Youth Soccer Parents - Your Suggestions Please!

Grapes are always a hit - and less messy than oranges!!
Oranges are messier - but if you bring some baby wipes so the kids can wipe their hands afterwards - they are always a big hit too.
Enjoy.
Barb

Think fruit.... quick energy for thirsty and tired kids. Mom approved. Bananas, Apple wedges(dip in lemon juice to keep them from discoloring) and oranges cut into quarters..... should do the trick.L.

I was a coach for YEARS, and when I first started, we were told to have oranges at half time. You need it to be a fast picker upper, so I found it easiest to have it cut up in a big bowl, and they just chowed down, ususally only enough time for two slices before it was time to get back out on the field. After the game, whatever floats your boat. You want to stay away from heavy snacks, or dairy during the game. The kids are running non stop and you don't want to upset stomaches. As far as messy hands go, its part of what they enjoy. Have fun with it, they will love whatever you bring.

Hello! I am a soccer mom (to 4 boys) - the absolutely favorite by kids & parents has been when I've popped the "mini" bags of microwave popcorn for each to have their own bag. You could also pop regular popcorn & bag into ziplocks...Typically parents bring cheez-it or granola bar type snacks.

We took grapes alot. not sticky and fruits help energize and refuel.

I used to take my daughter's team flavored Capri Sun water pouches and little cheese crackers. They have the ritz bitz ones that are really good.

Hi V.!

I've been with my kids in a soccer league for 9 years now, and all of the coaches ahve wanted only fruit for a mid-game snack. The idea is to refresh them. Grapes in individual bags, thin slices of watrmelon, oranges cut into wedges (their favorite) are the most common. The sweet stuff is saved for after the game. And if you do do fruit, don't forgt to bring a bag for the garbage (rinds). Have fun!

V., I would say oatmeal cookies, with (PB M&M's), granola bars, yogurt bars, snicker doodles, carrob chocolate chip cookies, mini muffins, (try a variety of fruits!)
Dried fruit mix, or cut apples, dip in oj (so it won't turn brown) You can dip 1/2 in caramel! pigs in a blanket, cheese chunks and crackers, pretzle sticks or potato sticks, with cheese chunks, it is all easy! you can put them all in snack bags! so bring a container of wet wipes! The kids will have dirty hands from playing soccer anyway.. Good luck hon. K.

I've always done a go-gurt, bag of apples, and a water or juice box. I buy the big box of Go-Gurt's from Costco and freeze them. The apples I also buy at CostCo - they are presliced and packaged so grab and go is easy.

I'm sure what ever you do will be thoughtful and nice.

Hi V.:

There are lots of things to bring for half time or end of game snack. My son has been playing for many years, so we have brought any kind of fruit, bannanas and watermelon seem to be the favorite. Also for end of game snack we always do something a little more heavy and that is when you can do some cookies, trail mix, granola bars, we even do some of the little debbie snacks, fruit snacks, chesse and crackers, chesse sticks anything that they can grab and go. Hope this helps. - A.

I was in Soccer when I was little and we always had oranges, apples, bananas, pears, granola, celery and peanut butter, and sometimes cookies (like the oatmeal you suggested)

Any fruit would work....watermelon, kiwi, plums, strawberries, ect

Goldfish crackers and small bottled water work great! The kids won't get sticky fingers and like juice boxes, water isn't loaded with sugar.
Hope this helps!

My son used to play soccer when he was about 6 years old. Try granola bars, nutri-grain bars, fruit snacks, raisins, even grapes(not sticky and very healthy)! Maybe juice boxes, capri-suns, miniature bottles of water, or maybe even those small (like 12 oz.) powerades! If you do decide on some sort of melon, just bring a pack of baby wipes to clean the sticky hands!
Good luck

Yogurt sticks? Cheese sticks? Quaker also makes some great "breakfast cookies" with raisins and oatmeal.
Good luck!
C.

My kids are now past the snack stage, which I found ridiculous. However we also did a cereal snack mix and Gogurts. If it is hot the "tube" frozen popsicles worked well. I just think it's amazing that society thinks that after 20-30 minutes of a sport our kids need a treat. Is that a healthy "reward" system?

i have been a soccer mom for a number of yrs now and i always bring granola bars and some kind of juice boxes to the games or even bananas are good,even fruit snacks are good too...

We have given:
Apple juice, and goldfish crackers
Orange juice and fruit snacks
Milk and Rice Krispy treats
Homemade muffins
Bannana's

Hope that gives you a start! :-)

Debbie

you could make little jello fruit cups and supply the spoons, or instead of having fruit slices where they get dirty cut the fruit up in bite sized pieces, place them in a cup with forks.
You could also do 1/2 of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in a baggy, a little protein to keep them going that isn't messy, and it's a different snack then normal. If you supply drinks to I would highly suggest plain water, juice boxes etc... are just dye, sugar water and a very small amount of fruit juice.
I am with you, I would totally stay away from junk food, good choice

Over the years we've always tried to take apples and bananas because most kids like one or the other and it's easy, but we've also taken cereal bars. I'm sure as long as it's something healthy everyone will be happy with your choice.

My girlfriend does apple slices and cheese. You can get a crinkle cutter and make the cheese into 'french fry' shapes. Kids love it.

And I would stay away from juice or gatorade or anything like that. LOADED with sugar. Water is the best to hydrate.

I know soccer snacks need to be easy, quick and handy, but convenience doesn’t mean you can’t sneak some better-for-you options into your soccer season. Here are 10 Incredibly Healthy Soccer Snacks!

http://www.signupgenius.com/sports/soccersnacks.cfm