So you got picked this week to bring snacks to the soccer practice. Congratulations! Don’t stress this week, we have a list of awesome snacks that won’t just make you popular with the players and their parents, but also will nourish the young players.
Youth sports players are working out every week for many hours and they are also growing so (you already know) these kids are going to be very hungry indeed! Just check out our list of the best snacks for soccer players for easy and yummy practice snack time.
Quick Snacks
Sometimes you gotta get gone! This section is filled with quick and easy snacks for soccer players you should be able to whip up in a few minutes to bring to practice or to have waiting for when your player gets home.
1. Popcorn
Popcorn? Yes, popcorn! With less sodium and fats than chips, popcorn makes for a great snack that feels filling to young players. Pop a big bowl of popcorn for your player and put as much salt and oil as you feel is necessary (and tasty) on top.
2. Fruit
Fruit is a great snack to have for players because it is high in sugar and this helps to keep their blood sugar up when they are running around at practice a lot or have just come home and are exhausted. Fruit pieces are also a great snack idea because a lot of them are high in water and so are also hydrating!
Additionally, fruits can have minerals and vitamins that are essential to your soccer player's growth and development. There are so many good fruits to choose from when preparing a fruit snack but a few excellent ones are oranges, apples, watermelon, grapes, and bananas.
3. Raw Veggies
A lot like fruit, raw veggies can be hydrating and have lots of different minerals and vitamins (depending on the fruit) so a veggie plate can make a good snack as well. If you’ve got some humus or some other sauce for dipping in, even better!
Prepackaged (but still healthy!) Snacks
If you have a moment at the store to grab these premade and ready-to-go snacks, then you can save yourself a lot of time later while still having an awesome snack ready for your player and/or their teammates. Check out this list of ready-to-go snacks for soccer players.
4. Granola or Protein Bars
An obviously great snack for players, granola bars can be a good way to up your player's blood sugar and make them feel a little full right after or even before practice! There are so many different types of bars but it is best to find ones that are high in protein and low in added sugars.
Some bars are more like candy bars than healthy snacks so be sure to stay vigilant about checking out the ingredients list.
5. Beef Jerky
I remember being a kid and getting beef jerky on road trips, and man, oh man, was it the best. As a kid, I really savored the protein and umami flavors that are often in beef jerky and it was one of my favorite snacks.
It can be a favorite of your soccer player too because it is high in protein, which, as growing kids, they’re gonna need. It is a better alternative to other really junky-savory snacks.
But like bars, it is important to keep an eye on the ingredients list since there can be lots of additives in beef jerky, depending on the brand.
6. String Cheese
What an excellent snack– part toy that you get to tear apart and part yummy treat, string cheese is an excellent choice of snack for soccer players, given that your child is okay with dairy.
Dairy products can often be great sources of protein and other nutrients that help build strong bones. Kids also just love cheese! I know I still do. Keep your child entertained and fed well with a string cheese now and then.
7. Juice Boxes
I used to love getting a juice box with my snack at soccer games. It made my snack feel like a meal and it was such a treat. Juice boxes are also another great way of getting good vitamins in your player and/or their teammates as well as keeping their blood sugar up.
Once again, though, it is important to make sure the nutritional facts and ingredients are up to snuff for you. Just regular old apple juice is great but apple concentrate with some corn syrup is not gonna do the trick.
8. Apple Sauce
Much like a juice box, apple sauce is a great way to keep blood sugar up and get vitamins. Apple sauce may be a better home snack as well since if you’re bringing it to practice remember to bring some plastic spoons or buy the apple sauce with the attached spoon!
9. (Frozen) Yogurt Tubes
Yogurt is such a good health food because not only are there good nutrients in yogurt but often there is good bacteria too which helps gut health! Now a lot of tube yogurts are going to have more sugar than bacteria so using your discretion when choosing your type of yogurt is important.
Maybe your player likes the yogurt as-is! But if it’s mid-summer and terribly hot out, freezing your yogurt tubes may make you the hero mom you didn’t know you could be.
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10. Protein Shakes
But of course! Keeping protein shakes on hand in the pantry for when your player doesn’t have time for meals or is feeling peckish after practice, can be an excellent way to make sure they stay nice and strong.
11. Sports Drinks
There are so many sports drinks out there and for good reason– they are used predominantly to get hydrated and add electrolytes back into the body. When a person is active they sweat out electrolytes (minerals), and get dehydrated.
Enjoying a sports drink during activity and after is a great way to make sure you keep hydrated and keep a good amount of electrolytes in your body.
12. Fruit Leather
Another awesome way to get minerals and keep blood sugar up, fruit leather is also a fun and usually pretty inexpensive snack.
Prepped Snacks
If you have a bit more time this week get a little creative, this list of snacks includes ideas for snacks that require a little bit of preparation on your part. Some of these are an especially good pick if you are bringing snacks to practice this week.
13. Fresh Fruit Kabob
I love this idea because, even though it takes a bit of time, it is still pretty easy! Get some kabob skewers and fruit. You’ll cut the fruit as needed so it will fit onto a skewer without falling off. Have fun making rainbow designs or designs on the kabob of the team colors or whatever!
When you have enough, arrange them in a big bowl and serve them with some napkins.
14. Veggie and Sauce Cup
To make veggies more interesting to your player and/or their teammates, get some plastic cups ad fill the bottoms with dips such as humus, cheese dips, ranch, or guacamole.
Then using maybe carrots, bell peppers, jicama, celery, broccoli, or whichever veggies you happen to have, arrange the veggies inside the cup perhaps laying against the sides of the cup. You can fill a tray with these and head off to practice in no time!
15. Muffins
Muffins or mini muffins are a great idea for a team snack or a snack for your soccer player at home. You can make protein-heavy muffins for their breakfast before school or muffins for during games or after school!
16. Shakes or Smoothies
Making shakes or smoothies for a whole team may be outside your budget, but keeping some on hand in the fridge for your player isn’t a bad idea! It is an easy-to-grab snack for them that, depending on what you make, will keep them well nourished!
17. PB and J
The classic PB and J, of course! This is a great snack to share or just have at home because it has peanut butter and all those healthy fats and proteins, as well as the sugar and nutrients from the fruit jam! I don’t have to tell you that your kids will love it! Make sure that if you are bringign them to practice that there aren’t any nut allergies on your team though!
18. Ants on a Log
This was an innocuous snack in my house that I just loved. It was cute and tasty! A celery stick gets a slab of peanut butter through it and then is decorated with raisins on the top! A great hydrating, protein-friendly snack for soccer players.
19. Layered Fruit Cups
This treat is so nice because it is basically a desert! There are so many different ways to personalize this idea as well. You could simply stack different layers of fruit in a plastic cup, or you could use alternating layers of a fruit dip and fruit. Get creative with this snack!
20. Trail Mix in Individual Bags
I love trail mix because it is almost always such a tasty treat. There is the protein and fats of nuts that are so good for your muscles and brain, as well as some sugar from raisins or other dried fruits (or maybe even M&Ms!).
You can buy bags of trail mix or, depending on allergies on your team, you can get bulk nuts from your local healthfood store and make your own plastic bags of trail mix!