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KAYSVILLE — A BYU study shows kids eat more calories in postgame snacks than they burn during the actual game. With a childhood obesity rate of 19% in the United States, dietitians are concerned. One Utah dad and coach is keeping health a priority on the field.
Steve Harris of Kaysville loves his kids and sports, making him the perfect coach for all four of his kids' teams — soccer, basketball, and baseball. He says they've created lots of memories together over the years. "I wanted my kids to grow up being, 'Yeah, Dad was there. He was involved with us, having fun with us, playing sports,'" he said.
He's also a fifth-grade teacher. "I see kids get unhealthy snacks all the time," Harris said. "Kids bring snacks for birthdays, treats, whatever."
Harris and his wife, who is a nurse, decided the soccer field didn't need more sweets. "We're having two, three games a week, you know, so if they have those unhealthy snacks, that's two, three times a week … they're getting it," he said.
So he implemented "the halftime fruit."
"(It) gives them some natural sugars so that they have more energy for the second half of the game, because they're already tired then," he described.
Intermountain Healthcare pediatric dietician Tara Finnerty says feeding athletes treats is counterproductive. "We're kind of negating those benefits by providing foods with high sugar, processed foods; they're loaded with calories that are really actually unnecessary," she said.
Instead opt for whole foods and water, she encourages. "You can get that same benefit from oranges and apples and bananas, maybe some higher protein foods like peanut butter and yogurt, string cheese, hummus with vegetables, even air-popped popcorn," she said.
A recent study by the American Journal of Health Behavior found on average kids are only getting 27 minutes of physical activity per game. Finnerty argues they're just not exercising long enough to add the extra calories. "They're consuming far more calories than they're actually burning during these physical activities," she said.
For example, she says most 20-ounce sports drinks contain about a fourth of a cup of sugar.
While Finnerty says parents don't need to count their kids' calories, they can still be mindful. "Kids are growing. We need to fuel their bodies in a healthy way," she said, creating healthy habits while they're young.
"We need to nourish their body, not just give them this endless supply of sugary calories or empty calories," she says.
She encourages people to look at how often they are consuming these foods and identify where they can swap the treats out for healthier options.
"The special occasions are turning into daily events," she said. "And then the next day, it's the family barbecue, and the next day it's a holiday ... and pretty soon it's, we're using food for every event, good and bad."
Harris says his teams respond well to the adjustment. "Parents have loved it. They think it's a great idea because it's promoting healthy eating," he said.
"It's just been the expectation, like that's what we do," Harris said. "And really, I've found that kids are happy as long as they're getting something."
Harris is already signed up to coach all of his kids' teams again next year.
"Oh, it's the best. That's what life's all about — seeing your kids grow up, having fun and then getting to mesh that with sports… it's a win-win for me," he said.
The U.S. dietary guidelines recommend children younger than two years should not be fed foods or beverages with added sugars at all. Finnerty suggests limiting added sugar intake for all children in general. "It truly is addicting and so they kind of just get this ongoing sweet tooth," she said.
She says this will help prevent long-term illnesses related to obesity like heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, cancers and even dementia.
Finnerty also says when kids graze on unhealthy foods, it can spoil their appetite before dinner time and prevent them from getting the nutrients they need. "It really does impair their appetite to want to eat healthier foods at the mealtime," she said.
