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Health & Fitness

FUEL YOUR BODY, DON'T FOOL IT!

Today's Daily Dose of Delicious, brought to you by Camp Delicious! and Luminari | Camp Delicious is a mouth-watering, five-day summer camp that focuses on the "Art of Taste." Learn more at www.luminari.org.

by Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, CSSD, RDN

Your goal is to be a fuelie, not foolie when it comes to feeding your body and brain. That doesn’t mean you have to eat perfectly, or eat what you don’t like, BUT you do need to think about what you eat, make a plan, and stick to it. Why? A brain that is well nourished performs well in the classroom, a body that is well fed is strong, fast and built to last. So let’s work on creating a Healthy Selfie with food choices.

TO FOOL THE BODY (IN THE CAFETERIA): these foods are too heavy and may slow you down in the classroom and on the playing field.

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  • Fruit punch
  • Sweetened tea
  • Fries
  • Fried chicken
  • Pepperoni
  • Hot dogs
  • Salami/bologna
  • Creamy foods such as Fettucine Alfredo
  • Fried cheese sticks
  • Cookies

IN THE VENDING MACHINE

  • Carbonated beverages
  • Fruit punch
  • Candy
  • Chips
  • Pastries

If you want to do the best for your body, be aware of what you choose in the vending machine for drinks and snacks, and think about what you pack, or what you pick if you eat in school.

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TO FUEL THE BODY (VENDING MACHINE CHOICES):

  • Beverages
  • Sports drinks
  • 100% juice
  • Bottled water

SNACKS:

  • Trail mix
  • Granola bars
  • Pretzels
  • Animal crackers
  • Fig Bars
  • Boxes of cereal
  • Baked chips
  • Dried fruit

FOOD CHOICES

If you buy in school

  • Salad bar- make sure you pick more salad than dressing, and try to have a protein source such as chicken, turkey, eggs, yogurt or milk
  • Sub with turkey, ham or tuna and veggies
  • Grilled chicken strips with fruit
  • A burger and add lettuce/tomato/ mustard/ pickles
  • Pizza- cheese instead of pepperoni
  • Pasta with meat sauce is a great choice
  • Fruit- whole pieces or cut up like a fruit salad
  • Yogurt

If You Pack:

  • A turkey, or ham sandwich, string cheese, carrot sticks,fruit
  • A wrap with chicken, salsa on the side, and cut up fruit
  • A wrap with hummus, vegetables, cheese and fruit
  • A pasta salad with veggies, beans, tuna in an Italian dressing, and fruit
  • Leftovers from dinner - in a thermos, or eat them cold

To be safe: use an insulated bag, or bring food frozen, it will defrost by the time you are ready to eat, or put a few freezer packs in your bag to keep your food cold.

BEVERAGES

  • Low-fat milk
  • Water
  • Juice

Make your school meal count - to give you focus in the classroom, less fatigue on the field or at the gym, and the brain fuel to give you the smart tools to succeed!

If you want to learn more about how to fuel your body right, join us for Camp Delicious this summer. Camp Delicious is a great way to celebrate the season while learning to create delicious meals, exploring local gardens and farmers markets, and tasting different flavors and food combinations to broaden their culinary horizons.  Call us for more information 412-877-1888 or visit www.luminari.org to sign up today!

If you enjoyed this post, I’d be very grateful if you’d help it spread by emailing it to a friend, or sharing it on Twitter or Facebook. Thank you!

Bon Appétit,
Leslie

About the author: Leslie Bonci is a nationally renowned nutritionist and Director of Sports Nutrition at UPMC Center for Sports Medicine, and Director of Luminari's Camp Delicious.

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