During World Cup, Registered Dietitian Helps Fuel
U.S. Men’s National Team




FOR RELEASE JUNE 30, 2014

During World Cup, Registered Dietitian Helps Fuel 
U.S. Men’s National Team 

CHICAGO – With game day energy needs exceeding 3,400 calories for the average World Cup soccer player, it is essential for the U.S. Men’s National Team to have the proper diet to achieve success. Since 2012, registered dietitian and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics member Danielle LaFata has provided the team with the knowledge and resources they need to power their bodies through one of the most challenging endurance sports in the world.

“Since Jurgen Klinsmann became the head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team, there has been an even greater emphasis on providing the appropriate sources of fuel and energy to achieve maximum success,” LaFata said. “By serving as a personal example and by bringing a registered dietitian on staff, we were able to transform the team’s diet and improve their performance. For example, snacks like candy, crackers, pretzels and fruit snacks have been replaced with natural peanut butter, almond butter, cashews, walnuts, almonds, fresh fruit, yogurt, granola and wholesome snack bars—all foods better suited for the energy expenditure of these athletes.”

How do you balance the high-calorie needs of these athletes while also keeping their diets healthy? LaFata, a board-certified sports dietitian, explains how some of her nutrition secrets keep the U.S. National Team fueled up in the humid weather of Brazil.

Proper hydration. Even the slightest dehydration will impact performance. Playing soccer in Brazil’s hot and humid climate increases fluid needs, and players may require as much as six liters per day. Electrolyte beverages, fruit and vegetable juices and smoothies all contribute to a player’s hydration needs. All contain vital nutrients such as sodium, potassium and magnesium, which are lost in sweating.

Food first. In a sports world of heavy supplementing, the goal of the U.S. National Team is to get their primary fuel from nutrient-rich foods. If needed, supplementation is customized for the individual, but food always comes first. An example of a meal three to four hours prior to a game would include whole-grain pasta with bolognese sauce, chicken breast, grilled asparagus, watermelon and pineapple.

Post-workout eating. To minimize muscle soreness and maximize muscle recovery, post-workout smoothies with the right amount of protein and carbohydrates are given within 30 to 45 minutes after workouts. One post-workout smoothie LaFata makes for the team includes 25 grams of whey protein mixed with water and one and a half bananas.

80/20 principle. Eighty percent of the time, athletes should eat highly nutritious foods including lean proteins, brightly colored fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds and low-fat dairy. For the “other 20 percent,” there is some flexibility on what they eat. This can be 24 to 48 hours after a game or scattered throughout the week. After that, it’s back to healthful eating.

High nutrition with healthy fats. Players reach their high-calorie needs by blasting their diet with a variety of plant-based foods while also adding healthy fats through nuts, seeds, avocadoes and olive oil. The higher the calorie needs, the more generous you can be with healthy fats.

Healing foods for injuries. The United States team has dealt with its share of injuries at the World Cup. For injury recovery, LaFata recommends emphasizing whole-grain foods such as oatmeal, quinoa and wild rice. Other injury recovery foods include fatty fish, green leafy vegetables and legumes.

Visit the Academy’s Food & Nutrition Magazine for a recipe for one of LaFata’s favorite energy-boosting snacks, Peanut Butter Flax Seed Power Bites. And for more information on how a registered dietitian can help improve sports performance, visit www.EatRight.org/SportsNutrition.

LaFata’s headshot is available on the Academy’s website.

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The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. The Academy is committed to improving the nation’s health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy. Visit the Academy at www.eatright.org

Media contact: Ryan O’Malley, Allison MacMunn
800/877-1600, ext. 4769, 4802

August is Kids Eat Right Month, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and Academy Foundation Announce Children’s Health and Nutrition Education Campaign

FOR RELEASE JUNE 10, 2014


AUGUST IS KIDS EAT RIGHT MONTH
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and Academy Foundation
Announce Children’s Health and Nutrition Education Campaign

CHICAGO – To highlight the role everyone plays in ensuring a healthy future for our nation’s children, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and its Foundation announce the first Kids Eat Right Month, to be celebrated each August.

Kids Eat Right Month will focus on the importance of healthful eating and active lifestyles for children and families, featuring expert advice from registered dietitian nutritionists.

“At a time when the nutritional health of our nation’s children is of peak concern, Kids Eat Right Month will emphasize positive steps families, communities, health care professionals and policy makers can take every day to make sure we are doing all we can to improve children’s health,” said registered dietitian nutritionist and Academy President Sonja Connor.

Kids Eat Right, created in 2010 by the Academy and its charitable Foundation, offers resources and information for Academy members and the public to encourage nutritious, healthful eating among children and families. Kids Eat Right supports efforts of the White House to end the childhood obesity epidemic within a generation.

In celebration of Kids Eat Right Month, registered dietitian nutritionists will mobilize in a grassroots movement, sharing healthful eating messages with schools, communities and faith groups. “As children head back to school in August, Kids Eat Right Month will reinforce our program’s core messages of shopping smart, cooking healthy and eating right,” said registered dietitian nutritionist and Academy Foundation Chair Terri Raymond. “By following these principles, we can help ensure children are healthy, succeed in school and grow into healthy adults.”

In addition to educating families on living healthier lifestyles, Kids Eat Right Month will reach out to policy makers whose programs and legislation affect children and their nutritional health.

“Kids Eat Right Month provides RDNs the opportunity to showcase our expertise through the education of children and families as well as urging communities and policy makers to provide children with access to healthy foods at home, in school and at the grocery store,” said registered dietitian nutritionist and the Academy’s National Education Director Katie Brown.

To help celebrate Kids Eat Right Month, the Academy has developed educational materials appropriate for every audience. These free materials will be available in July at www.KidsEatRight.org.

“Raising the next generation of healthy kids starts now,” Connor said. “In August and year-round, the Academy and our Foundation are committed to helping all kids eat right.”

For more information, visit www.KidsEatRight.org.

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All registered dietitians are nutritionists – but not all nutritionists are registered dietitians. The Academy’s Board of Directors and Commission on Dietetic Registration have determined that those who hold the credential registered dietitian (RD) may optionally use “registered dietitian nutritionist” (RDN) instead. The two credentials have identical meanings.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. The Academy is committed to improving the nation’s health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy. Visit the Academy at www.eatright.org

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation is a 501(c)3 charity devoted exclusively to nutrition and dietetics. It funds scholarships and awards, public awareness and research projects and Academy strategic initiatives, and is the largest provider of scholarships and awards in the field of dietetics. Visit the Academy Foundation at www.eatright.org/foundation.


Media contact: Ryan O’Malley, Allison MacMunn
800/877-1600, ext. 4769, 4802
media@eatright.org

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