Soccer snacks have become an expected ‘treat’ for kids at half time as a reward for 60 minutes of play on soccer fields everywhere. Kids of all ages run their little hearts out and happily grab a drink of water at a short break, but half time seems to have turned into treat time. Somehow the purpose of encouraging our busy, active kids got lost and soccer snacks turned into packaged processed treats and water got sent to the sidelines to be replaced with sugar filled ‘juice’ boxes or artificially coloured ‘punch’ in a pouch.
These low nutrient, high sugar options are not healthy choices for our little athletes! With a bit of planning and a tiny amount of effort, we can give kids soccer snacks that will replenish their energy stores and rehydrate them without the sugar fix. A simple bag of apples handed out at half time will give the kids vitamins, fiber and natural sugar without the added chemicals from artificial colours and flavours.
You might be surprised to learn that kids love healthy snacks! There are lots of healthy soccer snack ideas but these are our favorite super simple soccer snacks that will keep the kids going to the very last goal and have all the parents cheering from the sidelines!
Watermelon cubes and grapes…frozen! — Don’t fill your cooler with frozen popsicles or freezes laden with artificial ingredients. Surprise them with chunks of watermelon and grapes from the freezer!
Fruit Kebobs — Fruit is transformed from ‘fine’ to ‘funtastic’ when it’s on a stick! Watermelon, strawberries, grapes, apples and cantaloupe all make great fruit kebobs and it only take a second to prepare.
Festive Fruit Water — Buy a clear jug and fill it with strawberries, blueberries, lemon slices and lime wedges then fill with ice water. Who wouldn’t want to try that after a hot half on the soccer pitch? The longer it sits, the more the flavours will come out.
Bananas Boats — Cut bananas in half lengthwise and top with non peanut soy spread (like Wow Butter) and add a few chocolate chips. Kids get all the energy boosting benefits from the banana, protein from the soy butter and a sweet treat from the chocolate chips.
Munchie Mix — Throw together some healthy dry cereal you have on hand, dried fruit and the odd mini M&M for a bowl of snacks everyone will crowd around. High fibre, low sugar cereals such as wheat squares, toasty o’s and corn squares combined with dried apricots, cherries, cranberries or blueberries and a few coloured chocolates for fun, makes a healthy munchie mix sure to please a crowd.
Be the snack super star this soccer season by bringing the kids fruit served in a fun new way! Just adding a stick and serving it as a kebob brings new life to boring fruit! You will be amazed at how much kids enjoy eating healthy snacks at halftime!
