Feeding Your Kids

Every morning, one of my first questions for my kids is: “What do you want for breakfast, and what do you want for lunch?”

It is the start to a great day when my older child prepares cereal or toaster waffles for himself and his sister. Occasionally, if we’re running late or they’re slow to get ready, I incentivize them to speed up by telling them we can go get donuts at a drive-through place nearby. I know— donuts aren’t exactly the breakfast of champions, but at least they are eating breakfast, and we have milk and fruit as well.

At this point in the summer, both of my kids go to day camp. One has lunch supplied by the camp, the other not. So I pack one lunch each day, typically with a sandwich or bagel, fruit, vegetable and squeezable yogurt. Frankly, I feel like I have limited options for lunch choices, especially since my son’s camp has forbidden any peanut butter or products containing nut traces this summer. Some days, a pre-packaged lunch is what ends up in his backpack.

As a parent, I only need to feed two kids, so I can’t even imagine the everyday decisions, hours of preparation and potential challenges that go into feeding a group of 150 drum corps or marching band students. Fortunately, we got the scoop on what marching instructors and health professionals recommend to fit the energy needs of marching participants. Do you know that they should drink nearly six times the amount of water and eat twice the calories of a typical person? Wow! For other interesting tidbits on nutrition and hydration during marching season, read “Fueling Your Body,” page 28.

On another note, we wish hearty congratulations to the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps on its golden anniversary. At an era where drum corps are finding it harder and harder to survive, the Blue Stars should certainly feel proud to reach this milestone. Read our Q&A with executive director Brad Furlano on page 34.

To all drum corps and marching students throughout the coming seasons: Good luck, have fun and stay healthy.

Musically Yours,
Christine Ngeo Katzman
Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

About author

Christine Ngeo Katzman

Christine Ngeo Katzman is founder and chief executive officer of Muse Media, LLC, creator of books, magazines, and additional content highlighting performing arts and youth activities. Magazine assets include Halftime Magazine for marching arts participants and fans as well as Yamaha SupportED Magazine for K through 12 music educators. Previously, she was a writer and editor at Crain Communications and Imagination Publishing and a marketing manager at Chatsworth Products, Inc. Christine also worked for Yamaha Band and Orchestral Division. As a child, Christine learned five instruments, with flute being primary. She marched in the Northwestern University Marching Band, including the 1996 Rose Bowl and 1997 Citrus Bowl. Christine graduated cum laude from Northwestern University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism in 1997 and earned an MBA with honors from the University of Southern California in 2007.

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