Ability to Prepare a Quick and Healthy Snack for Notre Dame Athletes

University of Notre Dame

April 23, 2017

Ashlie Jeansonne

ARAMARK Dietetic Internship

Overview
 The University of Notre Dame is sought to be at the center of Catholic

intellectual life and began on November 26, 1842. 1 It is located in South Bend,

Indiana with 26 NCAA Division 1 sports teams. The Sports Nutrition staff supplies

all the necessary nutrients including meals, shakes and snacks to the athletes. A

Training Table is also available daily, providing one full meal a day ranging from

standard buffet style to exhibition stations. Along with Training Table, the fueling

station is convenient for quick grab and goes.

Athletes come to Notre Dame from all over the country, however majority

are Caucasian. It is crucial that athletes fuel their bodies with optimal nutrition in

order to properly prepare their selves for elite competition. Although they are

provided with healthy meals on a daily basis, it is imperative for the athletes to

independently understand the true benefits optimal nutrition can have on ones

body and how proper or improper fueling can effect performance.

A cooking demonstration and educational session was presented to the

athletes at the Training Table located in the dining hall, on how to prepare no

bake chocolate protein cookies and the benefits of the ingredients. The

conclusion of the session was 100% were confident in making the recipe and

75% were more likely to consume both protein and carbohydrates in their snack

options. Although the results were substantial, there were limitations such as the

need for more space, so holding the demonstration in a different more secluded

area could have been more beneficial.

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Nutrition Assessment-Cultural Characteristics of Primary Ethnicity at

Community Practice Site

Demographics

Notre Dame is an elite University with a majority of the students being

superior athletes. There are a total of 26 sports teams, which compete in the

ACC and ranked NCAA Division 1 competing against the highest caliber athletes

in the United States, with some training for the Olympics. These 26 sports teams

include, but not limited to football, basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer, lacrosse,

and track and field. Considering the wide variety of athletes accepted across the

country the demographics at Notre Dame varies, with Caucasian being the vast

majority followed by African American, and a smaller population a mixture of

various other ethnicities (93% U.S. citizens, 7% international). 1

Religious Beliefs

The University of Notre Dame is a Catholic school, with a majority of the

student population deriving from the Catholic religion, 81%. The remainder 19%

consists of diverse religions, which are not statically reported. Aside from what

the previous data indicated, there is no other source that further provides

adequate information based on the religious beliefs of the students that attend

Notre Dame. However, Notre Dame strives to achieve a more challenging

mission than most Universities by not only having excellent educational

institutions, but to foster and celebrate a distinctive mission to be a Catholic

university, inspired and guided by a great spiritual tradition. 1 It doesnt matter

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what one believes, you will be engaged, inspired and welcomed, making each
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student feel comfortable despite their faith.

Health and Wellness

These superb athletes are not only held to a higher standard for

academics, but also in performance. To ensure they are optimizing their talent an

interdisciplinary team of professionals works along side them to help meet the

health and wellness needs of each individual athlete. This healthcare team

includes Registered Dietitians (RD), athletic trainers, strength and conditioning

coaches, as well as a full medical care staff incase of injures or various medical

conditions. The athletes have free access to the fueling station that provides

various protein bars, protein shakes, fruits and fluids allowing for quick refueling

on the way to class or after a workout. The RDs collaborate with the chef to

create the meal plans for an event called Training Table, where the athletes get

to enjoy a catered meal with various healthy food options throughout the week.

All of these accommodations allow for complete health and wellness among

these top caliber athletes.

Primary Disease States

Chronic diseases are not common among this population, due to their

daily strenuous workout regimen. Even though, these athletes are protecting their

health, many are at risk for Relative Energy Efficiency in Sport (RED-S). The

disorders associated with RED-S refers to metabolic rate, menstrual function,

bone health, immunity, protein synthesis, and cardiovascular health caused by

relative energy deficiency.2 Athletes move along a continuous spectrum ranging

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from a healthy athlete with optimal energy availability, regular menses and

healthy bones to the opposite end indicating amenorrhea, low energy availability

and osteoporosis all correlating to lack of adequate energy intake. 2 The

University holds their athletes to high standards on an individual performance

bases as well as a clinical standpoint. To resolve and properly monitor these

conditions, lab work is drawn and RDs intervene by conducting counseling

sessions, team talks, meal planning and provide necessary education when

matters of RED-S are detected.

Nutrition Diagnosis

PES statement: Food and nutrition-related knowledge deficit (NB-1.1)

related to lack of balance between dietary energy intake and energy expenditure

needed for health and sporting activities as evidenced by the need for nutrition

based weekly educations/ Team Talks and daily Training Tables.

Nutrition Intervention

Purpose of the nutrition education E-1.1

Recommended modifications E-1.5

Healthy People 2020

Healthy people is a science-based business providing 10-year national

objectives for improving the health of all Americans. 4 Their purpose is to establish

benchmarks and monitor progress over time to; encourage, empower and

measure health decisions and the impact of prevention activities. 4 Healthy

People 2020 strives to achieve their mission to identify nationwide health

improvement priorities, increase public awareness, provide measurable goals

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and objectives and identify critical research, evaluation and data collection

needs.4

One of the goals of Healthy People 2020 that correlates closest to the

athletic population is to improve health-related quality of life and well being for all

individuals. An objective (WB-1.1) is to increase the proportion of adults who self-

report good or better physical health. The health objective follows the SMART

criteria stating it will increase the target from 79.8% in 2020 compared to 78.8%

in 2010. This objective is achievable by increasing 1% from previous target

amount. It is also realistic from the original goal as increasing the number of

adults who self-report good or better physical health, which will aid in an overall

healthier lifestyle.

Lesson Plan

The Sports Nutrition Departments mission is To exemplify the science

and value of nutrition programming to maximize the bodys ability to reach

optimal performance levels on and off the field. 3 They aim to prevent injury,

provide education, performance enhancement and innovative research. They

define nutrition success in the IRISH acronym: I- Intake adequate fuel, R-

Recovery nutrition for daily training, I- Include performance foods from all food

groups, S- Schedule a fueling plan to optimize training, H- Hydrate to keep the

body running efficiently. The cooking demonstration and educational session

consisted of how to prepare a quick and healthy snack for Notre Dame athletes

along with educational material relating the benefits of each ingredients and how

it relates to their performance.

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 The goal of the lesson is to provide the athletic participants with the

knowledge of how to prepare quick healthful snacks on the go to ensure they

are consuming adequate amounts of calories throughout the day along with

providing their bodies with sufficient energy to maximum performance. There

were two specific learning objectives determined following the SMART criteria.

The first objective is by the end of the demonstration the observers will be able

to prepare this healthy and quick snack and combine it in their daily snack

routine to aid in increasing calories needed for optimal performance. The second

objective is by end of the demonstration the audience will be able to verbalize at

least two benefits from the ingredient lists as it pertains to them in performance.

Marketing

The food demonstration was performed at the Training Table, located in

the south dining hall, where the promotional flyer was displayed on near by TV

screens as well as on the presentation table. Training Table is available weekly to

all student athletes from Monday to Thursday 5:00pm-8:00pm. Training Table is

marketed through word of mouth from various staff members including coaches,

medical staff and RDs.

Resources

The University of Notre Dame has an extensive athletic budget of around

3 million dollars a year for all sports (excluding football), therefore there was no

budget limit to measure the needed supplies. The resources needed for the

cooking sessions included all the ingredients needed for the recipes, plastic-ware

and utensils for sampling and preparing the handouts. The educational cooking

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demonstration was held in the South Dining Hall at the University of Notre Dame

during the All Sports Training Table. The intern collaborated with the Chef and

placed the necessary food order.

Nutrition Monitoring and Evaluation

A pre-test and post-test were used to productively evaluate the

effectiveness of the cooking demonstration and educational session. The pre-test

was given before the educational session began and the post-test was to be

completed after the cooking demonstration was presented and the participants

sampled the final recipe. The audience was fully engaged throughout the entire

session exhibiting the willingness to learn the new recipe as it pertained to their

lifestyle and ability to perform at such an elite level. 23 athletes completed the

pre and post-test. Throughout the demonstration session the athletes confidence

levels expanded from 50% to 100% in their ability to make no-bake chocolate

protein cookies. After the education session was conducted the athletes further

realized the importance of combining protein and carbohydrates into their snack

and 100% were more likely to incorporate these macronutrients into their snacks

instead of only fruit. Also, 85% of the participants were likely to make this recipe

on their own as a quick snack.

Although, there are over 800 athletes at Notre Dame not all go to Training

Table and many stop in just to take food to go, limiting the evaluation process.

Many of the athletes still came by to sample the recipe and grab a recipe card. In

my opinion, there should be an educational session at Training Table once a

week, especially as junior and seniors are not living on campus anymore and

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could use quick, easy and healthy alternatives for snack options. There were two

cooking demonstrations presented to the student athletes this month utilizing the

food items served at Training Table providing more ideas on how to meal prep.

Appendix A: Lesson Plan

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Lesson Title: Healthy snack ideas for athletes on the go

Target Audience: University of Notre Dame Athletes

Duration: 1 hour

Goal: Participants will increase their knowledge about how to prepare quick

healthful snacks on the go to ensure they are consuming adequate amounts of

calories throughout the day along with providing their bodies with sufficient

energy to maximum performance.

Objectives:

1. At the end of the demonstration the observers will be able to prepare this

healthy and quick snack and combine it in their daily snack routine to aid in

increasing calories needed for optimal performance.

S- Specific to the athletic participants

M- Measurable through the pre and post test surveys

A- Attainable within the duration of the demonstration

R- Realistic by providing an improved snack option that is quick and beneficial to

the audience

T- Timely achieved by the end of the session

2. At the end of the demonstration the audience will be able to verbalize at least

two benefits from the ingredient lists as it pertains to them in performance.

S- Specific to the athletic participants

M- Measurable through the pre and post test surveys

A- Attainable within the duration of the demonstration

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R- Realistic by providing the beneficial information the participants need to

identify the health benefits of the ingredients used, in order to incorporate enough

protein and calories into their daily diets for ultimate performance.

T- Timely achieved by the end of the session

Specific Objectives Procedure Learning Activit

(Use SMART criteria) (State how each specific objective will be met)

Introduction
Introduce self to participants as they enter the Verbal group
dining area, explaining the reason for the discussion
demonstration, and itinerary for the class.

1. At the end of the
demonstration the observers
will be able to prepare this
healthy and quick snack and
combine it in their daily snack
routine to aid in increasing
calories needed for optimal
performance.
2. At the end of the
demonstration the audience
will be able to verbalize at
least two benefits from the
ingredient lists as it pertains
to them in performance.
Body of Lesson
Review of recipe ingredients Verbal education.
Educational hando
1. Necessary ingredients needed
2. Review how to make the chosen snack recipe
3. Discuss how to incorporate additional healthy
options
Dietary Guidelines Verbal education.
Planning individual meals and activities Handout education
material.
1. Health benefits Cooking
2. Discuss how to add a quick caloric snack to demonstration and
their daily routine to ensure enough calories are recipe preparation
consumed to maximize performance, prevent and tasting.
injury and support recovery

Conclusion
Summarize what was discussed during the
educational cooking demonstration session and
thank the participants.

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Material needed: Prepared food models, recipe cards, food ingredients, pencils,

paper, pre/post tests, promotional flyer displayed stating food being

demonstrated, handout of health benefits of ingredients used.

Appendix B: Pre-test

Survey: Offering a variety of healthy breakfast options for the athletes at Notre
Dame University

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1. How many days a week do you eat on the go?

a. 0-1
b. 2-3
c. 4-5
d. 6-7

2. How many days a week do you prepare your own snacks?

a. 0-1
b. 2-3
c. 4-5
d. 6-7

3. How likely are you to make this recipe on your own?

a. Not likely
b. Some-what likely
c. Likely
d. Very likely

4. How often do you incorporate protein and carbohydrates into your snack
regimen?

a. Not often
b. Some-what often
c. Often
d. Very Often

Post-Test

Survey: Offering a variety of healthy breakfast options for the athletes at

Notre Dame University

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1. How many days a week do you eat on the go?

a. 0-1
b. 2-3
c. 4-5
d. 6-7

2. How many days a week do you prepare your own snacks?

a. 0-1
b. 2-3
c. 4-5
d. 6-7

3. How likely are you to make this recipe on your own?

a. Not likely
b. Some-what likely
c. Likely
d. Very likely

4. How likely are you to incorporate protein and carbohydrates into your snack
regimen, now knowing their importance?

a. Not often
b. Some-what often
c. Often
d. Very Often

5. Now that you know how to prepare this healthy snack on your own, how likely
are you to make this as a snack option?

a. Not likely
b. Some-what likely
c. Likely
d. Very likely

Appendix C: Ingredients utilized during cooking demonstration

No-Bake Chocolate Protein Cookies Ingredients:

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Coconut flakes
Nut Butter (Peanut Butter)
Milk (2%)
Chocolate protein powder
Vanilla extract
Rolled oats
Unsweetened cocoa powder

Appendix D: Promotional flyer, Recipe card, Ingredient benefits

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16
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Heal t h Ben ef i t s
Coconut
Nutritious source of
calcium, potassium, Cocoa Powder
magnesium, electrolytes Creates energy &
combats fatigue
M
ilk
Calcium & Vit D, both important in maintenance
of bone health.
Protein- preserves and increases lean muscles
mass and tissues

Rolled Oats
Good source of Fiber; Nut Butter
Fiber assists in the Vitamin E and protein,
digestion process and both of which help with
aids in fullness, keeping muscle repair and
you energized recovery.

References

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1. About ND. University of Notre Dame Web site. https://www.nd.edu/about/at-a-
glance/students/. Accessed March 30, 2017.

2. Mountjoy M, Borgen SJ, Louise B, et al. The IOC consensus statement:

beyond the female athlete triad relative energy deficiency in sports (RED-S). Br
J Sports Med 2014;48:491-497.

3.ND Performance. University of Notre Dame Web site.

http://performance.nd.edu/nutrition/. Assessed March 31, 2017.

4. Health-Related Quality of Life and Well-Being. Healthy People Web site.

https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/health-related-
quality-of-life-well-being/national-snapshot. Updated April 3, 2017. Assessed April
3, 2017.

Recipe:

No-Bake Chocolate Protein Cookies Recipe. 12 Minute Athlete Web site.

https://www.12minuteathlete.com/chocolate-protein-cookies-recipe/. Assessed
March 30, 2017.

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