Sports and Recreation

League food and beverage guidelines

• Help your league create an environment that supports healthy eating by adopting a food and beverage guideline for your league. 
• A food and beverage guideline will:
  • Provide clear expectations of what foods and beverages will be available, if any, at sporting events, practices, canteens, and through fundraising.
  • Show parents and the local community that the league values the health of its team members.
  • Support families and individuals to make healthy food choices.
  • Provide children with the same message about healthy eating that they get in school.
  • Help to make the healthy choice the easier choice.
• For a printed copy of the guidelines, or for help with developing food and beverage guidelines for your league, please call the Living Well Line at 613-549-1232 ext. 1180. 

Download a sample league food and beverage guideline

Team snacks

• Help bring veggies, fruit, and water, to the sidelines instead of sugary snacks and drinks, by participating in the Super Snacks Challenge!
• To participate, communicate to coaches that the league is participating in the Super Snacks Challenge and ask them to pass along the Challenge information to parents. As part of the Challenge, parents are asked to offer only fruit and vegetables as team snacks, if team snacks are offered, and to bring water for their child to hydrate.

If your league would like to receive reusable water bottles, colouring pages, participation certificates, or printed resources to support the Challenge, please call the Living Well Line at 613-549-1232 ext. 1180. 

Download the Super Snacks Challenge resources

Canteens 

If your sports league operates a canteen, consider offering:

For snacks:

• Whole, fresh fruit
• Frozen (thawed) fruit with yogurt
• Fruit smoothies made with frozen fruit and yogurt
• Plain, air-popped, popcorn
• Whole grain cereal bars (not coated in yogurt or chocolate)
• Fresh veggies and hummus
• Whole grain crackers with cheese

For meals:

• Baked beans
• Chili with vegetables, lean meat, chickpeas and beans
• Sandwiches with whole-grain bread, vegetables and lean meats
• Grilled burgers with chicken, turkey, lean beef or pork
• Pasta salad with vegetables and cubed cheese
• Quinoa salad with chickpeas and vegetables

For beverages:

• Plain tap water
• Plain milk

If your league does not operate the canteen where you play, ask the vendor to offer choices from Canada’s food guide, to help athletes fuel to play and recover.

Canteen operators interested in more information can speak with a Registered Dietitian at KFL&A Public Health by calling Living Well at 613-549-1232 ext. 1180. 

 Barbecues and celebrations

Celebrations like end-of-year parties can be great team-building and social experiences. Include foods and beverages from Canada’s food guide to give everyone lasting energy.

If offering a snack, consider:

• Whole, fresh fruit
• Frozen (thawed) fruit with yogurt
• Fruit smoothies made with frozen fruit and yogurt
• Plain, air-popped, popcorn
• Whole grain cereal bars (not coated in yogurt or chocolate)
• Fresh veggies and hummus
• Whole grain crackers with cheese
• Plain water
• Plain milk

If offering a meal, consider:

• Baked beans
• Chili with vegetables, lean meat, chickpeas and beans
• Sandwiches with whole-grain bread, vegetables and lean, unprocessed meats
• Grilled burgers with chicken, turkey, lean beef or pork
• Salads such as:
  • Mixed bean salad
  • Pasta salad with vegetables and cubed cheese
  • Quinoa salad with chickpeas and vegetables
• Plain tap water
• Plain milk

If you would like more information, please call the Living Well Line at 613-549-1232 ext. 1180. 

Sponsorships and advertising 

Health Canada recommends limiting children’s exposure to food marketing.

Food and beverage marketing can greatly influence children’s food preferences, purchase requests and choices.

Sports-related food marketing can occur through a variety of ways, including:

• sponsorship of sports teams or sporting events,
• foods and beverages served at special events or used for fundraising,
• promotional signs around the facility.

To limit children’s exposure to food and beverage marketing, consider requesting local non-food businesses to act as team sponsors. If businesses cannot provide a financial contribution, they could consider offering a small discount on their product or service to league members. 

If food and beverage companies want to act as a sponsor, ask if they can contribute financially without your league displaying their logo (for instance, on players’ shirts). Instead, show appreciation for these contributions in an e-mail to parents.

Fundraising

Many fundraisers involve selling foods that are not recommended by Canada’s food guide, contradicting the healthy eating messages that children learn at school and home.

Use your fundraisers as an opportunity to model healthy eating through words and actions by selling whole fruit, cheese or dried pasta.

You could also plan a fundraiser that does not involve food, such as:

• 50/50 draw for a donated prize
• Bingo night
• Recycling drive
• Calendar sale
• Plant or flower sale
• Gift wrap or stationary sale
• Flea market or garage sale
• Walk-a-thon or car wash

League food and beverage guidelines

• Encourage your league to create an environment that supports healthy eating by adopting a food and beverage guideline. 
• A food and beverage guideline will:
  • Provide clear expectations of what foods and beverages will be available, if any, at sporting events, practices, canteens, and through fundraising.
  • Show parents and the local community that the league values the health of its team members.
  • Support families and individuals to make healthy food choices.
  • Provide children with the same message about healthy eating that they get in school.
  • Help to make the healthy choice the easier choice.

For a printed copy of the guidelines, or for help with developing food and beverage guidelines for your league, please call the Living Well Line at 613-549-1232 ext. 1180. 

Download a sample league food and beverage guideline

Team snacks 

• Help bring veggies, fruit, and water, to the sidelines instead of sugary snacks and drinks, by participating in the Super Snacks Challenge!
• To participate, tell each parent that the team is participating in the Super Snacks Challenge and provide each parent with a copy of the Super Snacks snack ideas flyer.
• As part of the Challenge, parents are asked to offer only fruit and vegetables as team snacks, if team snacks are offered, and to bring water for their child to hydrate.

If your team would like to receive reusable water bottles, colouring pages, participation certificates, or printed resources to support the Challenge, please call the Living Well Line at 613-549-1232 ext. 1180. 

Download the Super Snacks snack ideas flyer

Canteens 

If there is a canteen where your team plays, consider asking the operator to provide options from Canada’s food guide.

For snacks:

• Whole, fresh fruit
• Frozen (thawed) fruit with yogurt
• Fruit smoothies made with frozen fruit and yogurt
• Plain, air-popped, popcorn
• Whole grain cereal bars (not coated in yogurt or chocolate)
• Fresh veggies and hummus
• Whole grain crackers with cheese

For meals:

• Baked beans
• Chili with vegetables, lean meat, chickpeas and beans
• Sandwiches with whole-grain bread, vegetables and lean meats
• Grilled burgers with chicken, turkey, lean beef or pork
• Pasta salad with vegetables and cubed cheese
• Quinoa salad with chickpeas and vegetables

For beverages:

• Plain tap water
• Plain milk

Canteen operators looking for more information can speak with a Registered Dietitian at KFL&A Public Health by calling Living Well at 613-549-1232 ext. 1180. 

 Barbecues and celebrations

Celebrations like end-of-year parties can be great team-building and social experiences.

Include foods and beverages from Canada’s food guide to provide everyone with lasting energy.

If offering a snack, consider:

• Whole, fresh fruit
• Frozen (thawed) fruit with yogurt
• Fruit smoothies made with frozen fruit and yogurt
• Plain, air-popped, popcorn
• Whole grain cereal bars (not coated in yogurt or chocolate)
• Fresh veggies and hummus
• Whole grain crackers with cheese
• Plain water
• Plain milk

If offering a meal, consider:

• Baked beans
• Chili with vegetables, lean meat, chickpeas and beans
• Sandwiches with whole-grain bread, vegetables and lean, unprocessed meats
• Grilled burgers with chicken, turkey, lean beef or pork
• Salads such as:
  • Mixed bean salad
  • Pasta salad with vegetables and cubed cheese
  • Quinoa salad with chickpeas and vegetables
• Plain tap water
• Plain milk

If you would like help in planning your league’s barbecue or celebration menu, please call the Living Well Line 613-549-1232 ext. 1180. 

Team and player rewards 

• Offering food as a reward can lead children to develop an unhealthy relationship with food.

Offer non-food rewards for a game well-played such as:

• Asking a player to be a ‘coach’s helper’ and help set up the field or court next time
• Providing verbal praise
• Giving high-fives

 Sponsorships and Advertising

Health Canada recommends limiting children’s exposure to food marketing.

Food and beverage marketing can greatly influence children’s food preferences, purchase requests and choices.

Sports-related food marketing can occur through a variety of ways, including:

• sponsorship of sports teams or sporting events,
• foods and beverages served at special events or used for fundraising,
• promotional signs around the facility.

To limit children’s exposure to food and beverage marketing, consider requesting local non-food businesses to act as team sponsors. If businesses cannot provide a financial contribution, they could consider offering a small discount on their product or service to league members. 

If food and beverage companies want to act as a sponsor, ask if they can contribute financially without your league displaying their logo (for instance, on players’ shirts). Instead, show appreciation for these contributions in an e-mail to parents.

Fundraising

Many fundraisers involve selling foods that are not recommended by Canada’s food guide, contradicting the healthy eating messages that children learn at school and home.

Use your fundraisers as an opportunity to model healthy eating through words and actions by selling whole fruit, cheese or dried pasta.

You could also plan a fundraiser that does not involve food, such as:

• 50/50 draw for a donated prize
• Bingo night
• Recycling drive
• Calendar sale
• Plant or flower sale
• Gift wrap or stationary sale
• Flea market or garage sale
• Walk-a-thon or car wash

League food and beverage guidelines

• Ask your league to develop a food and beverage guidelines to support healthy eating for players and spectators.
• A food and beverage guideline will:
  • Provide clear expectations of what foods and beverages will be available, if any, at sporting events, practices, canteens, and through fundraising.
  • Show parents and the local community that the league values the health of its team members.
  • Support families and individuals to make healthy food choices.
  • Provide children with the same message about healthy eating that they get in school.
  • Help to make the healthy choice the easier choice. 

Team snacks 

Help bring veggies, fruit, and water, to the sidelines instead of sugary snacks and drinks, by participating in the Super Snacks Challenge!

If team snacks are offered, offer only fruit and vegetables, with water for your child to hydrate.

Simple fruit and vegetables snack ideas include:

• Sliced melon
• Berries
• Whole or sliced fruit such as peaches or oranges
• Bananas, cut in half
• Sliced vegetables such as peppers or cucumber

If your team or league would like to receive reusable water bottles, colouring pages, participation certificates, or printed resources to support the Challenge, please call the Living Well Line at 613-549-1232 ext. 1180.

Download a copy of Super Snacks snack ideas flyer 

Canteens

• If there is a canteen where your child plays, ask for vegetables, fruit, and other choices from Canada’s food guide to help athletes fuel to play and recover.
• Canteens generally offer items that are sold. If other parents from your child’s team want choices from Canada’s food guide, notify the canteen manager. 

Barbecues and celebrations

Include foods and beverages from Canada’s food guide to provide everyone with lasting energy.

If offering a snack, consider:

• Whole, fresh fruit
• Frozen (thawed) fruit with yogurt
• Fruit smoothies made with frozen fruit and yogurt
• Plain, air-popped, popcorn
• Whole grain cereal bars (not coated in yogurt or chocolate)
• Fresh veggies and hummus
• Whole grain crackers with cheese
• Plain water
• Plain milk

If offering a meal, consider:

• Baked beans
• Chili with vegetables, lean meat, chickpeas and beans
• Sandwiches with whole-grain bread, vegetables and lean, unprocessed meats
• Grilled burgers with chicken, turkey, lean beef or pork
• Salads such as:
  • Mixed bean salad
  • Pasta salad with vegetables and cubed cheese
  • Quinoa salad with chickpeas and vegetables
• Plain tap water
• Plain milk

If you would like help in planning your team's barbecue or celebration menu, please call the Living Well Line 613-549-1232 ext. 1180. 

Rewards

Offering food as a reward can lead children to develop an unhealthy relationship with food.

Offer non-food rewards for a game well-played such as:

• Allow extra outside play time
• Providing verbal praise
• Giving high-fives