It all started one summer night after a Sullivan County Women’s Softball League game at Collin’s Park in 2018. Cosmos and I were on our way home to Montgomery after the game and as the adrenaline wore off, my hunger signals got louder and louder. Some of our softball games start at 7:30pm, meaning by the time the game is over, there aren’t many local restaurants open to grab something to eat. 

Luckily for me, the Miss Monticello Diner was still open, and so began a tradition nobody could see coming. 

We walked into the restaurant, sat down in a booth, and looked over the menus. Chicken tenders sounded like a great way to end a long day of commuting to Manhattan for work and playing in a softball game, which I’m guessing we won. We enjoyed our dinner and headed home, not thinking anything of it. 

As the season went on, I started craving chicken tenders after every softball game! And so we would get them after late games when the only place still open was the Miss Monticello Diner. 

The tradition has since carried over to playing in the Sullivan County Women’s Soccer League, and after soccer or basketball games I coach for Livingston Manor High School. Post-game chicken tenders are something I still enjoy to this day. 

I’ve had seasons filled with more post-game chicken tenders than others. In the beginning of this tradition, chicken tenders were consumed very frequently. As the years have gone on, post-game chicken tender consumption has varied depending on my goals. 

Although I love this tradition, and especially love sharing it with Cosmos, it doesn’t always help me move toward health. Let’s be honest - chicken tenders aren’t the gold standard of nutrition. 

With that being said, the joy our post-game chicken tender tradition brings us is very important to me. This past weekend, I coached my last basketball game for the season. Per Cosmos’s recommendation, we stopped for post-game chicken tenders, which sparked the idea for this article. 

Although chicken tenders aren’t part of the ideal group of foods that will help me reach my current health goals, prioritizing my mental, emotional, and social health, as well as doing something that my husband and I enjoy doing together definitely helps me move toward health. 

Moving toward health isn’t about restricting everything that is fun in our lives and brings us joy if it isn’t perfectly aligned with our health goals. Moving toward health means knowing that post-game chicken tenders bring me joy, and I will adjust my food intake around them to ensure I can continue enjoying this tradition with my husband without letting it take over. 

Reflect on what parts of your life bring you joy that might not seem valuable to your health, and consider how you can continue to enjoy them while also moving toward health each day.

Xoxo

Coach Maggi