Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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Our 15-year-old daughter is a competitive swimmer and practicing 2 hours x twice a day in addition to a couple crossfit workouts per week. Our fairly strict paleo meals are not enough for her - she has dropped some pounds rapidly this month and it's effecting her performance. Where and how is the safest paleo way to add to her daily calories without adding a lot of dairy (only raw milk right now), whey protein, white potatoes, peanut butter, sugar that the swim coach has suggested?

flag	asked Jun 19 at 16:03 FosterB 53●5

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With that much exercise, why not include some potatoes? – raney Jun 19 at 18:13

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^ I second this. If you want your daughter to be able to hold her own in the pool against her competitors, she's going to need more glucose than you're allowing her. Fruit, sweet potatoes, potatoes, and/or dextrose powder post workout are all great options to consider. Also, it is interesting that she is losing weight because swimming stimulates the appetite and also coaches usually have females do additional land-based cardio to help lean them out – foreveryoung Jun 19 at 18:22

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Does your daughter want to be on a "strict" Paleo diet? Im just curious about that? Fifteen year olds should be able to eat what they want. I developed an eating disorder at that age from my mothers' food obsessions and compulsions and my father's exercise compulsions. It doesn't take much. Im sure you have thought of this but just in case you have not. – Crowlover Jun 19 at 19:01

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Pure fat. Say she eats 3 scrambled eggs for breakfast, cook them in 3 or more tablespoons of bacon grease or your animal fat of choice, and she will get plenty of easy calories. When you cook, add more fat than you think the pan needs, then tripple that amount :-$ Most people cook with way too little fat. Don-t be scared of it. It makes dishes dedlicious and healthy. Just don't cook with vegetable oils, including olive oil, because that makes food greasy and discusting. When adding fat to diet use fats high in saturated fat and cholesterol, specially since she's a gowing teenager. – a mesmerizing trickster Jun 19 at 22:55

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I'm 100% with crowlover. She needs to learn to make healthy food choices based on how she feels/performs, not based on what you think is kosher. Potatoes are not evil. neither is dairy (particularly cheese) if she's not lactose intolerant. – gydle Jun 20 at 6:44

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Karen · Accepted Answer · 2012-06-19 16:14:37Z UTC

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Nuts - macadamia has the best fatty acid profile, but cashews, hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios, pecans are reasonably good. Nut butters of the above.

Avocados - who doesn't like guacamole?

Sweet potatoes with butter! ummmmmmm

Fruit, even some dried fruit if necessary

Homemade Larabars - mix up some ground dates and nuts. Add cocoa nibs, coconut, coconut butter, etc of you choice. Shape into balls or bars and keep in freezer.

answered Jun 19 at 16:14

Karen
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I second all of these recommendations with exception to the nuts. I vote coconut oil & butter for fat in lieu of those. – Potato Avenger Jun 19 at 16:24

Cashews aren't nuts btw. But almonds are great and macadamias are even better. Fruit is good. Sweet potatoes, lard, bone marrow, avocado, steak. – Roth Jun 19 at 17:34

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Cashews are seeds, so you're right technically. (A lot of people think they are legumes. This is incorrect.) Functionally they are classed with nuts. Cashews are higher in monounsaturated fats and lower in PUFAs than most seeds and nuts. Definitely not perfect, but not that bad. – Karen Jun 19 at 18:57

Bone marrow! Mmmmmmmmmmm – Karen Jun 19 at 19:00

Meatymichael · Answer 2 · 2012-06-19 22:37:08Z UTC

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Two words. Fruit and starch.

answered Jun 19 at 22:37

Meatymichael
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FosterB · Answer 3 · 2012-06-19 23:58:16Z UTC

Thank you Everyone for your answers. The swim coach brought it up yesterday and we are searching for a healthy way to fix this. She swims and crossfits because it's summer (she has some time on her hands) and because it's what she loves to do - she reads and watches tv, too! We eat "paleo" foods because we feel they are healthy - boxes of cereal, waffles, potato chips don't exist in our house because we believe processed foods are not a good choice for anyone, regardless of their age. She is in no way restricted in her calories - fruit, protein, sweet potatoes, butter... we want her to be STRONG and healthy - and she looks healthy or we would have noticed before the coach said anything... again, thanks for your answers.

August · Answer 4 · 2012-06-19 17:09:33Z UTC

Is she getting enough protein? Drop the crossfit, she's doing too much- she can do that when she isn't training so hard for swimming. I'd actually not recommend coconut oil, because that has a reputation for encouraging weight loss, and she doesn't need that. Add butter or ghee to everything. Eat more fruit, sweet potato, etc... She also needs to be sleeping properly.

gydle · Answer 5 · 2012-06-20 07:38:43Z UTC

OKay I'm probably overreaching here but this question raises all kinds of red flags for me. She's doing crossfit IN ADDITION to 2x swim workouts a week? at 15? Most 15-year-olds sit around painting their toenails and texting their friends, hanging out at the pool or babysitting in their summer "free time". Are you actually seeing her eat all those strict paleo meals? If she's eating AFH or out of sight it could be going in the trash, believe it or not. Does she eat heartily at meals? and hang out with you afterwards for a while? Or is she picky or has she recently developed "food intolerances"?

The combo of 15 year old female and excessive exercise and high achiever is a classic ED profile. I don't know your daughter obviously but I would caution you to not make the assumption that you know her as well as you think you do either. I was a perfect daughter who loved my parents and did everything right and my lunches found their way into the trash and I worked out like a demon "because it just feels so good and I am good at it!" - when the weight came off I certainly got a lot more attention - from peers, coaches, parents... maybe there's something else going on here. teenage girls can be very sneaky and confused creatures. Just saying. You're obviously very caring parents and I wish you all the best.

Ninds · Answer 6 · 2012-06-20 10:10:07Z UTC

The easiest way to get calories in is with fat, around 9cals per gram (I think). I put coconut milk in everything; if I make a steak then add some to the remaining fat to make your own peppercorn sauce.

I'd also suggest backing off the training a bit (maybe a week), could be some over training suppressing appetite.

At 15 kids are invincible, and there's more social aspect to sport (swimming & x-fit) than sitting at home on the Xbox chatting to perverts.

KarenOH · Answer 7 · 2012-06-19 17:13:44Z UTC

Smoothies are an excellent way to add calories. Make with coconut oil, avocado, etc..

Here's one that has 840 calories: http://freetheanimal.com/2011/08/liquid-fat-bomb-smoothie-the-ultimate-energy-drink-that-will-blow-your-mind.html

Sam Knox · Answer 8 · 2012-06-19 17:38:26Z UTC

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I'm going to suggest that overtraining has suppressed her appetite. I can't think of another reason that an otherwise healthy person wouldn't spontaneously increase food intake in response to exercise.

As "August" said, drop the Crossfit.

answered Jun 19 at 17:38

Sam Knox
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uhmmm because she is a teenage girl with a slew of people obsessing on her weight and what she is eating? Its important to consider that we are discussing a teenage girl - NOT a child, NOT an adult. Teenagers seek autonomy from their parents. That is their job. – Crowlover Jun 19 at 19:36

It's important not to speculate. The OP said meals "weren't enough" for her, and didn't say that calories were being consciously restricted by them or her. I take that to mean that she's eating to appetite but not eating enough to maintain weight. I don't think her parents concern over her weight loss is "obsessing". – Sam Knox Jun 19 at 20:01

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I didn't say or assume that calories are being restricted. Im saying its a very fine line when adults attempt to control and monitor what a teenage girl (and child or teenager) eats. And I think you have to have a fair amount of constant vigilance to have kids on a strict paleo diet and I see a lot of obsessing on this site. Me included. But I would never attempt to control my teenagers diets. Teach yes. Refuse to buy certain things with my money - Yes... As a parent and child therapist I can assure you that this is a fine line. – Crowlover Jun 19 at 20:15

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and Im concerned too that the the question asked is related to the teens PERFORMANCE rather than her health in general and her growth. I am NOT saying these parents are not concerned about her health, Im certain they are but a teen not getting calories is the main concern is my mind not her competitive performance. Yikes. – Crowlover Jun 19 at 20:45

15-YO Daughter not getting enough calories - where should we add it in?

8 Answers