Alison Chin

David Blakely
Monique Lutz
Get a Kick Out of Healthy Eating!
Description Summary of Research on Audience:
We chose middle school soccer players and their parents as our audience because at this age their
dietary patterns can transfer in adulthood. Healthful eating habits learned at a young age can prevent
chronic diseases later in life. Our target audience has a lack of education in healthy eating and the
importance of staying hydrated. A typical day for these students is waking up early, probably skipping
breakfast or not eating enough, to go to school. For lunches, they rely on cafeteria food or the vending
machines. Their parents may work for most of the day so they dont have time to prepare lunches and
snacks for them, which leads to their childs undesirable food choices.
According to the Dietary Guidelines, the recommendation for fruits and vegetables is five
servings per day.1 However, American adolescents consume less than the recommended five servings per
day while only 29% of adolescents do.1 As children age into the adolescent stage, their nutrient intake
decreases, meaning less healthful food choices are being made. Studies have consistently shown that
adolescents do not meet their dietary recommendations due to poor eating habits. 3 Only about 1% of
adolescent males and females meet all recommendations, while 18% of girls and 7% of boys did not meet
any of the recommendations.3 These poor dietary patterns are the tie in with growing independence, more
frequently eating away from home, and busier schedules. 3 In addition, their behaviors are more easily
influenced by their peers and social media.1,2
With the intense heat and humidity in Florida, children are especially at risk for heat stroke and
other heat-induced illnesses. The U.S. Soccer Federation lists physiological reasons as to why children are
at higher risk: greater surface area to body mass ratio than adults, reduced ability to lose heat through
sweating, and lack of physiological drive to drink enough fluids to replace sweat losses. 4 In addition, there
are several other factors as to why young soccer players do not drink enough fluids. Some of these
reasons may include: too few breaks during matches, not drinking enough fluid during practice, lack of
shaded rest areas, and unawareness of referees on their authority to briefly stop play for fluid breaks. 4 The
American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children should be sufficiently hydrated before long
periods of physical activity and they should be encouraged to drink 5-9 oz of fluid depending on their
weight every 20 minutes, even if they do not feel thirsty.5
Objectives:
Objective #1 (Cognitive)
Participants will be able to describe two benefits of drinking water as their main beverage.
Objective #2 (Cognitive)
Participants will be able to identify three on-the-go healthy snacks.
Objective #3 (Psychomotor)
Participants will be able to prepare a healthy snack containing fruits or vegetables.

Procedure Outline:
Opening: Introduction to healthy eating
Time: 6 minutes

How you eat today affects how you play tomorrow. Dont you want to be the best player you can be?
By eating healthy and drinking water, you will be the best player on the field, just like your favorite
soccer player!
Think about the foods that professional athletes might eat. The foods you eat help increase sports
performance in the same way.
When you watch a soccer game do you see your favorite team drinking water on the sidelines?
Handout Pretest
Body: Lessons & Activities
Importance of not skipping meals
Time: 10 minutes

Ask the Group: Have you ever skipped breakfast or lunch one day? How did that make you feel?
Activity: Flash Cards - Show pictures of different food items and ask them which of these foods
contain carbohydrates (Ex: fruits, potato, pasta, etc.)

Lesson: The Major Nutrients Help Your Sports Performance

Carbohydrates - Your main fuel source
Your muscles store carbohydrates for energy so it is important to refill!
Increases stamina to last at practice or at a game 6
Maintain performance levels during and after the game 6
Protein - Repairs your muscles
Provides energy when carbohydrates run out
Aids in recovery from games and practices6
Prevents muscle injuries6
Fats - Remember moderation
Not all fats are unhealthy! (Ex: nuts, avocado, fish, oils vs. animal fats) 7
Important for your body to grow, healthy skin & hair7
Protects your body from impacts6
Lesson for Parents: Timing is Everything!
Schedule meal times for your young athletes
Have quick snacks on hand for them to eat on the way to practice.
Apples, oranges, bananas, whole wheat crackers, and granola bars.
Meals should contain a protein, carb, vegetables, fruit, and dairy.
Carbs: Rice, whole grain pasta or bread, starchy vegetables, etc.
Protein: Lean meats (Ex: chicken, fish) or soy alternatives
Dairy: Low fat, reduced fat options versus whole milk
Pass out Soccer Mom shopping list8
Fruit and Vegetables in a healthy diet
Time: 20 minutes

Lesson: Why Fruits and Vegetables?

According to the Dietary Guidelines, the recommendation for fruits and vegetables is five servings per
day.9,10
Consuming whole foods such as whole grains and fresh fruits/vegetables is preferred due to unnecessary
sugar or sodium from processed, prepackaged foods. 9,10
Eat the rainbow!11
Eating a variety of colored fruits and vegetables gives you a broad range of nutrients such as spinach,
tomatoes, carrots, eggplants, strawberries, kiwis, blueberries, etc.
Lesson: Fruits & Vegetables: Carb Power!
One serving of vegetables is about the size of your fist.
Starchy (Potatoes, peas, and corn) and non-starchy vegetables (spinach and carrots) provide
carbohydrates, which give you energy.
One serving of fruit is 1 cup of fruit or 100% juice.
Dried fruits may also be a good option and cup of dried fruit equals one serving of fruit. Just be
mindful that dried fruit will contain more sugar and sometimes less fiber than whole fruit.
Canned fruit is another convenient way of eating more fruits. Keep in mind to look for canned fruits
packed in water instead of syrup.9
Activity: Show serving size cups and place the fruit and vegetables on a plate to provide better
visualization.
Activity: Snack Time
Ask the Group:
Parents: What snacks do you usually make?
Children: What are your favorite snacks?
Mention some easy & on-the-go snack options: granola bars, veggie sticks, fruit, etc.
Parents and Children Create Snacks Together:
Create-Your-Own Fruit Kebabs
Ants-on-a-Log
Create-Your-Own Trail Mix

Hydration: Stay Cool with Water

Time: 15 minutes
Lesson: Benefits of Staying Hydrated - Keeps your body temperature cooler, replaces fluids lost from
sweating, and reduces risk of heat stroke.6

Charades Game: How dehydration affects your soccer performance. Have a few of the children draw
papers out of a hat to act out heat stroke, leg muscle cramps, high heart rate. 12 During each performance
discuss to the class what is happening in each scenario and have them make guesses.
Heat stroke - A big danger in Florida due to the heat and humidity. What are the signs? Dizzy, headache,
weakness, racing heart, confusion lack of sweating. 13 Look out for your teammates and stay hydrated!
High heart rate - Heart has to work harder to move blood to the rest of your body, causing your muscles to
get tired and leads to cramping.14
Lesson: Water as Your Main Beverage:
Show sugar amounts in different sodas, sports drinks, and fruit drinks.
How soda affects your body: Ask the children and parents if they ever had a stomach ache or felt sleepy
or had a sugar crash after eating a lot of sugar. Drinking a lot of soda can mean more cavities and
dentist visits!
How caffeine affects your sports performance: Makes you shaky and jittery, your heart races, and your
body actually loses water even faster!15
Give out 1 L reusable water bottles: Helps for tracking your daily fluid intake. Drink at least 2 of these
bottles a day of water!16
Sports drinks help increase thirst and replenish electrolytes for long endurance sports like soccer. 15 It is
okay to sometimes drink sports drinks during games, but water is preferred.
Activity: Sample Homemade Sports Drink Recipes
Healthier, lower sugar and no additives compared to commercial brands.
Flavors: Homemade Orange Sports Drink, Fresh Lemon Hydrator, or Lime Boost
Parents will be given recipe handouts.15
Conclusion:
Time: 12 minutes

Post-test
Q&A Session

Takeaway Messages:
Remember to stay hydrated all throughout the day and remember to drink during breaks in practice.
Everyone, how many water bottles do we drink? Two!
It is also important to never skip meals. How you eat today affects how you play tomorrow.
Fruits and Vegetables are going to help you play better

Materials List:

Educational Materials:
Food picture flashcards
Handouts:
Quick recipes
Soccer Mom Shopping List
Homemade Sports Drink Recipes
Snack Time Materials:

Plates
Mini plastic cups
Small bowls/cups
Spoons
Napkins
Skewers
3 Pitchers
3 Stirring spoons
Fruit Kebabs: Strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, apple slices, peaches, kiwis
Ants-on-a-Log: Celery, peanut butter, raisins
Trail Mix: Raisins, dried apricots, craisins, cashews, almonds, pistachios.
Homemade Sports Drink (prepared): Orange juice, lemon juice, lime juice, lemon zest, sugar, salt, water
Reusable 1 L water bottles (per amount of students)
Evaluation Questions:

1.
2.
a.
b.
c.
d.
3.
a.
b.
c.
a.
b.
5.
a.
b.
c.

List two benefits that drinking water and staying hydrated has on sports performance.
Which of the following is a healthy on the go snack?
Fruit gummy snacks
Chips
Goldfish crackers
Granola bar
When is it okay to drink sports drinks?
With a meal
During sports practice
All the time
4. A small apple counts as 1 serving of the fruit group
True
False
A good rule of thumb to use for finding out the serving size of a vegetable when measuring is not
available is to compare it to:
A cereal bowl
The size of your fist
The size of your foot
References & Resources

1. Young EM, Fors SW, Hayes DM. Associations Between Perceived Parent Behaviors and Middle School
Student Fruit and Vegetable Consumption. J Nutr Educ Behav. 2004; 36(12):2-12.
2. Fahlman MM, Dake JA, McCaughtry N, Martin J. A Pilot Study to Examine the Effects of Nutrition
Intervention on Nutrition Knowledge, Behaviors, and Efficacy Expectations in Middle School Children. J
Sch Health. 2008; 78(4): 216-222.
3. Story M, Neumark-Sztainer D, French S. Individual and environmental influence on adolescent eating
behaviors. J Am Diet Assoc. 2002;102(3):S40-S51.
4. Casa DJ. Youth Soccer Heat & Hydration Guidelines. U.S. Soccer Federation. 2006. Accessed From:
http://www.usyouthsoccer.org/assets/1/15/Heat_Hydration_GuidelinesUSSF.pdf.
5. Climatic Heat Stress and the Exercising Child and Adolescent. Pediatrics. 2000; 106(1):158-150.
6. Purcell LK. Sport Nutrition for Young Athletes. Paediatr Child Health. 2013; 18(4): 200-202.

7. Take Charge of Your Health: A Guide for Teens. National Institute of Health website
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-topics/weight-control/take-charge-yourhealth/Pages/take-charge-your-health.aspx. Published May 2012. Accessed October 1, 2016.
8. Danahy A. A Soccer Moms Healthy Shopping List. Nutrition 411 website
http://www.nutrition411.com/articles/soccer-moms-healthy-shopping-list. Published August 21, 2015.
Accessed September 18, 2016.
9. All About the Fruit Group. United States Department of Agriculture Web Site.
https://www.choosemyplate.gov/fruit. Updated July 26, 2016. Accessed September 25, 2016.
10. All About the Vegetable Group. United States Department of Agriculture Web Site.
https://www.choosemyplate.gov/vegetables. Updated July 26, 2016. Accessed September 25, 2016.
11. Fruits and Veggies Matter More Web site. http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/eat-a-colorfulvariety-of-fruits-and-vegetables. Accessed October 1, 2016.
12. Rodriguez NR, DiMarco NM, Langley S. Position of the American Dietetic Association, Dieticians of
Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and Athletic Performance. J Am Diet
Assoc. 2009;109(3):509-527.
13. Heatstroke Symptoms. Mayo Clinic website http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heatstroke/basics/symptoms/con-20032814. Updated July 12, 2014. Accessed September 25, 2016.
14. Shirreffs SM. The Importance of Good Hydration for Work and Exercise Performance. Nutrition Reviews.
2005; 63(6): S14-S21.
15. Lair C, Murdoch S. Feeding the Young Athlete. Bellevue, WA: Readers to Eaters Books. 20012; 1-39.
Accessed from: http://www.usyouthsoccer.org/assets/1/15/FeedingTheYoungAthlete.pdf.
16. Mullen M, Shield E. Water: How Much Do Kids Need? Eatright website
http://www.eatright.org/resource/fitness/sports-and-performance/hydrate-right/water-go-with-the-flow.
Published May 3, 2016. Accessed September 25, 2016.