Kids, snacks and sports – they always seem to go together. So how can you make sure those snacks are healthy? A recent New York Times article about a study on the effect of bananas vs. sports drinks suggests that the fruit may be better for athletes. Comparing sports drinks that include unnatural chemical ingredients and artificial sweeteners compared to natural fruit:
Dr. David Nieman says, for exercisers who might prefer a natural, inexpensive and neatly packaged alternative to sports drinks, “bananas look pretty good.”
We agree and have put together “Rethink Your Drink” showing the amount of sugar in different drinks:
- Cola – 10 teaspoons (40 grams)
- Sports drink – 5 teaspoons (20 grams)
- Juice box – 7 teaspoons (28 grams)
- Total # grams divided by 4 = ____ teaspoons
Parents with kids in youth sports are also faced with the question of how to keep snacks healthy. There are lots of unhealthy things served at the little league “Snack Shack” or provided to teams by parents on snack duty. But why not offer the kids wholesome and healthy alternatives and convince your child’s league to offer some nutritious snacks? In an article written by Kiran Smith on one of our favorite blogs, 100 Days of Real Food:
A few of you had suggested … doing something about it. So I reached out to our local soccer association who was 100% on board with it. They had me put together a letter to go out to all parents regarding the topic, along with suggested snacks
Since bananas were mentioned in both articles linked above, we’d like to offer a banana suggestion or two that would be welcome treats for kids sports teams. How about “Banana Bites” from our recipe section? The kids can even help prepare them! There’s also our “5 Ideas for Quick Snacks” – which includes ideas from our Snack Happy Kit.
