The Green Mom’s
Guide to Spring Sports
|by Lori Alper
Choose Healthy Snacks
Opening day for Major League Baseball kicks off
the spring season… along with opening day for
spring sports in many families.
During this busy time of year, it’s important to
stay true to your green path and not fall victim
to convenience (aka fast food and easy outs).
Here are a few tips to keep you on your green
track while enjoying baseball, softball, soccer and
other fun spring sports with your family.
Find/Organize an Equipment Swap
Most of us know that playing sports can be an
expensive endeavor. All the equipment can add
up quickly in cost. If you’re anything like our
family, you probably have a pile of cleats, baseball mitts, pants and other sporting equipment
your kids have outgrown or no longer use. An
equipment swap or exchange is a great way to get
rid of some of that equipment while at the same
time finding what you need at a lower cost.
• Organize your own swap. Join together with
friends, teammates, or your whole league to
hold a gear trade once a year.
• SwapMeSports is a fantastic site that allows
you and your neighbors, family and friends
to buy, sell, donate or find sports equipment
without listing, shipping and selling fees.
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Snacking on the wrong foods can add unwanted
calories and make you even hungrier when mealtime rolls around. Long term, unhealthy snacks
can also lead to obesity in children and obesityrelated chronic diseases as adults. Before you
head out to the ball field, make sure to give your
children healthy foods to energize them during
their game.
If parents take turns bringing snacks for the
team, be the first to volunteer so you can start
the season off on a healthy note.
Snack Facts
• Take the time to read the ingredient list before purchasing. You might be surprised by
what you find.
• Fruits and vegetables are always the best
choice.
• Nuts are healthy, protein-packed snacks. Be
sure to ask about allergies.
• Just because it is sold at a health food store
doesn’t make it healthy.
Switch to Reusable Water Bottles
Break the disposable bottled water habit and
switch to a reusables for spring sports. You’ll reduce the use of fossil fuels and toxic greenhouse
gases that come from manufacturing plastic bottles. By using a reusable water bottle, you are also
helping reduce the number of plastic bottles that
end up in landfills, sitting for years while they try
unsuccessfully to decompose. There are a lot of
reusable water bottle choices out there. The best
choice for a non-toxic reusable water bottle is a
stainless steel water bottle like Klean Kanteen.