Vegetarian diet for 13 year old swimmer

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Remember, swimmers need at least 80 grams of protein per day, and probably more for male swimmers in puberty.

Remember, you have absolutely no idea what the hell you’re talking about and are not qualified to give nutritional advice.

Why so angry? Just look up what nutritionists suggest. PP isn’t wrong.
https://www.usaswimming.org/docs/default-source/camps/national-select-camp/sports-nutrition-for-swimmers.pdf

Who’s angry? Any nutritionist will recommend macros based off of a person’s weight, body, composition, and activity level, and goals. Without knowing all of those inputs, they won’t make recommendations.

So a blanket statement that swimmers need 80g of protein per day is just dumb wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1 pound of super firm tofu has 70 grams of protein, and easy to eat in 2 meals.

Every single day? And that’s still not quite enough… The folks saying it’s impossible or all vegans have eating disorders are crazy, but I think OP is deluding herself if she thinks there’s an easy trick here that doesn’t require her mental energy.

I actually echo an earlier poster that whether this is doable depends on whether it’s what the kid wants — both the high level swimming & the diet.

1 Fairlife a day: https://a.co/d/b5E3QWF (26 gr protein)

1 serving tofu mock chicken nuggets (one serving 12 ge protein) https://www.target.com/p/applegate-naturals-family-size-chicken-nuggets-frozen-16oz/-/A-15389403 + 1 cup of edamame (17 grams protein) dinner

Glass milk with snack and breakfast (16 gr protein)

Cottage cheese (pizza bowl, blended and seasoned as a dip, plain, with everything bagel seasoning) 1/2 cup (12.5 grams protein) snack

Breakfast: 3 eggs + 1 slice cheese (25 grams protein) for an a scramble + 1 gr yogurt (17 grams protein)

Lunch: 2 cups of tortellini (example here 60 gr protein https://www.harristeeter.com/p/buitoni-spinach-and-cheese-tortellini-refrigerated-pasta/0002484211221)


This is just a sample…and it is at 187 grams of protein. This is rounded out with veggies and carbs and some fruit. You can make diff pasta or veggie chicken nuggets, etc for healthier versions

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1 pound of super firm tofu has 70 grams of protein, and easy to eat in 2 meals.

Every single day? And that’s still not quite enough… The folks saying it’s impossible or all vegans have eating disorders are crazy, but I think OP is deluding herself if she thinks there’s an easy trick here that doesn’t require her mental energy.

I actually echo an earlier poster that whether this is doable depends on whether it’s what the kid wants — both the high level swimming & the diet.

1 Fairlife a day: https://a.co/d/b5E3QWF (26 gr protein)

1 serving tofu mock chicken nuggets (one serving 12 ge protein) https://www.target.com/p/applegate-naturals-family-size-chicken-nuggets-frozen-16oz/-/A-15389403 + 1 cup of edamame (17 grams protein) dinner

Glass milk with snack and breakfast (16 gr protein)

Cottage cheese (pizza bowl, blended and seasoned as a dip, plain, with everything bagel seasoning) 1/2 cup (12.5 grams protein) snack

Breakfast: 3 eggs + 1 slice cheese (25 grams protein) for an a scramble + 1 gr yogurt (17 grams protein)

Lunch: 2 cups of tortellini (example here 60 gr protein https://www.harristeeter.com/p/buitoni-spinach-and-cheese-tortellini-refrigerated-pasta/0002484211221)


This is just a sample…and it is at 187 grams of protein. This is rounded out with veggies and carbs and some fruit. You can make diff pasta or veggie chicken nuggets, etc for healthier versions

The entire container is 2.5 c and 30g not 30g per cup. But still great ideas and 157g protein total and all reasonable ideas for a teenager.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Combine teen boy appetite with heavy swim workout and trying to gain weight despite a genetic predisposition to be skinny is making my life pretty hard. We are a vegetarian family. Curious if there are others like us and what your daily diet may look like.

When our then 13 year old athlete decided to become vegetarian (we are not a vegetarian family), I brought her to a nutritionist to go over her diet. I had her track what she ate for 2 weeks prior to the appointment, and they met together to review and then the 3 of us met afterward to discuss tweaks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1 pound of super firm tofu has 70 grams of protein, and easy to eat in 2 meals.

Every single day? And that’s still not quite enough… The folks saying it’s impossible or all vegans have eating disorders are crazy, but I think OP is deluding herself if she thinks there’s an easy trick here that doesn’t require her mental energy.

I actually echo an earlier poster that whether this is doable depends on whether it’s what the kid wants — both the high level swimming & the diet.

1 Fairlife a day: https://a.co/d/b5E3QWF (26 gr protein)

1 serving tofu mock chicken nuggets (one serving 12 ge protein) https://www.target.com/p/applegate-naturals-family-size-chicken-nuggets-frozen-16oz/-/A-15389403 + 1 cup of edamame (17 grams protein) dinner

Glass milk with snack and breakfast (16 gr protein)

Cottage cheese (pizza bowl, blended and seasoned as a dip, plain, with everything bagel seasoning) 1/2 cup (12.5 grams protein) snack

Breakfast: 3 eggs + 1 slice cheese (25 grams protein) for an a scramble + 1 gr yogurt (17 grams protein)

Lunch: 2 cups of tortellini (example here 60 gr protein https://www.harristeeter.com/p/buitoni-spinach-and-cheese-tortellini-refrigerated-pasta/0002484211221)


This is just a sample…and it is at 187 grams of protein. This is rounded out with veggies and carbs and some fruit. You can make diff pasta or veggie chicken nuggets, etc for healthier versions

To add some more details:

Throw serving or 1 of mock chicken nuggets in air fryer til crispy, take 1-2 tortillas and add nutrient dense (not iceberg) leafy greens, shredded cheese (more protein), tomatoes, and other salad type items (veggies), add warm fake chicken nuggets and serve as burrito sandwich. Do the same thing w/the nuggets on a salad (so it’s like a chicken tender salad) w/beans and cheese so again more protein.

- I have a vegetarian swimmer also!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Combine teen boy appetite with heavy swim workout and trying to gain weight despite a genetic predisposition to be skinny is making my life pretty hard. We are a vegetarian family. Curious if there are others like us and what your daily diet may look like.

You have to face reality is my random advice. There is zero chance a growing teenage boy can be competitive athletically as a skinny vegetarian. None. The science isn't there. Either give this boy some animal protein or throw away any chance of being a competitive athlete.

This is absolute BS. There are Vegan bodybuilders who do just fine so a vegetarian who eats dairy and maybe fish can figure it out. It just wakes planning and though to get in enough protein and more importantly calories.

OP the reality for kids and even adults who are naturally very thin and active is that they need to be very mindful of what they are eating as they are typically thin because they get full quickly. With that they need to be sure to be eating high calorie foods and even possibly eating past the point of feeling full in order to overconsume calories in order to gain weight.

I listened to a podcast years ago with a guy who was naturally very thing and also had celiac disease. he managed to gain something like 30+lb of muscle and he was honest in that the had to force himself to eat more even when he was not hungry.

These vegan body builders are adults, not growing 13 year old boys.

This only affirms my conviction that vegetarianism outside of medical necessity is an eating disorder.

You are a head case, vegetarian=eating disorder.. ok and no I am not a vegetarian. I also know lots of fat vegetarians. Vegetarian does not equal low calorie diet. They do need to be more mindful of what they are eating to ensure they are getting enough protein, but overall American are not hurting for protein and I have yet to meet someone in the US with a protein deficiency.

Registered dietitian here.

You have no idea if people around you have a protein deficiency; they do not wear signs announcing that. I see protein inadequacies all the time, primarily in older patients.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Combine teen boy appetite with heavy swim workout and trying to gain weight despite a genetic predisposition to be skinny is making my life pretty hard. We are a vegetarian family. Curious if there are others like us and what your daily diet may look like.

So why are you forcing your vegetarianism on a child who obviously needs more nutritional support? You are making this about you and not him, OP.

I would get him to a sports dietitian ASAP.

Can you read? She or he said nothing about the child not wanting to be a vegetarian.

[Anonymous]

Does your swimmer want to eat meat, or does he want to be vegetarian?