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Top Eight Soccer Snacks

March 26, 2013   19 Comments

Soccer parents are asked to bring a snack to fuel their little athletes.

Healthy Soccer Snacks

I’m not sure a snack is really needed all of the time, but we are still asked to bring it. Obviously, tournaments are different than a 40 minute scrimmage and I’m sure snack is helpful in all sorts of situations.

Or course, I am not here to question the wisdom of the soccer snack, I am here to help parents bring something healthy. Not that I don't think questioning is a good idea. In a country where one third of the children are considered overweight or obese, we could all stand to lay off the snacks.

Whatever you do, do not bring Gatorade or other high calorie sports drinks unless your child is a serious athlete. Just drink water! Here is an excellent article on the subject: Pediatricians Warn Against Sports Drinks For Kids.

Here are some easy healthy ideas:

  1. Quartered oranges or clementines
  2. Bananas
  3. Apple slices (use some fresh lemon juice so they don’t turn brown)
  4. Homemade Cereal Bars
  5. Clif Z Bar
  6. Cheese sticks and 100% whole grain crackers
  7. Peanut butter filled pretzels
  8. Banana Bread

Try to stay away from fruit snacks, fruit leather, or other processed fruit and just buy the real thing. I have seen all sorts of strange things show up on the sidelines and my daughter has started attending my son’s games to get her hands on the snack.

How do you deal with the soccer snack?


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19 Comments:

Ahhh sports! That's one thing I miss about being in school and being a kid are the sports! You picked some great snacks here!!

I played soccer and basketball for years. When it came to soccer we only rarely had a sideline snack and it was tradition then that it be orange wedges. It was really a treat cause I never felt hungry while playing sports, only after. No one ever brought a snack to any basketball game I was at. I think food is unnessasary during game time, seems like a good way to throw up

Good reminder on the Gatorade! I know this, but will buy it once and a while & then the kids want it more. Plus, once baseball season starts, the kids get them at the snack bar... I guess I can pack water & that's more of a treat...

My daughter's first soccer coach would insist on snack at half time & after the game and it was such garbage - munchkins, chips and sugary drinks. I still cringe when I think about it! My other daughter insisted on orange slices and grapes along with their own water bottles. What a difference! The kids were actually raring to go after halftime! Better choices really do make a difference.

That should have said "my other daughter's coaches" :)

Ice cold orange wedges are the best! We have also had frozen grapes and frozen blueberries. We like string cheese and peanuts for long days.

Really - we dont need snacks except for tournaments but little soccer players look for the treat. Its difficult to be the parent that brings healthy snacks and not junk but in the long and short run, the kids prefer it!

Im not a soccer mom, but these are still great snack ideas! Also, for the apple slices, using a splash of orange juice instead of lemon works well because it doesn't leave any bitter taste :)

I'd recommend Larabars in place of the Clif Z Bars. Larabars are much less processed (WAY fewer ingredients) and don't contain sugars and soy.

I love these ideas, but like your first statements even more. I don't think eating ANYthing during a normal game is a good idea. Water breaks are all kids need. Save the snacks for afterwards? :-)

...I didn't mean to make that last bit a question. haha! I'm typing too fast.

My daughter is only 4 so her soccer practice is mostly a temper tantrum of why she doesn't want to be there. We haven't gotten to games yet. However, I do keep the packets of applesauce (my daughter refers to them as "squeezy applesauce") in my purse for hunger attacks at all times when we're out and about. I also try to have water available for her.

Great tips! Another helper I recently read about was putting your apple slices in 7-Up for 5 minutes. The ascorbic acid will keep them fresh and from going brown.

Thanks for the great blogs!

Pineapple juice works great too for apples!

One of the best snacks = roasted butternut squash. So delicious and naturally sweet! I am obsessed.

These are great snacks, thank you. Unfortunately these won't work for the times parents are to supply snacks after games. We are required to supply pre-packaged snacks. Do you have some suggestions besides cheese sticks or whole fruit? Thanks,

If only I had been clever enough to bring peanut butter filled pretzels to my soccer games, I would have been the "best" player on the team :P

These are great suggestions. Unfortunately where I live we are required to bring only pre-packaged foods. Although there are a few ideas above they do not always go over well with the kids. Does anyone have more ideas that are pre-packaged?

We are new to all of this snack stuff but here are a few prepackaged ideas. Applesauce, apple chips, carrots and celery, nuts, trail mix, yogurt, fruit roll ups, seaweed chips, popcorn, pretzels, frozen yogurt bars. All of these come in individual packages, make sure you look at the ingredients for no added sugars or flavoring. You can find some of these at trader joes for the healthiest versions but can also be found in standard grocery stores as well

I say wait till game is over and give them a real treat like cup cakes. No need to eat during game. Water is good. Now come on people get them a real treat after all their had work.


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