Snack experiment: Schools create healthy pantry for student-athletes
FAIRFIELD — After hearing some Fairfield High School athletes were wolfing down some less healthy snacks before practicing, school officials scrambled to create a first-of-its-kind organic and healthy snack pantry for team members.
The experimental pantries have proven popular while also reinforcing to teens the importance of snacking in a healthy fashion, Fairfield school officials say.
The new pantry approach is being tried at the high school and Fairfield middle schools, where a combined total of close to 1,000 boys and girls participate in a wide variety of sports.
“The project has moved along quicker than expected, we did our research and worked with our food service director and some local nutritionists to make sure our student-athletes were getting the best options available,” said Aaron Blankenship, athletic director for the 10,000-student Fairfield Schools.
Thanks to donations, the snacks are free to student-athletes. Business donors and individual donations are helping to keep the sport pantries stocked.
“We focused on providing protein-rich and carbohydrate-heavy snacks that are easy to eat on the go,” said Blankenship.
“Our athletic trainers and I have recently seen an uptick in student-athletes not meeting their nutritional needs for many reasons. After some planning, conversations with local nutritionists, several key donations and boosters support, we were proud to open a student-athlete pantry to help meet these needs,” he said.
“And later this month, we’ll have an open session for our student-athletes and their families to hear from a local nutritionist.”
Fairfield High School boys basketball Coach D J Wyrick praised the program.
“The pantry has been a great resource for our student-athletes. It’s another step in a positive direction for our entire athletic department. We strive to put our athletes in positions to make them successful, and we are very thankful for the benefit that this will provide,” said Wyrick.