Amaya Brooks was a high school soccer coach and the older sister of two teenage athletes, so she was aware of how challenging it can be to encourage healthy eating in young athletes. She claims that despite their high energy expenditure, the majority of them turn to fast food or chips when they’re hungry.
She did not wish to elevate m nutrition. Rather, she adopted a pragmatic and amiable stance, demonstrating to her younger siblings how eating a clean diet could improve their performance. “They started paying attention once they realised that eating better gave them more stamina,” she says.
Swaps that didn’t feel constrictive were introduced by Amaya. They blended fruit smoothies in place of sugary cereal. They made a chicken and vegetable stir-fry in place of oily takeout.
Although they could still indulge in treats, the basis of their meals shifted to actual, complete foods.
The largest change? Their enthusiasm and concentration on the field. “They saw it immediately,” Amaya says. “No more crashes in the afternoon. No more slow procedures. According to her, the goal of clean eating is to nourish the body in a sustainable and pleasurable way rather than to be flawless. That’s a lesson that teen athletes will remember long after they stop playing.
