Calling Mrs. Agurto and Her Quartered Oranges

I was watching a teenage sporting event recently and was disappointed that the majority of kids were drinking Gatorade and other sports drinks and eating energy bars. The only food to be found were a handful of bananas.

It's obvious that we are taking our consumption cues from the omnipresent marketing that so dominates the sports-entertainment complex. It's truly a shame, as these foodstuffs do not provide the needed nutrition and, I would argue, actually hinder performance in the long term.

How about just eating some real food while playing sports?  Maybe mixing a little protein, sugar and carbohydrates in the form of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (using unadulterated ingredients, of course)? Or drinking water flavored with a little lemon juice and honey, in lieu of the Gatorade that is full of refined sugars and petroleum-based artificial colors?
 
When I was playing high school soccer, one mom—a native of Chile—would bring a plastic bag full of quartered oranges (peel and all!) for the team to eat during halftime and other stoppages in play. This world would be a better place if every youth sports league had a Mrs. Agurto, who took the time to provide real nutrition.