By Lauren Watson, LPC for additional information and support contact Specialist Katie Turco, MS, LPC, NCC | Eating Disorder Therapist in Richmond, VA
Fall sports bring a major increase in physical activity. Practices become more frequent, weekends fill with games, and dinner often gets squeezed between sports and homework.
As activity increases, a young athlete’s food intake may need to increase, too. Children and teenagers need enough energy to support athletic performance, academic concentration, emotional regulation, physical recovery, and continued growth.
For some families, this simply means adding a substantial snack and protecting time for dinner. For others, sports can intensify anxiety about food, exercise, weight, performance, or body image.
Close the After-School Nutrition Gap
Many students eat lunch before noon and then head directly from school to practice. By the time activity begins, they may already be under-fueled.
Pack an additional snack specifically for before practice. Practical options include:
A peanut butter or sunflower-seed-butter sandwich
Yogurt with granola
Crackers with cheese
A banana with nut or seed butter
Trail mix or a granola bar with fruit
Hummus with pita bread
A turkey-and-cheese roll-up
The best snack is one your child will reliably eat and can access at the right time. Children with food allergies, gastrointestinal conditions, sensory-related food limitations, or other medical needs should follow recommendations from their pediatrician and registered dietitian.
Hydration Begins Before Practice
Send a water bottle your child can use throughout the school day—not just during practice. If it repeatedly comes home full, determine what is getting in the way. Your child may forget to drink, dislike the bottle, avoid school bathrooms, or have limited opportunities to refill it.
For many activities lasting less than an hour, water is sufficient. Longer or more intense practices, heavy sweating, and hot or humid conditions may change hydration needs. Individual recommendations should come from a pediatrician or registered dietitian nutritionist.
Protect the Post-Practice Dinner
A full dinner after sports is part of recovery, even when homework is waiting.
Aim to include a carbohydrate, protein, fat, fruit or vegetable, and a drink. This could be pasta with meat sauce, a bean-and-cheese quesadilla with avocado, breakfast-for-dinner, a substantial sandwich with sides, or reheated leftovers.
Dinner does not need to be elaborate. It needs to be available, adequate, and consistent.
When Under-Fueling May Signal Something More
Not every missed snack indicates an eating disorder. Look at the larger pattern.
Potential eating disorder warning signs in young athletes include:
Frequently skipping meals or eliminating food groups
Expressing guilt after eating
Becoming preoccupied with calories, weight, or body composition
Believing food must be earned through exercise
Exercising despite illness, injury, or instructions to rest
Adding secretive workouts outside scheduled practices
Becoming highly distressed when a workout is missed
Comparing their body to teammates
Experiencing persistent fatigue, dizziness, or repeated injuries
Withdrawing from friends, family, or activities outside the sport
Experiencing changes in or loss of the menstrual cycle
Eating disorders affect athletes of every gender, body size, ability, and sport. A young person does not need to “look sick” or experience dramatic weight loss to need support.
How Parents Can Help
Keep conversations focused on nourishment, recovery, and well-being—not weight or appearance.
Try saying:
“Your body is doing more right now, so it may need more food.”
“Let’s make sure you have enough energy for school and practice.”
“You deserve dinner regardless of how practice went.”
“Rest and recovery are part of being an athlete.”
Avoid praising weight loss, categorizing foods as morally good or bad, or suggesting that food must be earned through exercise.
If you notice increasing rigidity, anxiety, secrecy, or guilt around food and exercise, begin with your child’s pediatrician. An eating-disorder-informed therapist and registered dietitian can help determine what additional support is needed.
Katie Turco, MS, LPC, NCC, provides eating disorder therapy in Richmond, Virginia, for adolescents and adults experiencing anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, ARFID, body-image concerns, and compulsive exercise. She also supports competitive athletes managing performance pressure and difficult relationships with food, exercise, and their bodies.
To consult with Katie, email therapy@katieturcopllc.com.
This article provides general educational information and is not a substitute for individualized medical, nutritional, or mental health care.
