It’s been a couple of years since we’ve had the post-game snack duty. In fact, I really thought we were done with it. With travel and club sports, I think parents realize that we’ve given enough of our dollars to the team, and everyone can fend for themselves on the snacks. This spring, our house ball team for baseball sent out the sign up for snacks and this dietitian definitely signed up…and I didn’t bring anything boring.
The Construction of the Post-Game Snack
This may sound a little crazy, but if you’ve never done this before, there is a certain formula to this. It’s typically one drink, plus two snacks…you heard that right TWO snacks. I was a little thrown off by this post-game snack cultural phenomenon at the beginning of our youth sports journey. However, in all of the places we’ve lived, this formula remains steady.
If you’re new, don’t ever sign up for the first snack day, grab that middle of the season game on the sign up to help gain insight on your team’s expectations.
Pay attention to whether or not homemade snacks are acceptable or not on your team. Also stay away from high allergy foods – it’s best to just take those out of your mind in the beginning rather than bringing a different snack for a child who may have the allergy. If the allergy is anything other than nuts, the team will let you know. Just stay away from nuts or anything that could have nuts, like granola bars or trail mix.
Packaging of the Post-Game Snack
There are a couple of ways to go about this:
- Pre-package the snack. If nothing has to be cold, you can use a brown paper lunch sack. If it needs to be cold, quart sized ziptop bags work really well and then just keep them in a cooler with ice until the end of the game.
- Lay it all out. If you have multiple options, you could always put everything out on the bleachers or a blanket and let the kids know to choose one drink and two snacks.
Prepackaging is always fun, because you can write fun notes on the outside, like “good game” or “you played awesome today!”
The Post-Game Drink
No judgement here, but if there is a post game snack for a 5 year-old’s soccer game, sports drinks are probably not necessary.
If you’re thinking about going the sports drink route, read this first: Sports Drinks for Active Kids
Otherwise, three great choices for the post game drink are:
- Water
- 100% juice box
- Chocolate milk
10 Ideas for Post-Game Snacks
My kids tend to get nervous when I am responsible for any type of snack, Halloween treats, or any special occasion where sugar might be involved. I have no idea why, my children are not lacking in their sugar intake.
Typically our youth sports games are on Saturday mornings, but I signed up for the game on a weeknight and I was determined to pack the team snack that was not only semi-nutritious, but also delicious. I also joked that I was trying not to sugar the kids up at 8 o’clock at night.
Here are some ideas for youth sports post-game snacks that are available everywhere. Note: You may need to keep some of these in a cooler until the game is done.
- Cheese Sticks: My kids LOVE cheese sticks. You can buy multiple types and just add them to your cooler and let the kids choose the one that speaks to them. There are typically mozzarella, cheddar, and the twist ones!
- Applesauce packs: I’ll just say it – GoGoSqueez is always my go to because they are made with no added sugar, but Costco has some great ones too. This is also a great choice because it’s easy and since most kids are eating their snack in the car on the way home, less mess is no stress.
- Sour raisins: If you haven’t seen these, you need to try them. They are golden raisins with a sour kick. My kids love them and they are a great alternative to sour gummy candies, or any gummy candy for that matter.
- Pretzels or Popcorn: Chances are, your kids did work up a sweat at their game, so adding some carbs and salt will help them drink more water after the game.
- Clementines: A sealed snack that is the perfect size for any athlete. If you are responsible for the snack for teens, consider two clementines with another snack.
- Bananas: Although not as popular as the oranges, if you can find smaller sized bananas, this is a great option for the post-game snack.
- Yogurt: Another refrigerated option, but an excellent choice. Choose the tubes for less mess and no spoons.
- Frozen juice bars: Let’s just say you’re the cool parent on the team with an awesome cooler and it happens to be 90°F outside, consider a frozen snack after the game. If you weren’t the cool parent, you are now.
- Baked dried apples or freeze dried fruit: These are great choices if your budget is a little wider. There are some great brands with snack sized packaging perfect for the post-game snack. Two that are readily available either at Costco, Sam’s, or online are Bare and Brothers All-Natural
- Crunchy chickpeas or Crunchy corn: As an alternative to potato chips or other chip-type snacks, crunchy chickpeas or crunchy corn. These might go over better with an older group of athletes.
If you’re wondering what I packed for our most recent game, here’s the scoop: Apple and Eve Juice box, Pirate’s Booty, mozzarella cheese stick. All snacks were pre-approved by my 12 year-old.
