By Lucy McNally / Sports Editor
Since the services of SAGE Dining first arrived at Harpeth Hall in 2017, nutrition has been increasingly important to the Harpeth Hall community. However, with the new addition of Fuel the Bear, healthy alternatives for students will encourage the student body to further value nutrition in their daily lives.
Opening soon, Fuel the Bear is the new nutrition bar located in the Athletics and Wellness Center, created by a team of Harpeth Hall’s trainers and coaches. It will be open before school on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday mornings from 7:30-8:00, as well as every day during afternoon break. It will offer healthy and sustainable snacks from protein bars to smoothies that students can purchase during open hours.
“You have morning workouts if you’re on a varsity team, so I like its morning time frame because you can grab something healthy after workouts in the morning and be ready for your school day,” sophomore Ruthie Gaw said.
Gaw is a junior varsity volleyball player at Harpeth Hall and an example of a student-athlete who is looking forward to the new options for food. The nutrition bar provides athletes like Gaw with healthy snack alternatives to the Max, which is Harpeth Hall’s snack station in the cafeteria that generally has less nutritious options like chips, brownies, cookies and sodas.
Head Athletic Trainer at Harpeth Hall Kathryn Spear was one of the advocates for establishing Fuel the Bear. She worked alongside her colleagues to put the importance of nutrition on a platform and make it accessible to students. After workshopping with ideas, she launched the plan to bring the bar to Harpeth Hall.
“Nutrition is important because food fuels our bodies and allows us to have the energy to function at our best,” Spear said.
Athletes like junior Grace Blankenship, who is a varsity member of the track and field team, are also excited about the nutrition bar for many reasons.
“I think it’ll be super exciting as well as helpful! I know a lot of people want to start eating healthier but aren’t sure how, so this will be a great way for girls to learn how to eat cleaner,” Blankenship said.
Similar to students, Harpeth Hall’s coaches and trainers, like Spear, greatly value healthy options for students and believe there is always a need for more education about how food helps the body grow to its best potential. They want to provide students with healthier options to fuel their bodies, so they can learn how to take care of themselves while being active.
“There is so much unknown and misinformation about food that I feel it is important to focus on the facts and share more with people,” Spear said.
Through the creation of Fuel the Bear, Spear’s desire to give healthier food options to student-athletes will ideally boost teams’ performance and benefit every athlete’s body. It will also allow all of Harpeth Hall’s students to learn how to properly fuel their bodies in a nutritious way.
Be on the lookout for more information about Fuel the Bear’s upcoming opening!
SNACKING AND CHATTING: Junior Karina Shah enjoys a protein bar while talking with junior Ella Allen outside the Massey entrance to the Upper School on Aug. 19, 2021, before the approaching opening of Fuel the Bear. Photo by Priyanka Chiguluri / LogosNow Editor-in-Chief
Why didn’t this exist when I was at Harpeth Hall? Dang…
Nice work, LM. Maybe the healthy snacks will help you with your speed, which appeared lacking this past spring. EA is beyond that kind of help though. She just doesn’t have the wheels to keep up with elite 37-year-old athletes.
AW- come back to Nashville when you want a rematch! The new nutrition bar could help give you that extra boost