Where Have all the Oranges Gone...?

Orange segments are a healthy and easy-to-eat snack for children during rugby half time break (or any sport for that matter).  Oranges are loaded with vitamin C, which helps counter the effects of oxidation and stress. This marvellous fruit has fibre and carbohydrates in the right mix, and provides children with fuel and stamina...

 

Eating orange halves at half time will also help keep your child hydrated, as oranges have high water content - unlike lollies.

Sadly we now see coaches of junior sports teams handing out sweets and candy bars like confetti.  Concentrated sugar in the body, such as in sweets, always come with adverse biological reactions in a child's body, whether it is obvious or not.  Visible reactions can go from a hyper-active sugar “high” - through to irrational and violent behaviour, often ending in extreme lethargy and fatigue.  Not what a coach wants to see in his or her team!

Chemical ingredients in sweets and sweet drinks (as many so-called ‘sports’ drinks are) will also cause certain children to have adverse and uncharacteristic reactions to the preservatives, colourings, flavourings and stabilisers they are laced with.

If a child's overall diet is well balanced, there should be no adverse dental issues with eating oranges at half time - which seems to be the main argument for this shameful change.  This is one area where dentists seem united, indicating that children are far better off eating oranges or other healthy snacks rather than sweets, soft drinks, sports drinks, etc, during and after the game.

Prof. Grant Schofield explains, "I’d say most professional sports teams are now at least [consuming] low sugar or low carb. That’s not always high fat, but it’s healthy fats. Nutrition for sport is really changing fast.”

If the All Blacks have shunted sugar aside, deleting it from their training foods, why can't this filter down to our children, the most damaged by these pseudo-foods..?

Alternative Snack Ideas for the Sportsground...

• Ryvita & Peanut Butter
• Almonds, Walnuts, Brazils - or trail mix (careful of children with nut allergies).
• Fig Bars
• Oatmeal biscuits
• Organic Yogurt and berries
• Bananas
• Orange slices
• Clementines/Mandarins
• Melon skewers and slices (watermelon, cantaloupe, etc)
• Apple slices
• Strawberries
• Apricots
• Peaches
• Kiwi fruit
• Carrot sticks
• - even Hard Boiled Eggs..!