Garden Fresh and Wholesome Soccer Snacks

It's back to school time and the beginning of youth soccer season! If you have kiddos, soon it will probably be your turn to bring snack to your kid's class or to a soccer game. What to bring? Perhaps you will be in the position to start a healthy precedent... garden fresh, wholesome snacks... instead of the packaged bags of low-nutrient, high-sugar snacks and drinks that often make their way into classrooms and soccer fields. Of course, many kids are pretty picky and are not used to eating whole foods, so here are a few "not-so-out-there" ideas.

For morning games:

• whole wheat mini-bagels with low-fat cream cheese and 100% fruit spread
• orange slices
• grapes
• low-sugar dry cereal mix (plain Cheerios, Kix, Rice Chex with a sprinkle of cinnamon)
• pitchers of fruit-infused water (cut fresh strawberries or watermelon, float them in a pitcher of ice water... let it sit overnight or for at least 2 hours for fruit flavors to infuse)

For afternoon games:

• fresh-ground peanut butter (the grinder is in the natural foods section of many stores) on celery sticks
• popcorn (no butter, low salt) and sliced carrots
• whole-grain crackers (check out the natural food section for brands such as Kashi, Akmak, Back to Basics, and more) with part-skim mozzarella cheese sticks
• apples
• cherry tomatoes
• trail mix made from nuts, raisins, dried fruits, and a few chocolate chips (you can make your own blend using ingredients in the bulk bins for less than $1 per 1/2 cup serving)
• pitchers of fruit-infused water (try lime or cucumber-mint)

Soccer players love to snack. If you provide healthy, nutrient-rich snack choices, your kids will be recharged and ready to take on the world!

Did you know?

• Juice drinks, even those containing vitamin C, are so full of sweeteners that they are just as unhealthy as soda. 100% fruit juice is a better option. But actual fruit is best, since it has fiber and more nutrients
• Most cereal bars and granola bars have very little fiber or protein. They do have lots of sugar (and corn syrup) -- and sometimes partially hydrogenated oil (the most unhealthy type of fat). They are often just as unhealthy as a candy bar.
• A 2-ounce bag of chips often contains one third of a child's recommended fat intake for the entire day.