I need help with my son's diet.

[Twoply 0]

Every Monday he goes to karate class. He's a typical 4 year old and the kids are really funny when they are trying to be intimidating.

The thing is, when he's out there on the mat getting instruction, he starts yawning alot. I can see his energy level drop off inbetween times of physical movement.
I remember being like that back when I was into sports. I remember thinking I could just lay down right here and fall asleep.

He just does not eat very much at all, unless it's somthing like macaroni and cheese or junk food. We do not play that game either. The family eats lots of vegetables and chicken, but he will just pick at it. I've been through the whole losing the temper and want to shove it down his throat thing. That got me nowhere. And now, if he doesn eat, he goes to bed hungry.

His typical schedule is something like:

8am- Breakfast- Usually mommy makes eggs or he just has cereal like cheerios, shredded wini wheats

10am snacks like string cheese and juice

Noon Chicken nuggets and tater tots, Milk

2pm another snack

5pm Karate

630pm dinner

How can I help his energy level?

[SARLDO 0]

I'm no expert but is sounds like he is hitting a sugar low. Most of us feel tired throughout the day as our blood sugar levels drop off. We often counter this with an unhealthy snack or piece of fruit (also lots of sugar) to get the pick-me-up we need. Once our bodies process this snack, we feel tired again as our sugar levels drop (insulin levels are still high).

The trick is to eat foods that help to maintain a constant blood sugar level, not foods that make us ride this wave all day. The South Beach Diet is built around this idea (worth reading, if not followed).

Check that afternoon snack and go with somthing high carb but low sugar (even natural). It may help.

"Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest" ~Samuel Clemens

MB#4300
Dudeist Skydiver #68

[mnealtx 0]

Give him some carbs and protein around 4 - that should give him enough 'gas' to make it through karate until dinner.

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[Cashmanimal 0]

5-hour energy. It has lots of vitamins in it. B-12 mainly, i think... like 6-7 months worth of it.

Seriously though, when i had that problem in middle/high school playing on 2 or even 3 baseball teams at a time, I found Ramen Noodles to be an easy cure. Boil them up, slightly undercook them, then put them in a coffee mug, like the covered "travel" mugs, then when you pick him up from school and drive to karate he'll have perfectly cooked, warm noodles.

Not that I ever had that routine.

Oh, and Capri Sun or a juice box. Damn I'm hungry.

It's all fun and until someone loses an eye... then it's just a game to find the eye

[mnealtx 0]

The Ramen noodle thing isn't a bad idea, but I'd still probably throw a bit of chicken into it for a little longer lasting energy.

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[Andy_Copland 0]

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5-hour energy. It has lots of vitamins in it. B-12 mainly, i think... like 6-7 months worth of it.

As i was reading i thought "fucking hell dont do that" then saw it was a joke.

1338

People aint made of nothin' but water and shit.

Until morale improves, the beatings will continue.

[micduran 0]

From that schedule it looks like you are feeding him every two hours. Then he goes to karate three hours after a snack. Make sure that snack is substantial enough to get him through karate and/or make that snack time closer to karate time.

Does he like peanut butter? Bananas? Hard boiled eggs?

Be patient with the faults of others; they have to be patient with yours.

[wmw999 2,132]

What she said. Another snack on the way to karate might be good; a piece of string cheese (wonderful stuff, that), or a granola bar or something that isn't too sugary and has some good carbo substance (whole grains are better).

If you guys cook, there's a great cookbook for the harder-to-feed kids called "Feed me, I'm yours." It had lots of really good ideas when my son was that age.

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[fluffyduckie 6]

Even though he is 4, he might still need a nap. Some of the kids I baby sit are almost 5, and just can't make it through the day with out it. And I imagine with him being a typical 4 yo he burns through a great deal of energy throughout the day, so by the time karate comes around at 5 pm, he just might be done.

"I love when humans fly,"

[BIGUN 1,063]

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His typical schedule is something like:
8am- Breakfast- Usually mommy makes eggs or he just has cereal like cheerios, shredded wini wheats
10am snacks like string cheese and juice
Noon Chicken nuggets and tater tots, Milk
2pm another snack
5pm Karate

Consider more Protein and carbs in his diet before working out.
He's taking Karate and still at that age of exponential growth.
http://www.martialarts-101.com/martial_arts_Diet101.asp

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[airathanas 0]

What about that Pedisure stuff? It's a nutritional supplement drink for children, but not meant to bust energy levels.

Does he sleep through the night on a regular basis?

http://3ringnecklace.com/

[BIGUN 1,063]

Quote

Does he sleep through the night on a regular basis?

I wouldn't know... it's Twoply's son.

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[lisamariewillbe 1]

4 year olds need naps... hide veggies in his food, give him a flintstone vitamin or something as well.

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

[SpeedRacer 1]

I saw this cookbook in the bookstore written by a mother who was trying to get her kids to consume more vegetables.

She found a way of pureeing various vegetables and then sneaking small amounts of the puree into various dishes. Even things like cookie dough. She'd sneak in a few tablespoons here or there where it couldn't be detected.

Kind of like sneakily "poisoning" your children with vegetables.

Speed Racer
--------------------------------------------------

[Twoply 0]

Oh yeah, he sleeps well.
Sounds like some good advice here.

[aresye 0]

Do a DZ.com search for eicosanoids, and read the thread I started about it. Might give you some good clues as to why he's dropping off in energy.

Skydiving: You either learn from other's mistakes, or they'll learn from yours.

[sandi 0]

I had the same problem with my four year-old. She has gymnastics at 5:30pm one night a week. She's on a pretty similar eating schedule to your child. I started giving her a snack right before we go to gymnastics, usually string cheese or a granola bar or something. Her energy level has been much better.

[Coreece 190]

Quote

flintstone vitamin

OHHHH YEAH!!! I love those things.....

I think I'm gonna relapse....

Your secrets are the true reflection of who you really are...

[Nightingale 0]

Quote

4 year olds need naps... hide veggies in his food, give him a flintstone vitamin or something as well.

They've changed the formula in the flintstone vitamins since we were kids, and they now contain aspartame. Probably better to pick up some kid friendly vitamins at Whole Foods or Trader Joe's instead that are sweetened with plain old sugar or fruit juice.

The kid in question here should probably be checked by a doctor just to make sure there's nothing going on medically (I had a kid in my karate class who was falling asleep and turned out to be diabetic!). Otherwise, a nap after school, and a light, healthy, natural snack like an apple or orange half an hour before class should do the trick. Anything much heavier than that and he'll feel sick and sleepy in class. Fruit is great energy pre-karate; the natural sugars supply energy with no crash afterwards.