cup of pomegranate juice, 1 frozen banana, 1.5 cup of fruit to the blender and ENJOY! Frozen, organic strawberries and blueberries work best.
ITALIAN PLATTER with chunks of parmesan cheese, nitrate free salami (my kids like Naturalissimo Milano style), Milton GF crackers, gherkin pickles, grape tomatoes sprinkled with sea salt, hummus topped with basil pesto. BAM!
FROZEN PEANUT BUTTER BANANA SLICES. Sandwich your favorite brand of organic peanut butter in between sliced bananas, then freeze. Dip in melted chocolate for an added treat.
FROZEN GRAPES (Warning: highly addicting snack!). Simply freeze and eat!
AVOCADO TOAST sprinkled with cayenne, sea salt, and a little lemon, served on grain bread (Killer Dave’s makes the best!). Cut into quarters. PRO TIP: Let your avocados ripen on the counter, then put in the fridge—they will keep for much longer!
GRANOLA PARFAITS. What’s cool about these is you can make a few in small, 6-oz. mason jars and your teens can pop them out whenever they are ready! Here’s how we assemble them:
- Begin with a little granola on bottom, layer with plain Greek yogurt—or try an amazing dairy-free, plant-based option like from Kite Hill or Siggi’s. Milk & Patience is local and has the most amazing vegan yogurts, too!
- Layer berries. Raspberries, sliced strawberries, blueberries…don’t be shy!
- Add more granola. One of our favorite granola brands Park Lane Pantry, a local company with amazing flavors—including a new chocolate flavor, too!
- Top with a drizzle of maple syrup, honey or agave, a little extra fruit, and enjoy!
EDAMAME. Just pour the frozen bag into boiling water for a couple minutes, drain, and add coarse sea salt. Try sprinkling with Trader Joe’s Chili Lime Salt.
BONUS SNACK IDEAS! Always have these items on hand for when you find yourself in a pinch:
- Hard boiled eggs.
- Nut butter with apples.
- Organic popcorn made with coconut oil and sea salt.

Give yourself a variety of choices and healthy snacking doesn’t have to be boring. Whether it’s one or two of these each week, make it a habit of stashing a few of these items at the house. The key is to choose healthy snacks that will fill them up and help nourish your teens without adding too many calories. Try and you’ll see—our top ten teen-approved list of healthy summer snacks is sure to make you the hit of the summer snacking frenzy!

Happy Summer Snacking!

22 Healthy Snacks Teens Will Devour

Posted on March 13, 2019 by The GEM and currently has Comments Off on 22 Healthy Snacks Teens Will Devour

Don’t get in the way of a hungry teen looking for sustenance. Their growing bodies and brains need healthy snacks when they need them. So if you wait for them to start rummaging through the kitchen, you may have already lost the battle for healthy food.

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Teens will snack on what is in front of them, whatever it is. So keep a few options out or in the fridge and they’ll be sure to eat them up.

22 TEEN-APPROVED SNACK IDEAS

Organic stove-top popcorn with coconut oil and sea salt. Dee-lish.
Sliced cucumbers and carrots marinated in lime juice and salt. Sooo good!
Organic chips with fresh pico, salsa, guacamole and bean dip.
Nachos with pinto beans and organic Mexican cheese
Sunflower seeds. Pistachios are fun to eat. Toast your own pumpkin seeds.
Turkey Muffins. Sounds weird, but they are yummy and easy to make.
GEM Hummus Snack Pack, or make your own. Have you tried our “Ranch” dip?
Sliced apples with organic almond or peanut butter.
Always have Cutie oranges, grapes, or bananas for an easy grab.
Make a smoothie! Blend 1 frozen banana with 1 cup almond milk, raw cacao and organic peanut butter for a yummy treat. Better yet, make a Sparkle Berry smoothie. They will love you!
Speaking of The GEM, the Badass 3 Bean Salad is a big hit with the kids.
Avocado toast with lemon, cayenne, and sea salt.
Mini pizzas made with whole grain English muffins, fresh marinara, mozzarella.
Lentil soup or turkey chili with all the fixings.
Simple Mills crackers are yummy (and gluten free)!
Kids love Sami’s Cinnamon Chips. These high-fiber, low-sugar snacks will disappear. Available at The GEM.
Pre-make whole wheat or banza chickpea pasta and keep a clean and healthy Pomodoro sauce or pesto on hand for a quick pasta break.
Keep grass-fed taco meat and whole wheat tortillas in the fridge for quick quesadillas. When buying tortillas or taco seasoning, look for brands that have simple ingredients. Mission or Taco Bell does not.
Steam frozen organic edamame and add sea salt.
Make-ahead yogurt parfaits in a small Mason jar! Mix Greek or Kite Hill yogurt with Marge (available at The GEM) or Kind granola and berries, and drizzle honey on top.
Healthy protein bars. Look for ones like Clif, Perfect, and Vega with simple ingredients and no harmful chemicals.
Special treat: Homemade cookies and brownies! Just use organic flours, whole butters, and real chocolates — or mixes that do the same like King Arthur or Immaculate Baking Company. A little goodness goes a long way. These treats should be treated as just that — treats.

Find one or two your teen likes and try out new ones every week. Keep a few on your shopping list, and they’ll never run out of options.

5 Ways to Tame a Teen Junk-Food Junkie

Posted on February 13, 2019 by The GEM and currently has 3 Comments on 5 Ways to Tame a Teen Junk-Food Junkie

Is your teenager slowly transforming into a junk food junkie? It’s a real threat to their health — and your sanity. At the very stage they need it most, they opt for junk instead of nutritious foods! The struggle is real.

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Nutrition affects the 4 As: athletics, academics, attitude, and appearance. Majorly important to teenagers — and they need to know it. Inflammatory junk foods such as fast food, sodas, potato chips, sweets, etc., cause seriously negative effects.

Junk Food Consequences

Acne.
Low energy, sluggishness.
Inability to focus/concentrate/ADHD (largely affected by artificial dyes and lack of good fats and proteins.)
Allergies! (Check out The Unhealthy Truth by Robyn O’Brien. Infuriating!)
Mood swings, anxiety, anger, hormones. (Food can be a big factor in managing mood.)
Weight gain or risk of obesity.

A change is needed! It’s a lot to take in. But if we can help them adopt a few good habits, we keep them thriving, healthy and happy — straight into adulthood.

I don’t suggest coming in full swing with kale chips and sprouted quinoa burgers. Start slowly. Remember it’s never too late to end junk food habits; but it does start with you.

5 Tips for Feeding Teens

MODEL GOOD NUTRITION. Practice what you preach. Show your teens how to make healthier choices — like by having grab-and-go options always available — so they learn the connection between good food and good health. It may be hard, but modeling behavior is part of our job as parents.
MAKE IT RELEVANT. For this to sink in, the nutritional message has to mean something to them. Be specific. Tell them how food affects their growth, their looks, their feelings, their academic and sports performance, or whatever seems to be the most important to the teen during that particular week. Tell your child that eating lots more green leafy vegetables and less dairy or sugar will eliminate breakouts, or skipping the french fries and milkshake might make for a better basketball game.
EAT MORE QUALITY PROTEIN — at every meal.The growing teenage brain and body need protein. Protein gives the body the building blocks it needs to repair and renew, and it also serves as a source of energy and keeps them from craving sweets. Try wild fish, organic chicken, grass-fed beef. Nut butters are also good sources of protein — just make sure they are all natural and not loaded with sugars.
CLEAN OUT THE PANTRY. Start out small with foods containing with artificial colors (banned in Europe) and sweeteners immediately. Artificial sweeteners are known to cause 93 unsavory side effects including brain tumors. Food colorings are known to cause tumors, ADHD, allergies, and lots of other problems. Even replacing superbad junk with organic, non-GMO junk is a non-toxic step in the right direction. But be thorough. Even the most unsuspecting of foods, like bread or tortillas, can have more chemicals in them than you can count — much less pronounce — so read the labels.
EAT BREAKFAST — the most important meal of the day. This is so true for kids when it comes to brain development, daily energy levels, and ability to focus. Think protein-rich eggs, low-sugar smoothies, oatmeal, breakfast tacos. Fruit Loops are not an option. Sugary cereals and drinks have no place at breakfast — they give brains nothing to function with — and the accompanying sugar spike and drop makes kids cranky. Special note: Breakfast may be your only chance of the day to influence their choices. It also can be a great way to spend a moment with your kids — that you otherwise might not have!

Ultimately, good nutrition comes down to a lifestyle, not a week or so of regimented consumption (returning straight to their favorite junk foods). Armed with an understanding of this, teens can start making informed choices that will support them for the rest of their lives. Thoughts? Questions? Leave a comment!

Back to School Part Three – Cleaner Junk Food and Quick Snack Food Ideas

Posted on August 14, 2017 by diamondsonyourinside and currently has Comments Off on Back to School Part Three – Cleaner Junk Food and Quick Snack Food Ideas

If we look at your pantry right now, would it be laden with the traditional snack items like Doritos, OREOS and General Mills Cereals that we all grew up with?

A toxic storm of chemicals and science lab ingredients. But let’s be realistic. You have to have some junk food in your house. We can’t be perfect all the time. And, quite frankly, do you really want to be??

You don’t, however, have to eat those processed, chemical-laden, GMO riddled snacks! There are so many new alternative brands and organic versions out there.

Fruit Loops, Lunchables, and Cheetos ARE NOT OPTIONS.

I don’t recommend packaged junk food all the time, but we live in the real world. It’s gonna happen. PLUS, if you want your teens to gather at your house, you gotta have some ready to grab snacks!

Give these organic and non-GMO snacks a try.

Instead of Doritos/Tostitos – Late July Jalapeno Lime Tortilla Chips (Warning: these are insanely good!)
Instead of Gold Fish – Annie’s Organic Cheddar Squares or Bunnies, Simple Mills Almond Flour Crackers in great flavors
Instead of Ritz Crackers – Field Day Organics Golden Round Crackers
Instead of Fritos & Cheetos – Bearitos Corn Chips and Cheese Puffs

These snack brands do not contain MSG, an ingredient that keeps you going back for more and more. MSG is why many of the GMO snack brands like Doritos are so addictive!!

The key is to BE PREPARED. Make regular trips to the grocery store, with a list of things that will sustain your teens (and their friends) for the week. Or check out these AMAZING delivery apps:

INSTACART – Get deliveries within an hour from Whole Foods, Costco and Central Market. Awesome!

THRIVE MARKET – Get organic pantry products at great prices!

Don’t wait for them to start rummaging through the kitchen. They will snack on what is in front of them. So have it out on the counter.

Other awesome snack ideas:

Organic popcorn made on the stove top with coconut oil and sea salt. So easy. Tiny But Mighty brand non-GMO popcorn kernels are fantastic.
Sliced cucumbers/carrot rounds marinated in lime juice and sea salt. Don’t underestimate this one!
Tex-Mex rules! Keep grass-fed taco meat ready to go. Always have these in your fridge:
- Fresh pico, salsa, guac or bean dip. Nachos with pinto beans and organic cheese knock Cheetos out of the park! Make sure your tortillas are without chemical ingredients (say goodbye to Mission brand).
Amy’s Nacho Snacks, Pizza Rolls or Burritos
The GEM hummus with jalapeno pesto. Grab one of our snack packs for on the go!
Keep sunflower seed and pistachios in a bowl on the counter.
Make watermelon slushes in the afternoon. They will love you! How? Tons of watermelon on the bottom of the blender, frozen strawberries, a cup of ice, a peeled lemon or lime. Shazam!!
Mini pizzas made with whole grain English muffins, fresh marinara and organic mozzarella. Whole Foods has great pre-made ones.
Sami’s Cinnamon Chips will disappear at carpool time. Everyone LOVES these high fiber, low sugar (but don’t tell them that) chips. Available at The GEM.
Keep whole wheat pasta ready in the fridge with marinara.
Steam frozen ORGANIC edamame and add sea salt. Costco sells this!!
Popsicles? Try these Austin-based GoodPop® All-Natural Frozen Pops. I love the Watermelon Agave and Coconut Lime Bars!!

These are not all super-food healthy snacks – because we don’t always obey the rules. They are, however, CLEAN, free of harmful chemicals and dyes. This is really important to remember when feeding your families. Good luck and … Happy End of Summer!

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Back to School – Tried and True Breakfast Ideas for Everyone!

Posted on August 2, 2017 by diamondsonyourinside and currently has 2 Comments on Back to School – Tried and True Breakfast Ideas for Everyone!

Summer break is soon coming to an end, and I’m already anxious about how to keep my kids nourished (thinking of breakfast ideas) and my sanity intact as schedules start to ramp up. Staying ahead of crazy hunger is the name of the game, whether it be for breakfast, snacks or dinner.

In this three part series, we will share quick and easy ways to feed your kids and yourself.

First up, breakfast ideas!

Without question breakfast is the most important meal of the day … for brain development, daily energy levels, and our ability to focus. So make it a priority! Discover our top tried and true breakfast ideas below.

Keys to a successful morning:

Be prepared.
Shop for the week.
Buy in bulk – Organic lovers, meet Costco!
Get a jump start – Set the table and put ingredients together in the fridge the night before. Place vitamins in little ramekins at their place setting. Plan to get up at least 10 minutes earlier. It makes all the difference.
Think protein, fiber and good fat.

Our Super 7 Breakfast Ideas

Self Serve Oatmeal Bar. So cute! Just add hot water rolled oats and wait two minutes. Arrange toppings in small bowls:
• Maple syrup, organic brown sugar, cinnamon
• Blueberries and Bananas
• Hemp or Chia Seeds
• Coconut Butter, Organic Peanut butter or Almond butter
• Coconut flakes & Cacao nibs
• Toasted Pecans
• Tip: Cook steel-cut oatmeal overnight in your crock pot the night before so it will be ready in the a.m. This will keep for a week in the fridge!
Breakfast burrito/wrap – Fresh, whole wheat tortillas – not “MISSION” – or try my favorite, Siete Almond Flour tortillas!!, mixed with pastured eggs and pico de gallo. Drain a can of black beans the night before and add those in the mix too. Protein and healthy fats are crucial for brain function and keeping blood sugar levels even. Try your eggs scrambled in coconut oil.
Fresh smoothies made with frozen berries, bananas, raw almonds/water, Epic Vegan Protein. Stock up on your ingredients from our GEM at Home Collection. Keep cacao and dates on hand too. Try this Peanut Butter Chocolate Smoothie. My family so loves this with additional chocolate protein added.
Healthy Smoothie Bowl. Here’s a secret: Bowls are just smoothies with less liquid! Top yours with berries, hemp seeds, Marge’s granola. Another secret: Our FOYO Parfait is a smoothie bowl … in a travel ready cup! Need instruction? Check out this video on how to make the prefect bowl. YOU WILL BE A MORNING ROCK STAR!
King Arthur GF Pancake Mix with blueberries. This gluten-free brand is amazing!!!! They really are fantastic when cooked with coconut oil. They need almost no syrup! Combine with scrambled eggs to balance with protein or wrap up a Applegate Farms Chicken Sausage Link.
PB&J: Ezekial Bread toasted with almond butter and your favorite jam (not the kind with food coloring and lots of chemicals. Read your labels! I adore Avocado Toast!!
Get ahead of the game and make a Breakfast Casserole!! This Hashbrown and Spinach Egg Casserole is amazing. Even better, pour the mixture into muffin tins for quick on the go breakfast bites or protein snacks! Another recipe here.

And hey, remember: The time in the morning is precious and can be a great way to take a moment to set your intention for the day, spend a moment with your kids and practice your own self-care.

Want more great cooking instruction?

Check out our dear friend Pamela Salzman’s new Kitchen Matters Cookbook. In Kitchen Matters, she shares the recipes that have won the praise of Nicole Richie, Rashida Jones, Audrina Patridge and other mega-fans. Both practical and elegant, Kitchen Matters offers a road map for new and busy home cooks to begin including more wholesome foods every day, for meals as nourishing as they are unforgettable.

Want more?

Book Signing Monday, August 21

Join us at our Forest location August 21st, 10 a.m. – noon, for a book signing AND demo at 11 a.m.!!

Final Tips for Feeding (and Hydrating) a Teenage Athlete

Posted on August 29, 2016 by diamondsonyourinside and currently has 1 Comment on Final Tips for Feeding (and Hydrating) a Teenage Athlete

The third part of our series on teenage athlete nutrition focuses exclusively on hydrating your teenage athlete. Proper hydration in your teen is incredibly important. Even the slightest bit of dehydration can result in vast declines in performance.

Understand hydration. It is key because too many of us blindly reach for traditional sports drinks for hydration, electrolyte replacement and energy. This can be a big mistake if you don’t know the scoop.

Conventional Sports Drinks …

Contain 2/3 as much sugar as sodas. Sugar after exercise negatively affects insulin sensitivity—it may bring an initial boost of energy, but then causes a crash as the pancreas tries to balance out the toxic blood sugar spike.
Are made with artificial colors, flavors and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Gatorade and its brethren are NOT healthy beverages. These ingredients promote ADHD, and contain synthetic ingredients that offer the body NO nutritional benefit.
Are loaded with sodium – the bad kind – not to be confused with unprocessed sea salt, which contains 84 different minerals and trace minerals that your body needs for optimal function. A far better option is to simply add a small amount of natural, unprocessed sea salt to your water.

So, what are your hydration and electrolyte replacement options?

Water is always good, but won’t replace integral electrolytes and minerals.
Coconut Water is rich in B vitamins, trace minerals AND electrolytes, as well as potassium and magnesium.
Bananas are high in potassium, fiber and antioxidants.
Raisins are a great replacement for those “energy jelly beans” and GOO.
Clean Sports Drinks.

Wait, what is that, you say? A CLEAN sports drink???

Yes indeed! Say good bye to Gatorade. Enter Perform—our super-clean performance and recovery drink! It has a Tart Cherry-Pineapple flavor. It is powered with electrolytes, trace minerals, hydrating coconut water and lightly sweetened with local raw honey for flavor and stamina. Tart Cherry is important because this polyphenol-rich juice reduces oxidative stress, which if neglected promotes excess fatigue, tissue damage and slow recovery, The bromelain in pineapple works to reduce inflammation.

Hydrating your teenage athlete is a minefield, people. Lucky for you we’ve got you covered.

If you want to learn more about this and more GEM~my goodness, join us for our Day in the Life of a GEM counseling series. It is on in September.

Sparkle on!

Healthy Tips for Feeding a Teenage Athlete – Part Two

Posted on August 22, 2016 by diamondsonyourinside and currently has 1 Comment on Healthy Tips for Feeding a Teenage Athlete – Part Two

Many struggle with knowing the healthiest ways to feed teenagers. Feeding a teenage athlete is even trickier.

As discussed in last week’s post, optimal physical performance for your teen athlete requires preparation—not just daily practice, but as it relates to daily dietary input. You can’t expect to put cheap and crappy fuel into your car and expect it to run optimally. The same goes for your body. What are appropriate pre and post game hydration and energy food options?

Last week’s post covered what your teenage athlete should eat – as a general diet, before training, and before sporting events. But what happens when your athlete is on the go? What choices can you make when you don’t have a great deal of time or the choices are limited and they need quick energy?

Sugary sports drinks and energy bars can actually do more harm than good. Beware of chemical laden, sugar filled energy bars that tout performance improvement.

Healthy and quick pre-game nutrition ideas on the go should be clean and simple:

Keep bananas, oranges and green apples on hand. (great with almond or organic peanut butter)
Pumpkin seeds, raw trail mix, GEM Remix*
Lentil Soup or Quinoa–packed with energy boosting nutrients
Green juice – don’t underestimate the power of green juice! Packed with energizing nutrients that are delivered immediately into the bloodstream. Green Glow is a great pre- and post-game choice.
Healthy smoothies (made at home or from a reputable smoothie place without added sugar)
Go Lean Crunch or healthy cereals that contain good protein
Beet shots – increases endurance, reduces oxygen consumption, increases blood nitrate levels and reduces resting blood pressure. It might be a stretch for some of our teens, but major athletes swear by them!

Bars are an easy and convenient way to keep your teenage athlete fueled, but choose carefully. Our favorites:

Tosi Bars*
Square Bars (peanut butter chocolate is the best!!)*
Epic Protein Powders (show them how to make their own smoothies!)*
GoMacro*
Perfect Bars – they require refrigeration but are amazing
Kind Bars Strong & Kind
Vega One Sport – this company has an entire line of products aimed at sports performance
Lara Pro-Bars
While not perfect, Clif bars are an energy option that is available even in the most remote of convenience stores.

*Available inside The GEM

Remember: clean and simple food choices are the way to go with your teenage athlete. And don’t forget – water, water and more water!

Next week, we wrap up our series by tackling hydration and sports drinks. Until then, drink your juice!

Healthy Tips for Feeding a Teenage Athlete – Part One

Posted on August 10, 2016 by diamondsonyourinside and currently has 12 Comments on Healthy Tips for Feeding a Teenage Athlete – Part One

Our kids are crazy about their sports. They put lots of focus on practice and training to prepare for the big games; but do they place equal focus on the nutrition that will support their play? Optimal performance for a teenage athlete requires preparation—not just with practice output, but also dietary input.

This three part blog series will give you information and helpful tips on how to fuel your teenage athlete in ways that are healthy and promote optimal performance. If you haven’t already, take a look at our series on feeding healthy teens here – part one, part two, part three, part four. This information was very well received, but it resulted in more in-depth questions, specifically about your teenage athlete.

Sports nutrition for teenagers is a bit of a specialized area. Teenage athletes playing high level sports burn calories very quickly. If they don’t eat enough of the right types of nutrients, their performance can decrease and may even result in possible growth problems. Healthy eating allows a teen athlete to achieve peak performance without compromising overall health.

So how do you properly nourish the body pre and post game? Here some tips on how to guide your teenage athlete towards optimal sports performance:

Eat a diet that is about 70% complex carbohydrates – including fruit, vegetables, brown rice, whole grain, organic pastas, quinoa, carrots – to achieve maximum carbohydrate storage. Lean proteins such as organic chicken, pastured eggs and small amounts of grass fed beef are critical. Stay away from the bad carbs: white pasta, white breads, junk cereals, and off the shelf fruit juice.
Eat fat. It sounds crazy, but good quality, healthy fats are a source of fuel for your body and are strongly advised – smart choices are avocados, natural organic peanut / raw almond butter on an apple.
Eat a good breakfast! Every day, but especially on game days. Oatmeal, a fruit smoothie with vegan protein, scrambled eggs.
Eat a meal no less than three hours before exercising.
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!*** Drink 24 ounces of water two to three hours before the sporting event, during the event on breaks, and especially afterwards to replenish the body. Beware of sports drinks – they can be loaded with sugar, creepy preservatives and artificial food colorings (more about that in part 3).
Pre-game, eat a meal containing complex carbohydrates such as whole wheat pasta, or brown rice with vegetables. Don’t weigh your teen down with heavy proteins or unhealthy fats. If they can’t eat a full meal because they have a nervous feeling in their stomach, a small snack such as a banana or oatmeal is still important.
Avoid SUGAR before exercise – it can speed up dehydration. Your body will thank you later! I know it’s tempting because of the instant energy it provides, but the subsequent crash can be depleting.
Stay away from fast food. It can make your teenage athlete sluggish and it seriously affects performance. Better “fast food” choices are places like Chipotle and Panera, who have healthier options PLUS they have eliminated unhealthy additives and preservatives across the board. Save the occasional Burger House for a post-game celebration.
Multivitamins are essential! Teenage athletes just don’t get what they need from their food—even if they are perfect eaters. A daily multivitamin is key, along with high quality Fish Oil and a Probiotic. Look for organic ones, made from real food sources. New Chapter, Rainbow Light, Metagenics and Garden of Life are great brands.

And, be careful. There are always new ‘miracle’ foods and supplements surfacing. Many are expensive and even dangerous, which makes it confusing. Don’t be swayed. Keep keep it clean and simple.

***Post Note: Water

Water is one of the MOST important components to health and wellness there is. Dehydration is a very real risk if your teen doesn’t continually drink water throughout physical activity. Even dehydration of less than 2% can have measurable negative effects on performance. As a general rule, teenagers should drink 6-8 ounces of water 6 times a day for general health and 24 ounces of water two to three hours before a sporting event, as well as during and after playing.

Join us for parts 2 and 3 of this series for the whattup on teen athlete nutrition on-the-go and sports drinks. Until then … drink your juice.

The Official Blog of The GEM.