Super Simple Soccer Snacks That Are Fun and Healthy!

07/06/2013

Guest Post by:

Soccer snacks have become an expected ‘treat’ for kids at half time of 60 minute games played on soccer fields throughout every city.  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.

Somewhere along the line in our busy active kids and busy working parents schedule, 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 a soccer snack that will replenish their energy stores to keep them on the field and hydrate 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 idea’s but these are our favorite super simple soccer snacks that will keep the kids going to the last goal and have all the parents cheering from the sidelines!

Watermelon cubes & 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!

BIO: Deb Lowther is a mother of 3 young daughters who, when not running after the kids, is running in the trails! She blogs on dozens of websites about Raising Healthy Kids and ensures her own have fun while eating healthy & staying active.  To read more articles and see her favorite recipes starring squash and spinach that she promises even your kids will love, visit her websites www.iron-kids.com  &  www.adultgummies.com  or visit her on Twitter @KidsGummyMum or Facebook at IronKids.Health and Adult Essentials.