As a registered dietitian with celiac disease, this topic is very important to me! Youth athletes with celiac disease have the same nutrition needs for growth and sports performance as other youth athletes – but fueling them can be more complicated since it takes more planning. Between school, busy practice schedules, tournaments and travel, safe gluten free foods are not always readily available. I wrote this guide to help parents of youth athletes with celiac disease with meal and snack planning ideas, and also for other parents, coaches and teammates to understand more about celiac and build awareness.
What is celiac disease
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that impacts both adults and children. Those that are diagnosed with celiac disease must avoid gluten entirely. The consumption of gluten triggers an immune response that damages the small intestine and can lead to the malabsorption of nutrients. Someone with celiac disease may not experience noticeable symptoms after eating gluten, but intestinal damage can still occur. Therefore, people with celiac disease need to follow a strict gluten-free diet.
What is gluten
First, let’s talk about gluten. What is it! Even some with celiac disease may not know exactly what gluten is. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley that helps to hold foods together. The tricky part about gluten is that it’s found in a lot of different foods and those with celiac disease have to also be careful with cross-contact.
Some foods that often contain gluten include breads, pastas, pastries, crackers, granola bars, candies, pancakes, cereals, farro, marinades, salad dressings, soups, soy sauce and beer. Oats and oat products such as oat milks that are not labeled as gluten free may contain gluten. Those with celiac disease that are able to tolerate oats must make sure that they only eat oats/oat products that are labeled as gluten free.
Why Celiac Disease Can Make Fueling a Youth Athlete More Challenging
Fueling youth athletes can be challenging. Fueling youth athletes with celiac disease can be even harder. This is because gluten free foods are not always readily available. Tournament venues, fields, restaurants and team meals may not always have gluten free foods available. Without proper planning, a youth athlete with celiac disease could be forced to go longer hours without eating.
Young athletes are growing and need to eat a variety of protein, carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables. Planning ahead and keeping safe foods available can help gluten-free athletes meet their energy needs throughout the day.
Gluten-Free Carbohydrates for Youth Athletes
Youth athletes need carbohydrates for energy. Just like our cell phones need to be charged to work, an athlete’s body needs carbohydrates to “work.” While many of the typical carbs you may think about contain gluten, with the right planning there are plenty of gluten free carbohydrate options available for those with celiac. Below are sources of carbohydrates that can help you fuel your youth athlete.
Grains
- Gluten free pastas
- Gluten free breads
- Gluten free wraps
- Gluten free graham crackers
- Rice
- Quinoa
- Gluten free oats
- Gluten free cereals
- Gluten free granola bars
- Gluten free pretzels
- Gluten free crackers
Starchy vegetables
- Potatoes
- Sweet potatoes
- Butternut squash
- Corn
Legumes
- Beans
- Lentils
- Peas
Fruits
Fruit is naturally gluten free and is an easy source of carbohydrates for youth athletes. Fresh and dried fruit can be especially convenient before practices, games and tournaments.
- Bananas
- Apples
- Berries
- Oranges
- Mango
- Melon
- Grapes
- Peaches
Dairy
Did you know that 1 cup of milk has 12 grams of carbohydrates? That is close to the amount of carbohydrates in a slice of bread!
- Milk
- Chocolate milk
- Yogurt
When planning meals and snacks for your youth athlete, you can refer back to this list of carbohydrates. Try to incorporate carbohydrates and proteins at their meals and their snacks. We are going to talk about proteins next.
Gluten-free proteins for youth athletes
While carbohydrates are important fuel, youth athletes also need protein. Protein helps build and repair muscle tissue and is also important for growth and development. While most animal proteins are naturally gluten-free, those with celiac disease have to make sure that seasonings and sauces do not contain gluten. When eating out they also have to be mindful of cross-contact.
Gluten-free proteins include:
- Nuts
- Nut butters
- Nut flours
- Eggs
- Poultry
- Beef
- Lamb
- Fish
- Milk
- Yogurt
- Tofu
- Quinoa
- Beans
- Lentils
Preventing cross-contact with gluten
Cross-contact is when gluten-free foods are exposed to gluten containing foods. This can happen from shared equipment such as shared toaster ovens, shared fryers, shared utensils or even shared water for boiling different types of pasta. It can also happen from shared foods such as spreading cream cheese or peanut butter on regular bread and then using the same cream cheese on gluten-free bread. Cross-contact can also sometimes happen during manufacturing as products can be produced on shared equipment with gluten containing products.
How to read labels for gluten
It is important to read all ingredient labels while avoiding gluten. Even if you have purchased a product in the past, labels and ingredients can change. Remember, wheat free and gluten-free are not the same thing, as wheat free products can still contain barley, rye or contaminated oats. Foods labeled gluten-free in the United States must contain less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten. If you are not sure if a product is gluten-free, check the manufacturer’s website or give them a call for more information.
Gluten containing grains and derivatives
Make yourself aware of other names for gluten containing ingredients, and pay attention to foods that sometimes have hidden sources of gluten too.
Gluten containing ingredients
- Barley
- Durum
- Einkorn
- Emmer
- Farro
- Graham
- Farina
- Kamut
- Malt
- Rye
- Triticale
- Spelt
- Semolina
- Wheat
- Wheat berries
Hidden sources of gluten
- Packaged foods not labeled as gluten-free
- Proteins in sauces
- Soy sauce
- Marinades
- Salad dressings
- Gravies
- Baked goods
- Soups
- Chicken, turkey and beef meatballs
- Chicken and turkey burgers
- Beer
- Candy
Do Youth Athletes With Celiac Disease Need Supplements?
Many wheat based products often contain fiber and are fortified with nutrients such as B vitamins and iron. Depending on which foods are used to replace these products, a gluten-free diet may be lower in certain nutrients. Youth athletes with celiac disease may need to pay closer attention to their overall nutrition intake to make sure they are able to meet their nutrition needs.
Supplements might be indicated for some gluten-free youth athletes, but not for all. As a registered dietitian, I can review your child’s diet and help identify any potential nutrient gaps. I never recommend just supplementing your child’s diet without talking to your doctor or registered dietitian.
Gluten-free meal and snack ideas for youth athletes
Breakfast
- Gluten-free oats prepared with milk or soy milk with peanut butter or seed butter mixed in, + a banana
- Greek yogurt with gluten-free granola + berries
Lunch
- Turkey with avocado on gluten-free whole grain bread + an apple
- Grilled chicken with brown rice + broccoli
Dinner
- Chicken cutlet breaded in a mix of gluten-free seasoning, almond flour and arrowroot powder + a sweet potato + green beans
- Meatballs prepared using oats in place of breadcrumbs with gluten-free pasta + cauliflower
Snacks
- String cheese with an apple and gluten-free crackers
- Trail mix
- Gluten-free graham crackers with almond butter and fruit
Gluten-free packaged products for youth athletes
(Some of these products contain gluten-free oats and may not be appropriate for those with celiac disease who do not tolerate oats)
Granola bars
- Go Macro Bars (minis)
- ALOHA Bars (minis)
- Lara Bars
- Nature’s bakery gluten-free fig bars
Cereal/granola/oatmeal
- Purely Elizabeth Granolas
- Purely Elizabeth Oatmeals
- Purely Elizabeth Cereals
- Envirokidz panda Puffs
Packaged snacks:
- Dried Fruit
- Once Again Graham Cracker Sandwiches
- Quinn Peanut Butter Pretzels
- Snyder’s Gluten-Free Mini Pretzels
- Simple Mills Sweet Thins
- Sweet Lorens Breakfast Biscuits
Breads and wraps:
- Siete Tortillas
- Queen Street Bakery Bagels
- Canyon Bakehouse Breads
*always double check labels as brands and products can change
Tips for Gluten-Free Athletes at Games and Tournaments
- Pack easy to digest carbohydrates to have before games or between games
- Bring meals in a cooler if you think it will be a long day
- Don’t rely on concession stands to have safe gluten-free options.
- Pack a combination of carbohydrates + proteins for longer gaps between games and for post game recovery.
- Keep gluten-free shelf stable snacks in your sports bag
- For overnight tournaments and travel, research gluten-free restaurants and grocery stores ahead of time. Apps such as “Find Me Gluten Free” can be extremely helpful.
Conclusion
As you can see, it is possible to fuel your gluten-free youth athlete! With some planning, youth athletes can get the carbohydrates, protein and other nutrients that they need for both growth and sports performance.
If you know a gluten-free athlete, share this post with them. If you have a youth athlete that could use help with fueling, let’s talk! I have a new program, Fueling Youth Athletes that could help them!
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