This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Kraft Foods for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.
20 Healthy Post-Game Snacks!
It was an unseasonably hot afternoon, even for South Florida. The sidelines were packed with cheering parents and slightly bored siblings. A few of the dads had “coached” from the sidelines, but that always happened. The moms usually just cheered for every kid on the field, regardless of the whether it was her child or someone else’s – even if the player was from the other team. The moms just liked to cheer. The kids had played hard. Granted, they didn’t win the game, but as long as they had played like a team then nothing else mattered. Our seven sweaty soccer players looked tired. Their beet red faces stood out again their bright yellow uniform jerseys.
The boys quickly gathered around their coach for a post-game debriefing and the always coveted “Team Snack!” The snack parents of the week surprised the team, and they truly delighted the other parents. The snack was thankfully not a sugar-soaked donut or an icing-covered cup cake, as it had been a time or two in the past. The peanut butter crackers that sent the allergy-moms reaching for their Epi pens, were thankfully a thing of the past – and an event never to be repeated. This week’s snack parents had taken allergies, nutrition and nourishment into consideration leaving the entire field excited about their “Team Snacks”!
Out of their cooler came watermelon slices on a stick and the new CAPRI SUN™ Organic juice drinks. The kids cheered when they saw the easily recognizable silver pouches, and the parents (especially the moms, the cheerleaders) grinned from ear to ear. The watermelon on a stick was such a novelty to the children that every last piece was cleaned all the way to the rind.
We teach our children that sports and exercise are healthy activities. We encourage them to get outside and to play. Yet we often don’t bat an eye when their post-game nourishment consists of artificial dyes and sugar.
Next time you are called on to fulfill your snack-parent duty, please consider these healthy options. I know it seems convenient to grab a package of snack-sized bags of chips, a few dozen donuts or baked goods. However, the message we send our children is counterproductive, and the snacks I list below are just as quick and easy to gather, pack and bring.
Whole fruit:
- Bananas
- Apples or pears
- Nectarines or peaches (if in season)
- Plums
- Oranges or nectarines
Prepared fruit:
- Watermelon slices (put a stick through the rind and you have a handy treat)
- Fruit kebobs with a variety of strawberries, berries, melon, grapes and kiwi (just make sure the sticks aren’t used for sword fighting. I have four boys, I know how this story ends)
- Paper cups or small bags filled with:
- Grapes
- Raisins
- Berries
- Baby carrots
- Sliced peppers
- Celery sticks
- Melon balls
- Cherries
- Pineapple chunks
- Sugar snap peas
- Kiwi slices
Drinks:
- Water
- CAPRI SUN™ Organic
If you have a little extra time on your hand, you can personalize the treat bags with these adorable soccer ball bag tags – for that added touch! Check out the new CAPRI SUN™ Organic is available at Sam’s Club:
- Each pouch provides 1/2 cup fruit juice which is one serving of fruit according to the U.S. Dietary Guidelines.
- CAPRI SUN™ Organic is Certified USDA Organic
- Contains 66% Juice
- Contains no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives
- Sweetened only with fruit juice. No added sugar. Not a low calorie food.
- Contains 100% Daily Value Vitamin C
- PUSH PLAY is a great new campaign by CAPRI SUN, encouraging kids to play.
