What do nachos, hot dogs, popcorn and candy all have in common?
They’re the archetypical concession stand fare. They’re popular. And with a handful of exceptions engineered for better nutrition, they’re almost universally bad for you.
For New Albany, offering those sorts of snacks during sporting events and similar gatherings is incongruent with efforts to emphasize health at every turn.
“In this community, everyone recognizes that healthful food choices are important,” says Abbey Brooks, program manager for Healthy New Albany.
Healthy New Albany | New Albany Health | New Albany Concessions | New Albany Healthful Foods
Photos by Garth Bishop
To that end, New Albany Parks & Recreation worked with Healthy New Albany and Nationwide Children’s Hospital to roll out more healthful snacks at its concession stands, starting with the open of soccer season in April. Snacks will be available all through spring, summer and fall.
The planning for this new initiative began in late fall, after Healthy New Albany applied to the Ohio Department of Health for a Healthy Ohio Healthy Community Award. Going through the application, representatives realized there were opportunities they were not taking advantage of in the arena of healthful food options for children.
One of the areas for Healthy Ohio recognition is Healthy Eating, says Brooks, and one of the easiest ways to make a difference there is through youth sports and concessions.
The conversations that followed the application process were not the first to center on New Albany’s concession options, but they added enough fuel to the fire to get things moving.
“We decided it was time to make that happen,” Brooks says.
The sense of unity among New Albany organizations made it easier for the effort to come to fruition, Brooks says, as did a clear desire from residents for such initiatives. New Albany City Council passed a proclamation in support of the initiative in March.
Of course, setting a goal of more healthful food is one thing. Actually nailing down a solid menu selection was another entirely. That’s where Nationwide Children’s came in.
Parameters laid out by Nationwide Children’s included whole ingredients, low sugar content and high-quality choices. Financial feasibility and shelf life were additional considerations. Menu changes will be applied as different items become available, and staffers will keep track of offerings’ popularity to see what should be kept around, says Brian Smith, recreation superintendent for New Albany Parks & Recreation.
“It all depends on what’s available at the wholesalers we’re shopping at,” Smith says.
Among the snacks available at New Albany parks concessions stands include:
- Kind, Clif and similar protein bars
- Nut snacks
- Veggie strips
- Freeze-dried fruits and fruit leather
Prior to this year, the only options available were popcorn, candy and suchlike items.
“The mission was to look for foods that were more carbohydrate- and protein-packed, (as opposed to) fats and sugars,” Smith says.
A good balance of carbohydrates and protein is a crucial component of any nutritious snack, says Jessica Buschmann, a registered dietician for Nationwide Children’s.
The nutritious items are prominently displayed on a dedicated rack, and an informational flyer on healthful snacking, written by Buschmann, is offered before and after games. Sampling will be an option for skeptical patrons. Just as the presence of unhealthful items might steer kids toward eating badly, having healthful items front and center makes them more immediately appealing.
“It has to be right in front of their face,” Buschmann says. “Placement is key.”
Buschmann speaks highly of Kind bars and their various granola cousins, as well as fruit leather, which she suggests pairing with such snacks as peanuts, almonds and cheese sticks. They’re easy to grab in a hurry and, importantly, eminently portable – which is to say, safe to eat in the car.
“They’re also not messy,” she says.
These sorts of snacks serve as better fuel for performance and, in the long term, will instill better, healthier choices, Buschmann says.
Most items are obtained from Costco, where Parks & Recreation often obtains items for concessions.
In the short term, the initiative is about choices that are tasty, healthful and easy to grab at a moment’s notice. But beyond that, it’s intended to stir focus on more healthful snacks in New Albany in general, not just at Parks & Recreation facilities, and, eventually, replace the standard hot dogs and nachos entirely – “less candy bars and more granola bars,” as Brooks puts it.
Parks & Recreation will keep the old options alongside the new ones for now, but may replace the old stuff entirely if the demand is there.
“Right now, the idea is just to provide options,” Smith says.
The phase-out of less healthful options appeals to Buschmann. Even if there are better items available, it’s tough for parents to constantly say “no” to children clamoring for sugary snacks.
“There’s sugar in everything,” she says. “It’s presented everywhere.”
For Brooks, the new items represent more than just award bait for when Healthy New Albany applies again in 2016. They represent options that her own children might be able to take advantage of, and she’s been hearing similar sentiments from other parents.
“It’s important for my kids to have the same type of choices when we’re out and about in the community” as they have at home, she says. “It takes a village, (and) it’s nice if the village is saying the same thing as the parent.”
With additional reporting by Sarah Sole.
Garth Bishop is managing editor. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
Talking Snack
Jessica Buschmann of Nationwide Children’s has conducted multiple programs and cooking demonstrations at the Philip Heit Center for Healthy New Albany that focus on healthful eating, including one in late April on quick lunches and snacks for busy families.
“I always try to make it quick, easy, affordable and healthy,” Buschmann says. “Sometimes, that’s easier said than done.”
Of course, while health is an important part of the equation, it is only a part. Convenience has to factor in, too, Buschmann says: What would be easy for a child to prepare while home alone? What can a parent quickly throw together between time commitments or, barring that, grab on the way to one of those commitments?
“Balance is the hardest thing that I teach,” she says.
Examples of quick, healthful snacks she recommends include:
- Yogurt parfaits, which can be presented to children in bar form, with multiple yogurts and toppings
- Slider sandwiches on whole wheat rolls with turkey, ham and cheese
- Dips (hummus, peanut butter, healthful ranch) and dippers (apple slices, banana slices, crackers, pretzels)
That doesn’t just apply to the kids’ snacks, Buschmann specifies. Parents need to set a good example, and set it swiftly.
The hardening of arteries can begin as early as age 2, so the sooner parents focus on healthful eating, the better. And beyond that, kids eventually get to an age when they might resist admonitions to eat better, so planting that seed when they’re younger is more effective.
“You can’t expect your kiddos to want to eat healthy if you’re not setting … that good example for them,” she says. “The younger you start, the better examples you set.”
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