Sports Nutrition (Quest Award elective)

Sports Nutrition (Quest Award elective) requirements

1. List at least five complex carbohydrates and five simple carbohydrates. During a crew meeting (or another activity approved by your Advisor and/or coach), discuss with your crew why complex carbohydrates are nutritionally dense and what that means to a sportsperson. Tell why fiber is considered a complex carbohydrate and list some examples of fiber-rich foods. Serve snacks that represent each carbohydrate. You could even make this a game where people guess which snack went with each group.
2. Interview a registered dietician and talk about your favorite sport. Have the dietician help you evaluate and develop a nutritional pro- gram that fits you (and/or your team as a whole) and your sport.
3. Make a presentation on “Good Fats” and “Bad Fats.” Explain how they affect a teenager’s diet. Include in your presentation information on saturated fats, unsaturated fats, hydrogenated fats, and cholesterol. Use posters, overhead transparencies, computer slide shows, charts, and relevant information from your school health text book. Working with your crew, calculate fat needs for yourself and the other members of your crew.
4. Keep a three-day food record of everything you eat and drink. If you put it in your mouth, write it down. With the help of a health-care practitioner, determine if you are eating enough protein, vegetables, fat, carbohydrates, and fiber. Also determine the amount of sugar, sodium, and hydrogenated fat consumed. Resources for determining these amounts are available at your local library.
5. People who do not eat meat are called vegetarians. Vegetarians can be categorized into three different groups. In a discussion with your Advisor and/or coach, name those three groups and explain their differences and similarities. In an interview with a registered dietician or nutritionist, ask questions about the complete protein requirements of a vegetarian and how they make sure they are achieving these daily requirements. Using this information, put on a presentation, tabletop display, or other such activity approved by your Advisor and/or coach for a Boy Scout troop or Cub Scout pack.

The official source for the information shown in this article or section is: Quest Handbook, 2003 Edition (BSA Supply No. 33151)