I make my kids eat 1/2 a candy bar (snickers or milky way) or fruit and drink .5 liters of water before XC meets that are on Saturday Mornings while we are on the bus. As for track meets i do the same and have them eat some fruit or something sweet between events if time allows.
I prefer high glycemic foods before and during meets such as fructose. I know some of this runs contrary to popular guidelines, but even so an improperly fueled athlete is better than an unfueled one.
"Make" kids eat a chocolate bar?!?!
Lol.
That's a first.
Never heard of a child who freely rejected chocolate.