Wouldn't it be nice to walk into a concession stand and see fresh fruit and yogurt on the menu or a grilled chicken breast on a whole wheat bun offered instead of a walking taco?? What kind of a message is being sent to our young athletes when the only food offered at the ball park is chock full of grease, salt, fat and enough preservatives to keep it "alive" long after the games have ended and the lights are out. I mean, REALLY, even McDonald's has started to offer "healthier" options than I can find at any sports venue, field or stadium.
My family spends an average of 4 days a week at the ball field and the idea of a healthier venue or menu is very appealing. My youngest just turned eight years old and morphed this past year into a bit of a chunkster. He managed to gain 10 lbs in a short period of about two months and this was fueled primarily on a concession food diet -- chicken tenders, hamburgers, an occasional hot dog and, of course, french fries. Imagine our dismay when his washboard stomach and muscular back was replaced with an over inflated bicycle tire and, as a result, he could not fit into any of his pants. This was shocking to me, however, one friend explained that it was natural to "pack the weight on" during the cold winter months, and that when spring turned up, so would my son's metabolism. My husband and I bought into this because we moved to Indiana from California and the winter months definitely cut back on our children's ability to play outdoors.
When we visited the doctor in the spring, my son got on the scale and the nurse weighed him twice because she thought she had it wrong the first time. If we were to analyze his weight gain, I have no doubt that his BMI would be through the roof, but I am more concerned with the nutrients he is not absorbing through fast food.
This summer, we have been making the ball field circuit and have found there is some disparity in the concession food offered. It is still mostly fast food, greasy, high in fat and calories and lacking in vital nutrients. Yet, we still buy it! Not just buy it, but look forward to our favorite ball park hot dog, pizza sticks, chicken tenders or hamburger. This is why it wasn't so shocking to learn from Eric Schlosser's novel Fast Food Nation, "that Americans spend more money on fast food than on higher education, personal computers, computer software or cars" (3). This is just perpetuated through our sports culture, cafeterias at school and the many stops along the side of the road.
What can we do to change this? Basically, stop buying it or make it a "special occasion" treat instead of a nightly occurrence. Talk to your league directors and see what the profit margin is on healthier options and research what is available. Limit your child to one concession stand visit a week and push "growing" or nutritious food at every meal.
My sons are competitive! We Build on this by letting them know they will perform better with nutritious food in their body. They are going to have a lot more energy from an apple, yogurt, chicken and cheese stick rather than from pizza sticks, fries and a ring pop. It is a bit cliche to keep saying, "We must be the change." Because, if we are not producing nutritious meals in our homes and at our sports venues, how can we expect to see wholesale change on a national level?
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2 comments:
You know that I agree wholeheartedly with your post! I would love to see more parents out there make good choices for their children, yes that's what we are here for to make choices for them so that they can learn to make good choices for themselves. I only allow my children to visit the concession stand once in a great while and only for a small snack, preferring to pack them healthy dinners to take along. Now I will admit that along with my disdain for filling my family with the nasty junk from the concession stand, it also has to do with the fact that I have three children and a husband, and for all of them to visit the concession stand for a full meal would empty a wallet. I go to great lengths to make sure my family has healthy alternatives to concession stand food. If I don't make it easy for them, I know they won't put forth the effort for themselves and will take the easy route of fast food or concession stand junk. The more they eat that junk the more they will want to eat only that junk. Please parents, follow suit. Make your family healthy food because it's good for them and it might, just maybe, make me not look like the bad guy all of the time for saying no!
Yes, you do! Your kids are the most open-minded eaters I know. You have done such a great job introducing them to many different food groups and meals. You are my healthy food heroine.
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