I recorded and watched every episode of Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. As I watched, I nodded my head, agreeing with everything Jamie said. I was equally horrified and offended at the ignorance of many of the Huntington folk.
All the while, knowing that this Food Revolution doesn’t really affect me. I know a lot about nutrition, I feed my family healthy foods, and my kids don’t buy lunch at school yet. Even when they’re old enough, they’ll probably bring it from home.
So it was easy for me to sit on top of my high horse and tsk, tsk, tsk.
A few weeks ago, I realized that it would soon be my turn to bring snack to the Little League game. Typical snacks have been Oreos, Cheezits, Gogurt, popsicles, or something similar. I realized that this would be my opportunity for my own personal Food Revolution. Small, but a revolution nonetheless.
So tonight, I brought grapes to the Little League game. Yes, grapes. There were two kinds of responses to this healthy snack:
1. “Oh yes! Can I have more?”
2. “No thank you, I don’t want them.” {And then, when told that that was all there was…} “Yes, please. I do want them.”
I’ll be honest and say that I wasn’t totally confident with my snack choice. A part of me just wanted to fit in and buy something processed. Plus, my husband kept asking me, “You’re serious about this? Just let me buy something [processed] at Costco…”
But I knew in my gut that this was the way to go. These are six-year old boys who just finished a sporting event. Isn’t it appropriate to feed them something nutritious rather than something full of fake stuff? Plus, my own son was totally stoked with the idea of grapes.
What is the typical snack brought to your kids’ sporting events? What do you usually bring?
***This post has been shared with Works for Me Wednesday.
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Good for you for not giving in to the pressure to bring junk food!
As you know, I don’t have kids just yet so I haven’t been able to take snacks to a little league game yet!
Are hummus and pita chips too expensive? Would little boys eat them? Or homemade trail mix? Just thinking of a combo of protein and carbs.
When I was a kid, we got orange slices after soccer. I have very fond memories of those orange slices!!! Cool, refreshing and juicy. I don’t think Oreos would be my first choice when hot and sweaty anyway. And Iove Oreos. I’m trying to ditch processed foods but those jump in my cart at the store.
I think its so cool that they all just ate them anyway. it goes to show doesn’t it. kids will eat healthy stuff.
i was in love with jamie oliver’s show too….my husband & I watched every episode with a look of shock on our faces… like the day the little girl had 2 bags of chips and a bag of candy for her lunch?!?!? YIKES. i hope the show can come back and it can continue kicking peoples food butts. xo, j
you know how I feel about the sports snacks!! It practically kills me what gets handed out after a game. Seriously, I almost have to walk away. I have taken bagels, pumpkin muffins, fruit. NEVER - gatorade. That one kills me the most.
good for you food revolution girl!
Bravo!!! My son has food allergies and would have to turn down most chips and cookies, so your choice of grapes was not only healthy but *inclusive.* My son loves grapes and would’ve been glad he could be “one of the boys” thanks to your smart choice!
I do the same, usually raisins, Pirate Booty, or healthy granola bars - not the kinds with all the fake stuff in them. And I bring water or REAL juice, not Capri Sun or any of the other fake sugary drinks disguised as juice. : ) I find the kids are usually hungry enough to eat anything after a game.
@ Sandra~ Thanks! I’m glad I didn’t give in to the peer pressure, either.
@ Chania Girl~ Good ideas. I’d have to find or create a trail mix that is nut-free…too many allergies these days.
@ Angelique~ Oh, I totally and fondly remember orange slices after my soccer games. They were so juicy and sweet. The only reason I didn’t do orange slices is because my son doesn’t like oranges. (Can you believe that?!)
@ Mo~ You know what, it does go to show. I love that the kids came back after they realized that is was fruit or nothin’.
@ LobotoME~ I loved Jamie Oliver’s show! I was bummed that it ended so soon. I’m wondering how long it took him to overhaul the UK’s food system…and I’m wondering how Huntington is doing now.
@ Denise~ Bagels are a good idea–didn’t think of that! Yeah, Gatorade for 6-year olds kills me. What is normal about day-glo juice for kids?
@ Eos Mom~ You know, I’m glad you said that because food allergies was on my mind. I’m pretty sure we have a nut-allergy on the team.
@ GroovieMom~ Good ideas! Thanks. I stick to the *real* juices, too. That, or water.
I am super proud of you for choosing to give them healthy treats! I am with you and would not be able to buy something processed. I actually think that kids probably prefer fruit over crap foods
However, if you find that you NEED to next time, remember Annie’s 1 oz snacks are AWESOME! I LOVE the cheddar bunnies, bunnies grahams, bunny fruits, etc - and Costco sells them now
You did the right thing. Fruit is great after a sport event: easy to digest, high in energy, and with a high water content for hydration. Sweet, sugary drinks and snacks are not good. Sliced oranges always go down well during and after sports events.
Good for you! I think this is great.
How great was that! This is a great example of what I did with my kids when they were little, no option for the bad stuff. I just offered good foods, never even kept cookies & such in the house. Some thought this was mean, but I did it with kindness. My kids are now older and have good eating habits. My daughter is now 19 and has been a vegetarian, then vegan for about 2 years.