Fueling Figure Skaters: Nutrition Tips for Parents

If you are the parent of a figure skater, you are your skater’s biggest cheerleader during practices and competitions. However, supporting their success goes beyond the ice. Providing your child with adequate nourishment can have a lasting impact on their training, performance, health, and happiness.

Here are some signs that your skater may not be getting enough fuel to support their sport and growing body: fatigue, decreased stamina or strength, mood changes, frequent injuries, delayed puberty or menstruation, weight loss, and/or slowed growth.

When planning meals and snacks to fuel up for figure skating, it is important to include the following:

• Carbohydrates: the main energy source for the body and brain

  • Foods: Bread, rice, pasta, cereal, pretzels, granola, potatoes, fruit

• Protein: important for muscle recovery, immune system function, and growth

  • Foods: Eggs, chicken, steak, seafood, beans, nuts, seeds, soy products

• Fats: supports  brain health, hormone function, and longer lasting energy

  • Foods: Peanut butter, avocado, oils/dressings, dairy, many desserts

• Fruits and Veggies: important for digestion and contain vitamins for body functioning

Packable snack ideas for practices, competitions, and events:

• Cheese sticks and crackers

• Peanut butter and banana on a tortilla

• Drinkable yogurt with a granola bar

• Trail mix 

• Fresh fruit with beef jerky and pretzels

• Energy bites (peanut butter, oats, chocolate chips)

• Mini bagels with cream cheese

• Smoothies or chocolate milk

Parents often ask how to help their figure skaters nourish their bodies without guilt or shame. Developing a positive relationship with food and body not only supports their figure skating, but also improves mental health and self-esteem. Here are some tips for supporting your child’s relationship with food and body:

• Offer a flexible schedule of meal and snack times that provide opportunities for nourishment every few hours.

• Example: Breakfast at 7am, Snack at 10am, Lunch at 12:30pm, Snack at 3:30pm, Dinner at 6pm, Snack at 8pm

• Encourage your child to listen to their hunger cues, without placing limits on portions.

• Serve a variety of food without pressure.

  • Categorizing food as “healthy” vs ”unhealthy or “good” vs “bad” can create shame.

  • Instead, try to keep food discussions neutral and call the food by its name. Enjoyment is important! Sometimes a snack may be an apple with peanut butter, while other times it may be cookies with milk.

• Reduce stress at meal and snack times by keeping conversations light.

  • If your skater gets a nervous belly before a performance, try offering drinkable nutrition through smoothies or shakes.

• Make time to sit down and eat together when you can.

• Avoid discussions around changing body shapes or sizes, dieting, or “counting” of nutrition information.

If you notice signs of disordered eating, such as decreased food intake, increased selectivity around types of food, avoiding social situations involving food, or food intake tracking, it is important to involve your child’s primary care provider and consult with a Registered Dietitian who specializes in disordered eating.

- Jessica Shaw, MS, RD, LDN earned her bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of New Hampshire where she got the chance to provide support for peers with eating disorders under the Health Services department. She then went on to complete her

master’s degree in Nutrition and Health Promotion at Simmons University. Alongside her master’s program, she also completed her Dietetic Internship through Simmons in the Eating Disorder track where she gained experience at Monte Nido, The Renfrew Center, and several outpatient practices specializing in eating disorders.

Contact Jessica