Soccer Moms Cry Foul Over Lack of Healthy Snack Options

While many young athletes consider the post-game snack to be a highlight, a new survey finds that the majority of team moms are less than excited by the lack of nutritional value in these post-game treats.

The survey, conducted through a Market Tools consumer opinion panel for YoCrunch, found that 84 percent of respondents preferred that team parents provide healthier, less-processed after-game snacks such as yogurt, sliced fruit, carrots and celery sticks over less healthy options like cookies, sugary juice boxes, chips and candy bars. Respondents were moms whose children participated in a variety of organized sports, including baseball, basketball, swimming, soccer and football.

“Soccer moms (and dads) are reading labels carefully and getting smarter about what their children are eating after exerting themselves on the playing field,” said Tara Gidus, mom and nutritionist. “They don’t want to see their kids consuming unhealthy snacks – they want less processed foods with less sugar and fewer empty calories.”

According to the survey, 73 percent of moms felt that many of the snacks handed out by the rotating list of team parents were not very healthy. Topping the list of healthy snack alternatives were yogurt, sliced fruit, carrots and celery sticks. Survey respondents said they prefer these snacks because “they are high in protein and fiber, with natural, healthy ingredients.”

Other survey findings:

- 67 percent of moms said it was important that parents provide after-game snacks to their children.
- 59 percent of moms said they were dissatisfied with after-game snacks available at concession stands.

“The survey results certainly support what we are hearing from parents,” said Todd Roby, director of communications for U.S. Youth Soccer, the largest youth sports organization in the country and the largest member of the United States Soccer Federation. “Parents are more cognizant of what is fueling and refueling our young athletes and want to make sure the overall experience is both fun and healthy.”

Beginning in August, U.S. Youth Soccer will partner with YoCrunch to provide parents with information on healthy snacking as well as a downloadable snack list for the team manager to circulate to parents at the beginning of the soccer season.

America’s fastest-growing, full-line yogurt manufacturer, YoCrunch combines smooth, creamy yogurt packaged together with a wide variety of crunchy mix-ins including granola and toasted almonds, along with the YoCrunch Fruit Parfait line, which launched in 2010.