Real Mom Nutrition
A no-judgments zone about feeding a family.
A few years ago, I got fed up with the Kool-Aid and cupcakes my son was getting after soccer games and vowed to make a change. I began talking to coaches and parents about providing fruit for post-game snacks instead–or even nixing snacks altogether (read: “What If Soccer Snacks Just Went Away?“). One day, a …
“McDonald’s is, like, the official restaurant of everything.” That’s what my nine year old said to me as we were watching the Olympics the other night. That’s because every 10 minutes that McDonald’s commercial was on the screen. You know which one I’m talking about: the split-screen showing an Olympian biting their gold medal on …
I’ve long known there are parents in my community who aren’t on board with my soccer snack mission. That’s okay. The response has been overwhelmingly positive from coaches and parents. And I know that in order to make change happen–to shift the culture and the thinking surrounding soccer snacks–there will be people who don’t agree, …
More than two years ago, I finally gave voice to my feelings about soccer snacks–specifically, irritation that my kid was getting cookies and donuts and fruit punch and cupcakes after trotting around on a field for 20 minutes (read: “Soccer Mom Soapbox“). I vowed to speak up and change things. And since then, I’ve helped …
Something happened on the soccer fields last weekend that made cupcakes seem tame by comparison: A rep from 7 Up worked the crowd, offering free diet soda to parents and kids. When I found out about this through some friends–and confirmed it with a call to our rec center–I felt my blood pressure rise about …
Lately I’ve gotten a lot of success stories from parents who have joined the ranks of “That Mom”. They’ve spoken up and changed the snack culture in their child’s class or sports team (read “Change the Snack Culture: 3 Steps to Take Now” and “Be Bold. Take Action. Make Change.“). But occasionally, I hear from …
Right now, in many communities around the country, kids are trying on cleats and shin guards and parents are busting out camp chairs and coolers from storage. Soccer season is upon us. And so are soccer snacks. If you’re fed up with soccer snacks (or baseball, swimming , or basketball snacks), if you’re done with frosted …
I may be Mom on a Mission. Even Soccer Mom Gone Wild. But I am not Orange Slice Mom. In a hilarious piece on the Huffington Post, mom and senior writer Ann Brenoff says she’s tired of the tryannical Orange Slice Moms and their demands for certified organic fruit and gluten-free snacks bars. She writes: …
Wish there were healthier team snacks on the sidelines of youth sports? I can help you make it happen! Several years ago, I had a moment of clarity as I watched my son’s pee-wee soccer team gobble frosted cupcakes, cookies, and chips after a Saturday morning game: Why are kids given so much junk food on …
My son’s day camp at the local university had everything going for it: Flexible drop-off for working parents, after-care swim lessons, a full day of sports and activities that made bedtime blessedly early. But alas: The snacks. The first day, the campers were given Fruit Roll-Ups and Powerade. The next, it was Cinnamon Toast Crunch …
There’s a brand new way to brag about our kids: Talk about how much they hate junk food. It’s not enough that we crow about traveling baseball teams or casually mention the pre-K chess semi-finals. Lately, it seems like a lot of us are quick to recount stories of our children denouncing processed foods. I’m …
In my efforts to bring healthier snacks to the sidelines, I dubbed myself THAT Mom. But there’s one mom I can’t be. It’s the one who, while all the kids are diving in to the donuts and Capri Sun after a game, pulls her child away and says “You can’t have that”. I know some …
