It
takes strong parents to try and buck the current sports snacks & drinks
trend. Every game and practice, kids are
loading up on high-fructose corn syrup snacks and juice boxes. And if it isn’t the snack, they are hitting
the snack bar for donuts, hotdogs and candy.
Parents also report visits to fast-food outlets on days that their kids
take part in sports, relying on convenient foods as they juggle busy schedules
of games and practice. “The food
environment in youth sports exposes kids and their families to many unhealthy
foods and beverages and few healthful options,” said Toben F. Nelson, ScD, of
the University of
Minnesota . His team of researchers believes that youth
sports programs offer a promising setting for promoting better nutrition. They recommend collaboration between sports
leagues, dietitians, and health professionals to create positive messages about
nutrition that can be integrated into youth sports programs. They also suggest that youth sports programs
develop guidelines for which foods and beverages should be offered as snacks or
sold at concession stands.
Fruit
makes a great snack during breaks from sports, particularly bananas, apples,
grapes, pears and oranges. Skip the
sugary drinks and encourage kids to bring their own water bottle!
No comments:
Post a Comment