This post is all about snacks for soccer games!
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Hi, fellow soccer mom (or soccer parent)! It’s soccer season, and you want to be prepared with a substantial snack after your kiddo has just laid it all out on the field. Same!
I’d like to make your life a little bit easier so you don’t have to think about what to pack for every ding dang game and practice, while still feeling equipped with substantial snacks for soccer games for your tired athlete (and any accompanying soccer siblings or parents!).
No special tricks here — cute snacks are great, but it’s hard to make time for that and, simply put, can be completely unrealistic for many parents’ schedules. These snacks are about nourishment and joy from a soccer snack on the go!
In This Post:
Accessible Ideas for Substantial Soccer Snacks
Soccer Snack Add-Ons & Suggestions
Helpful Containers for Soccer Season Transport
Soccer season is crazy busy for us all, am I right?!
Sometimes I get mentally drained by all the thinking that goes into packing and unpacking bags for various activities, and lengths of time out of the house, food containers, water bottles, and everything in between. I’m not sure about you, but I’ve learned that it helps me to have a list to refer to so I can take some of the thought out of the process. I’m hoping this will do just that for you as well.
My husband and I are often solo parenting in the evenings based on our work schedules or his coaching schedule. It seems like a similar situation for most families — if a two parent house, everyone’s split up based on varied activities / needs. For this reason, I like to be very prepared for the two hours we spend at the soccer field several times a week. That means trekking along various toys and activities for my daughter, including plenty of filling snacks to keep her belly full, as well as her brother’s when he is starving as he gets off the field. Also, adults need food too!
And, what I love about a soccer sibling (my daughter), is that they build friendships with other soccer siblings. So, she has her buddies that look forward to hanging together, and all of us as parents have an understanding that snacks are pretty much universal to share (for the most part). This means we all often pack extra for the sideline soccer club!
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Okay, on to helpful snacking suggestions…
Accessible Ideas for Snacks for Soccer Games
Nutella, apples, granola (NYT recipe)
Nutella is such a treat. And this Eleven Madison Park granola recipe from the New York Times is amazing. I often throw my own random mix of granola together and throw it in the oven, but when I want to follow a recipe (it’s very simple), this is the one. Both my kids like it!
Sliced apples, cheese, chocolate chips, peanut butter, pretzels
This is not novel, but it is delicious. Grab a little to go container and throw in some apples or other fruit, sliced cheese or a string cheese, some chocolate chips / M&Ms, a dollop of peanut butter / sun butter / Nutella / almond butter, and toss in some mini pretzels or Splits (our personal favorites).
Pita chips, carrots/cucumbers/peppers, dip (tzatziki, hummus, white bean hummus), olives, stuffed grape leaves
Pretty self explanatory. Grab some crunchy pita chips from a bag or a mini pita that can be torn up. Slice some veggies, or throw in some baby carrots, a whole mini cucumber, and baby peppers. Add a dollop of dip to the side, a few olives, and a stuffed grape leaf if that’s your kid’s thing.
Warmed up chicken nuggets with dipping sauce, fruit/veggie or fruit bar/twist/strip/roll (so many variations!)
Chicken is a more substantial option, especially when paired with anything else — a cut up veggie or fruit rolls or strips, etc. I will often throw these in my daughter’s bento box, with dried cranberries, olives, and some other fun goodies. She loves to open her box and see what I’ve packed, and I am happy knowing she has a substantial snack / dinner while we’re out of the house for a while around dinnertime.
Side note: I’m assuming all children don’t like it when one compartment of a bento box is left empty? I love bento boxes, but scramble to fill the whole thing!
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Trail mix (homemade or otherwise) with a string cheese
While it’s easy to buy a bag of prepared trail mix at pretty much any store, it can be a little tricky given that the mix isn’t always right based on a child’s preferences. If you are able to grab your child’s favorite nut, seed, chocolate, and dried fruits, you can throw your own together. If not, prepared it is!
Tortilla chips & guacamole cups
Easy peasy. Throw some tortilla chips in a bag (or just grab the entire bag and throw it in your tote) and a guacamole cup.
Cheese & ham roll ups, edamame, yogurt pouch or cup
This is a go to in our house. My daughter likes just the ham and is obsessed with edamame — shelled is easy and the pods are fun! My son prefers the ham & cheese rolled up together and will not touch edamame, so it’s apple slices or strawberries for him.
Protein balls and/or granola bars, with a cheese stick and fruit
My children may possibly be walking Clif Kidz Zbars at this point. They never get sick of them, thankfully!, and both kids really enjoy them. When I have the time and the energy, I do love the idea of making granola bars or protein balls (I don’t need protein in them, but I feel like this is just what they’re called at this point?).
Granola bar recipes:
Protein ball recipes:
Muffin or loaf slice
Store bought obviously works here, while homemade is great too. There are so many great muffin recipes that prioritize a child’s palette.
Here are a few:
I also love that my son loves the pumpkin bread I make in the fall. So, during the fall soccer season I’ll often pack up a few slices for games and tournament days. It’s such a joy to unwrap those babies!
Sweet or savory skewers
Whether sweet or savory, if you’d like to add in an extra step, grab some skewers (long or cut in half), and thread some pieces of meat, veggies, and/or cubed cheese. Conversely, you could add pieces of strawberries, pineapple, cantaloupe, mango, honeydew.
Yogurt, fruit, granola
Another simple go-to that gets the job done. Our favorite fruits to eat with yogurt are super simple: blueberries, strawberries, and bananas. I also love the addition of bits of dried fruit from the granola. Yum!
Mini snack wrap
Any vehicle works here: a mini tortilla, mini nan, or pita. Add your child’s favorite sandwich goodies. In my case, it’s simple ham & cheese. You could also warm up a chicken tender (grilled or breaded), and put it in a snack wrap with cheddar cheese and some ranch dip, or whatever variation works.
Child charcuterie “board”
This option works great for a team snack idea or for tournament days when you’re hanging around for hours. Grab the size of to-go container you’d like to use (whether individually sized or large enough to feed several people), and add in rolled up meats (my kids enjoy ham, mortadella, chicken), cubed or sliced cheese, and a spreadable cheese (Boursin cheese is a favorite in my house) if you have it on hand. Add olives, nuts (depending on allergies, of course), dried fruit, hunks of chocolate, and crackers or sliced baguette. Goldfish, pretzels, protein balls, fruit snacks, hunks of granola bars, and other kid friendly snack are welcome here too! I guarantee this one will be a win!
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Soccer snack add ons:
Chunks of chicken / meatballs / hardboiled egg
I’m not sure about your kids, but when my son is done with soccer practice (especially because we often stay late so he can play around with his friends for a bit), he is so ready to consume food. Having some meat or some form of protein and healthy fats in the snack helps a lot.
Dried or freeze dried fruit
This one is obvious and you’ve heard it a million times before, but I want to make sure the reminder is here. I keep my dried cranberries in an area that is not the snack cabinet, so I can forget about them. My daughter loves them, oddly enough, so I try to include them when I remember them. Next time you go to Trader Joe’s or Aldi’s, stock up on a few different options. The freeze dried bananas and mangos are SO SWEET. They’re delicious. While the traditional raisins are great, maybe your child would find it fun to try something new or an item they haven’t had in a while: dried cherries, blueberries, coconut, mango, pineapple, apricots, etc.
Something sweet or chocolatey
I don’t know about you, but I love some chocolate with my snack plate and my son is the same. It’s lovely to experience joy through food, and this is one simple way of doing just that! Add in some cookie bites, fruit snacks, M&Ms, etc. You’ll have one happy soccer player!
Simple Suggestions:
- Sometimes I like to get ideas from my local store — if I see something in the prepared section, I make a mental note to prep something similar at home.
- If it would be helpful, ask your kids for their own snack ideas — this helps them to think through their potential hunger level and cues, while also helping them to take responsibility in this area.
- Have them choose a snack or two from the grocery store that they’re excited about. Novelty is so fun!
- These kids work so hard. They go to school all day, have homework, and then also go to practice, listen to the coach, etc. I love to acknowledge their effort, while also making them feel taken care of with a filling snack they’ll enjoy.
- If you need to feed a family, or need team snack ideas, make the snack for soccer games a bulk situation. Just take what’s listed here and arrange it in a large container. One of my friend’s brought this board (or something similar) to pickup soccer one night and it was such a great idea.
Helpful Containers for Soccer Snack Transport
First things first – if you have containers that already work, no need to buy more. These are simply suggestions if they make sense for your life, your wallet, and the availability of storage in your kitchen.
We have used these reusable snack bags for two years now. I think they are meant to be discarded after a certain amount of uses, but I hate to throw extra stuff into the environment if these are working just fine. They can be put in the dishwasher and the seals still work, so they’re staying put.
BUT, I do see great value in having a few varied size options of snack containers that seal and travel well, as my tote bags can only carry so much.
For your snack-toting consideration:
1. Snackle Box
This “snackle box” which allows you to move around and take out containers
2. Three Compartment Snack Container
I like that this snack container has three compartments. Two works well, but I often want space to include one more thing. It’s right in the middle of a small snack container and a bento box!
3. Two compartment snack container
This stainless steel two compartment snack container is perfect for two snacks, or two dips, or a food item + dip!
4. Ello Duraglass Storage Containers
My preference is always glass for water and food, if possible. These Ello Duraglass containers are great because the silicone wrap works hard to ensure they won’t crack.
5. PackIt Freezable Snack Box
Okay, my mind is blown. Am I the only one who didn’t know these existed?! This freezable snack bag is essentially a mini cooler bag in which you can tuck in cheese sticks, yogurts, fruit, etc. I’m a weirdo and do enjoy having coolers of various sizes!
I certainly hope these suggestions have been helpful to you and make soccer season a bit easier. Do you have any “go to” easy snacks for soccer games? Or soccer snacks in general? If so, I’d love to hear them! We are a community of recommendations here.
Soccer mom (or parent), you got this! As the kids would say, “let’s goooooo!”
Thank you so much for being here!
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This post was all about snacks for soccer games!
