Last week I shared a Chicago Tribune article discussing a recent study which found that kids who participate in team sports may be eating more junk food than their less active peers.
One reason cited in the study is the junk food snacks provided at games and practices by the players’ parents, something that didn’t surprise me after my daughter’s first soccer game a few weeks ago, when she was given Lay’s sour cream and onion chips as an after-game treat.
Well, I shared a modified version of my Lunch Tray post over on the Huffington Post and I’ve been interested to see that many HuffPo commenters just don’t think junk food snacks at games are a problem at all. Here’s a sampling of comments:
Good eating habits are formed and maintained in the HOME. A weekly after game snack is NOT going to harm your child. . . . [I]f the author didn’t like her kid’s snack then she should have told her daughter not to take it and bring their own snack. Problem solved.
Here’s one arguing that kids simply won’t eat fruit if you bring it:
I have coached soccer for a few years now at various age groups. The fact is that if you bring water and sliced apples for a post game snack, the majority of kids will not eat it.
While I understand the need for healthy school lunches and anything that kids will eat on a daily basis, it is perfectly fine to give them a delicious snack at the end of an hour of exercise. If this is an issue, it is because the parents are giving them crap to eat all week long and expect other parents to give their kids healthy food at a soccer game. There are few times that an unhealthy snack is ok, and once a week after intense exercise is perfectly fine. Let the kids have fun for one day a week and eat 3 cookies one day a week, they will be fine.
And here’s a commenter who is clearly frustrated with me for even bringing this issue up:
Some people look for something negative in the most positive situations. Give it a rest already.
I supposed I shouldn’t be surprised by these reactions. As Sally Kuzemchak of Real Mom Nutrition wrote in her own post on soccer snacks, she encountered a big backlash from parents when she tried to improve the quality of the food offered to kids.
But you’ll be pleased to know that despite my fear of being “that mom,” (and especially my fear of rocking the boat when we’re so new to team sports) I did go ahead and send my post to our soccer coach. He was seemed receptive to the idea of encouraging parents to bring better choices, and he promised to discuss this matter with the league officials.
So maybe my daughter and I will be drummed off the team, pelted with bags of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos as we make a hasty retreat, or maybe my email will result in some truly positive changes. Either way, I’ll keep you posted here.
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