Last fall my son was on a soccer team and he absolutely loved it. It was a short season -- only 10 games. It worked out perfectly as there were 10 kids on the team, so each family was scheduled to bring a snack to one game. Having a last name that starts with 'V' it was no surprise that we were scheduled for the last game, so I didn't have to think about it for a while.

At the first game I was surprised to see my son, elated from his team's first victory, running across the field with a pack of chocolate cookies and a great big sports drink. It may say "sports" on the label but many of those drinks are nothing more than water, artificial coloring, and a great big sticky glob of high fructose corn syrup. I decided just to let it go. It's not going to hurt him to have a treat like that once in a while. The next game was no better -- a chocolate-covered granola bar and another sugary drink. Week after week this was the type of snack the kids were given. I'm not a nutrition snob and I definitely let my son have treats from time to time. But after a sporting event, I think little bodies need some decent nutrition.After nine games and not one single treat that could be classified as remotely healthy it was our turn. I took my son to the grocery store before his game. We picked up small water bottles (I hated the container waste, but what are you gonna do?) and then headed to the produce section. I steered the cart toward the bananas and my son was horrified. "Mom! All the kids are going to laugh at me." I asked what he wanted to bring and he promptly replied "donuts." Finally we found Honey Crisp apples which he loves and, somehow, he deemed them cooler than bananas. So, Honey Crisps for the whole team it was.

As he carried his snack out on the field, my son quietly asked "What do I do if all the kids think apples are stupid?" I told him that I wouldn't worry about it... that I would bet all the other kids had eaten apples at some point in their lives.

At the end of the game, all the kids were walking back across the field and munching on their apples. Not one of them thought it was stupid. And in fact, more of them actually ate the snack then when they were given sugary, processed foods.

Maybe I'm being a total jerk, but I think when parents bring treats to school or sporting events it's best to bring a healthy option. Sure, there are exceptions. After all, nobody wants to bring grapes as a birthday treat -- that's why cupcakes were invented. When it's possible I think we can opt for non-food items such as the small growing toys my son brought for his classmate's stockings last December, or the cool folding paper football games one of his friends handed out on Valentine's Day. And when a food item is necessary, go the healthy route whenever you can. Some ideas include:

• Fresh fruit
• Sliced veggies such as celery, bell peppers, or cucumbers
• Ready-to-eat veggies such as baby carrots or cherry tomatoes
• Whole-grain crackers
• Whole-wheat pretzels
• Low-fat cheese sticks
• Dried fruit and nut mix (but make sure none of the kids are allergic to any nuts)
• 100% fruit snacks.
  

For more healthy snack ideas, click here.