It’s not uncommon to see teams of young swimmers filing into the local Italian restaurant to load up on pasta the night before a big meet. The common conception is that loading up on a high carbohydrate meal will prepare the muscles with a ready source of glycogen the following day, usually a race day. So the thinking goes.

Parents and coaches want their swimmers to feel good, eat well and perform to their best ability. But that’s not always easy to accomplish when you have growing bodies, different food preferences and developmental influences to consider.

Roll out of bed and eat breakfast? Yeah, right. Many swimmers cringe at the idea of eating breakfast, especially if they’re heading to the pool for an early morning practice or meet. But breakfast is a critical component of the training and competition diet.

Many parents and coaches believe that telling swimmers what to eat, rather than showing them through their daily food choices and eating habits, is the best way to improve nutrition and eating. It’s not.

I get questions from parents, coaches and swimmers – from near and far (New Zealand and Phuket, Thailand). Queried topics range from gaining weight and losing weight, to advice about supplements and protein. As we close out 2012, and ready ourselves to ring in the New Year, I thought I’d highlight some of the questions I’ve received over the year, and share my answers.

USASwimming.org nutrition contributor, Jill Castle, recently published “Fearless Feeding: How to Raise Healthy Eaters from High Chair to High School,” and I asked her to offer her top tips for feeding teen swimmers. Many of our readers are looking for sound nutrition advice with practical tips for families of active swimmers and this book is the go-to source.

Smoothies are a great choice for swimmers because they provide nutrient-rich carbohydrates to fuel muscles before a workout and can rapidly replace lost muscle glycogen after a workout. However, with so many choices of smoothies found in specialty stores to bottled smoothies in the grocery store, how do you choose?

A good recovery snack provides carbohydrate to replenish muscle glycogen and a small amount of protein to aid in repairing and strengthening muscles. Recovery nutrition is most important for swimmers who train daily or compete in several events over the course of a day(s) during a meet.

A 14-year old swimmer asked me for tips on being a vegan. She decided to be a vegan over concerns for the environment, animals and health, but wanted to make sure she has the energy for swimming as well as getting all of the nutrients she needs.

What’s hot in the food and nutrition world for 2013? Seems like everyone has a list of trends for the New Year, but here are some I’ve culled from various sources that will enhance a swimmer’s performance.