Appropriate snacks for soccer 6 year olds?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grab some capri suns and one of those big bags of chip-type snacks, and clementines. Y'all can let your kids eat some/all of them or not according to your parenting beliefs. BTW folks on this area can be crazy.

How can we not let our kids eat the snacks? No, honey, everyone else can enjoy the chips, just not you. Really? Don't think we should have to put our kids through that.

I just wish it wasn't snacks, snacks, snacks, snacks, snacks, snacks, snacks all of the time. We do have a food issue in the US. And all of these parents saying "it's no big deal," I really, really wish we could track whether your kids become overweight as adults. Because, likely, they will be...

From google this morning: "More than one-third (35.7 percent) of adults are considered to be OBESE. More than 1 in 20 (6.3 percent) have extreme obesity. Almost 3 in 4 men (74 percent) are considered to be overweight or obese. The prevalence of obesity is similar for both men and women (about 36 percent)."

Don't those numbers make you want to raise your kids to understand healthy eating and snacking? Your skinny little boy will end up as an overweight man. But who knows, that may not bother you. It does bother me.

Actually, likely they won't be. The research has overwhelmingly linked rates of obesity and overweight issues to education and income levels. Overwhelming. We are kidding ourselves when we talk about weight problems in America and pretend like the average DCUM poster is the demographic we have to worry about. Are there NO overweight kids or adults in the DCUM bubble, of course not. But those rates are much more proportionate to decades past than when you observe the general population. There are counties that see the overweight and obese categories being the vast majority of the population- this is where the national numbers are coming from.

Not to say that I don't think we have a portion and processed foods problem in the US at all levels ( I mean 2 parents working demanding jobs has become the norm at all income levels so convenience is a new paramount) but I also think these arguments against cupcakes 4-9 weeks a year for 6 year olds in rich (yes, even "middle class" hoods in this area are comparatively rich) neighborhoods, so as to combat America's problems with big food, inc. are disingenuous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our team doesn't do snacks and I'm fine with that. But I do think it is strange that people are questioning why kids might want a snack after an hour of pretty much nonstop running. DS always asks for something to eat after soccer, and is genuinely hungry. We generally bring one of those applesauce packets, or a yogurt tube, for the car. It is fine not to have a "team snack," but it is reasonable that kids might want something to eat.

I'm the manager of the no-snack team who posted above, and I agree that some kids will need snacks after a game or practice. We always have granola bars and apples in our car for this reason, along with spare water bottles (and spare socks, balls, and T shirts in a variety of colors). It's just going to depend on when the particular kid last ate and what sort of metabolism the kid has.

To be honest, the main reason I was hoping to avoid the group snack was because it causes anxiety for a lot of parents, especially ones new to kids' sports. With our older kids, we definitely saw some snack-one-upmanship, fueled in part by kids' determination not to have their families be seen as providing lame snacks. And then parents were nervous about being judged by the more health conscious cohort. By the end of the season, some of the parents were bringing boxes with multiples of every variety of snack and kids were descending on the boxes like wild animals. It was funny but unseemly, and it seemed like a waste of resources.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's funny because the snack I brought Saturday for after the game was lemonade, grapes and potato chips. The kids all accepted the potato chips and lemonade but hardly anyone accepted the grapes. Then I put those grapes out for dinner, and hardly anyone ate them. So even when you try to provide healthy alternatives, they aren't always appreciated or eaten. Just like at school, with the increase in fruits and veggies, our garbage cans are getting very healthy.

My kid would have eaten the grapes, not the potato chips or lemonade.

Because mom would've been there smashing the chips on the ground and tossing the lemonade shouting its evils, while Jr ate the grapes to avoid the scene.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grab some capri suns and one of those big bags of chip-type snacks, and clementines. Y'all can let your kids eat some/all of them or not according to your parenting beliefs. BTW folks on this area can be crazy.

How can we not let our kids eat the snacks? No, honey, everyone else can enjoy the chips, just not you. Really? Don't think we should have to put our kids through that.

I just wish it wasn't snacks, snacks, snacks, snacks, snacks, snacks, snacks all of the time. We do have a food issue in the US. And all of these parents saying "it's no big deal," I really, really wish we could track whether your kids become overweight as adults. Because, likely, they will be...

From google this morning: "More than one-third (35.7 percent) of adults are considered to be OBESE. More than 1 in 20 (6.3 percent) have extreme obesity. Almost 3 in 4 men (74 percent) are considered to be overweight or obese. The prevalence of obesity is similar for both men and women (about 36 percent)."

Don't those numbers make you want to raise your kids to understand healthy eating and snacking? Your skinny little boy will end up as an overweight man. But who knows, that may not bother you. It does bother me.

Actually, likely they won't be. The research has overwhelmingly linked rates of obesity and overweight issues to education and income levels. Overwhelming. We are kidding ourselves when we talk about weight problems in America and pretend like the average DCUM poster is the demographic we have to worry about. Are there NO overweight kids or adults in the DCUM bubble, of course not. But those rates are much more proportionate to decades past than when you observe the general population. There are counties that see the overweight and obese categories being the vast majority of the population- this is where the national numbers are coming from.

Not to say that I don't think we have a portion and processed foods problem in the US at all levels ( I mean 2 parents working demanding jobs has become the norm at all income levels so convenience is a new paramount) but I also think these arguments against cupcakes 4-9 weeks a year for 6 year olds in rich (yes, even "middle class" hoods in this area are comparatively rich) neighborhoods, so as to combat America's problems with big food, inc. are disingenuous.

Really? Your kid only eats cupcakes 4-9 times a year? If so, then there is no problem. But it seems a lot more than that in my northern VA suburb world. Snacks, snacks, snacks, treats, treats, treats, etc, etc, etc all year long.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grab some capri suns and one of those big bags of chip-type snacks, and clementines. Y'all can let your kids eat some/all of them or not according to your parenting beliefs. BTW folks on this area can be crazy.

+1 I'm only here for the show.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Someone brought frozen tube yogurt and animal crackers as a snack to our soccer game yesterday.

So is that good or bad? Hard to tell on this board. Cupcake objectors team would have all kinds of problems with that - dairy, wheat, food dye, possibly fruit, and who knows what else lurks in those yogurt tubes (besides the sugar of course).

I think this weekend should be declared soccer cupcake weekend. Cupcakes all around.

Whenever I see someone quoting the frozen tube yogurt post, all i can think about was a thread from a few months back about packing lunches that talked about how yogurt tubes were evil because they pretended to be healthy but were terrible. I love the crazies, entertains me now that my DD is too young for these issues but I dread the day I need to wade into them in person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grab some capri suns and one of those big bags of chip-type snacks, and clementines. Y'all can let your kids eat some/all of them or not according to your parenting beliefs. BTW folks on this area can be crazy.

How can we not let our kids eat the snacks? No, honey, everyone else can enjoy the chips, just not you. Really? Don't think we should have to put our kids through that.

I just wish it wasn't snacks, snacks, snacks, snacks, snacks, snacks, snacks all of the time. We do have a food issue in the US. And all of these parents saying "it's no big deal," I really, really wish we could track whether your kids become overweight as adults. Because, likely, they will be...

From google this morning: "More than one-third (35.7 percent) of adults are considered to be OBESE. More than 1 in 20 (6.3 percent) have extreme obesity. Almost 3 in 4 men (74 percent) are considered to be overweight or obese. The prevalence of obesity is similar for both men and women (about 36 percent)."

Don't those numbers make you want to raise your kids to understand healthy eating and snacking? Your skinny little boy will end up as an overweight man. But who knows, that may not bother you. It does bother me.

Actually, likely they won't be. The research has overwhelmingly linked rates of obesity and overweight issues to education and income levels. Overwhelming. We are kidding ourselves when we talk about weight problems in America and pretend like the average DCUM poster is the demographic we have to worry about. Are there NO overweight kids or adults in the DCUM bubble, of course not. But those rates are much more proportionate to decades past than when you observe the general population. There are counties that see the overweight and obese categories being the vast majority of the population- this is where the national numbers are coming from.

Not to say that I don't think we have a portion and processed foods problem in the US at all levels ( I mean 2 parents working demanding jobs has become the norm at all income levels so convenience is a new paramount) but I also think these arguments against cupcakes 4-9 weeks a year for 6 year olds in rich (yes, even "middle class" hoods in this area are comparatively rich) neighborhoods, so as to combat America's problems with big food, inc. are disingenuous.

There should be a study, maybe there is, about the affects of food limitations on obesity. For example, kids who were strictly told they couldn't have snack x or y because of sugar, fats, etc, do they grow up to really want those snacks because they are 'forbidden'? Reading these boards, you'd think all helicopter parents require all organic, dye free, sugar free, natural snacks and their kids will never eat an Oreo or a Snack Pack or Cupcakes. I think that teaches an unhealthy food relationship, rather than the idea of things in moderation? Kind of like the Bible belt kids who go to college and lose their shit because they have freedom for the first time? or parents who refuse to let their kids have screen time, so they are mesmerized and brainless when they are in front of the TV and can't look away?

But maybe that's just me.

[Anonymous]

or parents who refuse to let their kids have screen time, so they are mesmerized and brainless when they are in front of the TV and can't look away?

Ha! I let my son watch a 30 minute TV program every day, yet he is still mesmerized and brainless in front of the TV and can't look away. I don't think there is a correlation between that and refusal of screen time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grab some capri suns and one of those big bags of chip-type snacks, and clementines. Y'all can let your kids eat some/all of them or not according to your parenting beliefs. BTW folks on this area can be crazy.

How can we not let our kids eat the snacks? No, honey, everyone else can enjoy the chips, just not you. Really? Don't think we should have to put our kids through that.

I just wish it wasn't snacks, snacks, snacks, snacks, snacks, snacks, snacks all of the time. We do have a food issue in the US. And all of these parents saying "it's no big deal," I really, really wish we could track whether your kids become overweight as adults. Because, likely, they will be...

From google this morning: "More than one-third (35.7 percent) of adults are considered to be OBESE. More than 1 in 20 (6.3 percent) have extreme obesity. Almost 3 in 4 men (74 percent) are considered to be overweight or obese. The prevalence of obesity is similar for both men and women (about 36 percent)."

Don't those numbers make you want to raise your kids to understand healthy eating and snacking? Your skinny little boy will end up as an overweight man. But who knows, that may not bother you. It does bother me.

Actually, likely they won't be. The research has overwhelmingly linked rates of obesity and overweight issues to education and income levels. Overwhelming. We are kidding ourselves when we talk about weight problems in America and pretend like the average DCUM poster is the demographic we have to worry about. Are there NO overweight kids or adults in the DCUM bubble, of course not. But those rates are much more proportionate to decades past than when you observe the general population. There are counties that see the overweight and obese categories being the vast majority of the population- this is where the national numbers are coming from.

Not to say that I don't think we have a portion and processed foods problem in the US at all levels ( I mean 2 parents working demanding jobs has become the norm at all income levels so convenience is a new paramount) but I also think these arguments against cupcakes 4-9 weeks a year for 6 year olds in rich (yes, even "middle class" hoods in this area are comparatively rich) neighborhoods, so as to combat America's problems with big food, inc. are disingenuous.

Really? Your kid only eats cupcakes 4-9 times a year? If so, then there is no problem. But it seems a lot more than that in my northern VA suburb world. Snacks, snacks, snacks, treats, treats, treats, etc, etc, etc all year long.

Yeah, that's weird. Birthday parties alone would account for well more than that. Plus, there's a PP in this thread who brings cupcakes to everything, by her own admission.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grab some capri suns and one of those big bags of chip-type snacks, and clementines. Y'all can let your kids eat some/all of them or not according to your parenting beliefs. BTW folks on this area can be crazy.

How can we not let our kids eat the snacks? No, honey, everyone else can enjoy the chips, just not you. Really? Don't think we should have to put our kids through that.

I just wish it wasn't snacks, snacks, snacks, snacks, snacks, snacks, snacks all of the time. We do have a food issue in the US. And all of these parents saying "it's no big deal," I really, really wish we could track whether your kids become overweight as adults. Because, likely, they will be...

From google this morning: "More than one-third (35.7 percent) of adults are considered to be OBESE. More than 1 in 20 (6.3 percent) have extreme obesity. Almost 3 in 4 men (74 percent) are considered to be overweight or obese. The prevalence of obesity is similar for both men and women (about 36 percent)."

Don't those numbers make you want to raise your kids to understand healthy eating and snacking? Your skinny little boy will end up as an overweight man. But who knows, that may not bother you. It does bother me.

Actually, likely they won't be. The research has overwhelmingly linked rates of obesity and overweight issues to education and income levels. Overwhelming. We are kidding ourselves when we talk about weight problems in America and pretend like the average DCUM poster is the demographic we have to worry about. Are there NO overweight kids or adults in the DCUM bubble, of course not. But those rates are much more proportionate to decades past than when you observe the general population. There are counties that see the overweight and obese categories being the vast majority of the population- this is where the national numbers are coming from.

Not to say that I don't think we have a portion and processed foods problem in the US at all levels ( I mean 2 parents working demanding jobs has become the norm at all income levels so convenience is a new paramount) but I also think these arguments against cupcakes 4-9 weeks a year for 6 year olds in rich (yes, even "middle class" hoods in this area are comparatively rich) neighborhoods, so as to combat America's problems with big food, inc. are disingenuous.

There should be a study, maybe there is, about the affects of food limitations on obesity. For example, kids who were strictly told they couldn't have snack x or y because of sugar, fats, etc, do they grow up to really want those snacks because they are 'forbidden'? Reading these boards, you'd think all helicopter parents require all organic, dye free, sugar free, natural snacks and their kids will never eat an Oreo or a Snack Pack or Cupcakes. I think that teaches an unhealthy food relationship, rather than the idea of things in moderation? Kind of like the Bible belt kids who go to college and lose their shit because they have freedom for the first time? or parents who refuse to let their kids have screen time, so they are mesmerized and brainless when they are in front of the TV and can't look away?

But maybe that's just me.

Nobody is saying kids shouldn't have treats occasionally. What we are saying is that soccer games occur EVERY WEEK, and do not count as "occasionally." Nor do they justify cupcakes. Birthday parties? Sure. Holidays? go for it. Just because, every now and then? You betcha. But as an after-soccer snack on a weekly basis? Weird.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grab some capri suns and one of those big bags of chip-type snacks, and clementines. Y'all can let your kids eat some/all of them or not according to your parenting beliefs. BTW folks on this area can be crazy.

How can we not let our kids eat the snacks? No, honey, everyone else can enjoy the chips, just not you. Really? Don't think we should have to put our kids through that.

I just wish it wasn't snacks, snacks, snacks, snacks, snacks, snacks, snacks all of the time. We do have a food issue in the US. And all of these parents saying "it's no big deal," I really, really wish we could track whether your kids become overweight as adults. Because, likely, they will be...

From google this morning: "More than one-third (35.7 percent) of adults are considered to be OBESE. More than 1 in 20 (6.3 percent) have extreme obesity. Almost 3 in 4 men (74 percent) are considered to be overweight or obese. The prevalence of obesity is similar for both men and women (about 36 percent)."

Don't those numbers make you want to raise your kids to understand healthy eating and snacking? Your skinny little boy will end up as an overweight man. But who knows, that may not bother you. It does bother me.

Actually, likely they won't be. The research has overwhelmingly linked rates of obesity and overweight issues to education and income levels. Overwhelming. We are kidding ourselves when we talk about weight problems in America and pretend like the average DCUM poster is the demographic we have to worry about. Are there NO overweight kids or adults in the DCUM bubble, of course not. But those rates are much more proportionate to decades past than when you observe the general population. There are counties that see the overweight and obese categories being the vast majority of the population- this is where the national numbers are coming from.

Not to say that I don't think we have a portion and processed foods problem in the US at all levels ( I mean 2 parents working demanding jobs has become the norm at all income levels so convenience is a new paramount) but I also think these arguments against cupcakes 4-9 weeks a year for 6 year olds in rich (yes, even "middle class" hoods in this area are comparatively rich) neighborhoods, so as to combat America's problems with big food, inc. are disingenuous.

Really? Your kid only eats cupcakes 4-9 times a year? If so, then there is no problem. But it seems a lot more than that in my northern VA suburb world. Snacks, snacks, snacks, treats, treats, treats, etc, etc, etc all year long.

Sorry I meant to say cupcakes, even if every week or every other week during soccer season is 4-9 at most. And wouldn't be every week. But again, if we are talking about the obesity epidemic in America we are missing the mark big time with focusing on the amount and kinds of snacks upper middle class kids get and how often. Those kids have much more well rounded diets than the rest of the country, which is a much larger percentage of the population and much larger proportion of our problem.

[Anonymous]

Why can't parents bring their own snacks for their kids? Why does it have to be a group thing?

[Anonymous]

Yeah, that's weird. Birthday parties alone would account for well more than that. Plus, there's a PP in this thread who brings cupcakes to everything, by her own admission.

That would be me! You act as if that's something to be ashamed of..... Wait! Are you the crazy who is just as upset at cupcakes as you are cigarettes and switchblades?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

or parents who refuse to let their kids have screen time, so they are mesmerized and brainless when they are in front of the TV and can't look away?

Ha! I let my son watch a 30 minute TV program every day, yet he is still mesmerized and brainless in front of the TV and can't look away. I don't think there is a correlation between that and refusal of screen time.

We don't have any restrictions on the iPad (of course it is what is on there not the actual device) or tv and I can't get my kid to watch tv no matter how hard I try. I beg him to so I can get stuff done... nope not my kid. And, he will only play video games sometimes. I try and try... nope... he will refuse and later he may do it for a while.

There is no coronation between screen time and mesmerized. It depends on the kid and some enjoy it more than others. I wish my kid would watch 30 minutes a day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

or parents who refuse to let their kids have screen time, so they are mesmerized and brainless when they are in front of the TV and can't look away?

Ha! I let my son watch a 30 minute TV program every day, yet he is still mesmerized and brainless in front of the TV and can't look away. I don't think there is a correlation between that and refusal of screen time.

We don't have any restrictions on the iPad (of course it is what is on there not the actual device) or tv and I can't get my kid to watch tv no matter how hard I try. I beg him to so I can get stuff done... nope not my kid. And, he will only play video games sometimes. I try and try... nope... he will refuse and later he may do it for a while.

There is no coronation between screen time and mesmerized. It depends on the kid and some enjoy it more than others. I wish my kid would watch 30 minutes a day.

+1 We have firm limits on screen time for DS because he'd happily spend all day, every day playing videogames. DD doesn't really have any limits since she rarely wants to sit down to watch TV or do games. Same thing w/ sweets - DS will overdo it without firm rules (yes, he's our challenging kid!) while the only thing DD goes overboard on is apples. I guess if I had two kids like DD I'd think her healthy eating habits and lack of interest and TV were all due to my brilliant parenting But, with two such different kids, I know that a lot of it is just luck, you get what you get and do the best you can with the temperaments/personalities of the kids you are given.