Ask anyone who played Saturday morning sport in the 90s what half-time tasted like and you’ll get the same answer. A wedge of orange, a swig of water and, briefly, an orange-peel mouthguard grin.
That ritual is slipping away. New research commissioned by Australian orange growers has found fewer than three in 10 children are handed orange wedges at half-time anymore. Packaged snacks and sports drinks have taken their place. Ninety-three per cent of parents think the tradition is disappearing. Seventy-seven per cent want it back.
So why did the orange work so well in the first place? And should we be reaching for it again?
The humble wedge was doing more than we realised
According to Advanced Sports Dietitian Ali Miles, who works with the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia, Sunshine Coast Lightning and the Queensland Academy of Sport, that simple orange wedge was pulling serious weight.
‘Oranges naturally provide carbohydrates for energy, they have a high water content to help with hydration, and are packed with vitamin C, making them an ideal half-time snack during winter sport,’ she says. ‘They’re also fun. Kids love the orange grin.’
Her advice for parents who feel the pull of the sports-drink aisle is refreshingly relaxed. Kids playing a game of school or community sport don’t need complex sports nutrition. Water and a favourite fruit will do the job perfectly well.
If oranges aren’t a hit with your crew, watermelon, rockmelon and grapes are solid back-ups. Sports drinks have their place, Ali says, but that’s for longer, more intense sessions well over an hour. Not under-9s netball.
Worth knowing: oranges are still standard issue at the top level. ‘I’ve worked with several AFL teams and oranges are a must-have half-time snack in the club rooms.’
If it’s good enough for the pros, it’s good enough for the Modbury Jets.
How to cut oranges for a whole team, fast
Orange grower and netball dad Michael Arnold is on orange duty for his younger daughter’s team most weeks, and he has the method down to a fine art.
Here’s how to do it:
- Slice off the top and bottom so the orange sits steady on your chopping board
- Cut it into quarters
- Trim out the core from each quarter (it’s bitter to bite into)
- Halve the quarters again, because eighths are easier for small hands than big wedges
‘As a kid I can remember the hype, fun and smell of the oranges coming out,’ Michael says. ‘Friendships and memories were created around that orange bowl.’
Ali’s tip for a smoother Saturday: slice them the night before and keep them in an airtight container in the fridge. They stay perfectly juicy, and it’s one less job when you’re trying to get out the door with shin pads, water bottles and that missing sock.
Free oranges for your club or school
Australian orange growers are giving away the equivalent of more than 25,000 oranges to schools and junior sporting clubs this winter. If you’re involved with a club or school, you can register at oranges.com.au to claim your share.
Which means the only thing standing between your team and a proper half-time is someone remembering to bring the container.
This winter, maybe that someone is you. Your kids will thank you. Their teammates will thank you. And somewhere, a seven-year-old will discover the simple joy of an orange-peel grin for the very first time.
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