The right snacks can be a make-or-break for soccer games.
Frozen fruits and berries -- grapes, orange segments, blueberries, strawberries and raspberries -- can appeal to youthful taste buds looking for a bit of sweetness. Children with more sophisticated tastes may be enticed by slices of avocado between two tortilla chips. Cider can produce the carbohydrate contribution of an apple in liquid form. FIFA, the international governing body of soccer, in its "Nutrition for Football" booklet recommends fruit juice, juice boxes, especially V-8, a fruit smoothie or a single piece of fruit.
Snack ideas in the grain family are many, including popcorn, whole-grain bagels, crackers, pretzels, fig bars, energy bars, granola bars and oatmeal raisin cookies. The authors of "Food Guide for Soccer" recommend viewing the pregame snack as a second lunch, such that players can have half a turkey sandwich on wholegrain bread. "Nutrition for Football" concurs, recommending a small sandwich including meat or cheese and a small container of juice, perhaps after the game as a postgame snack to aid in recovery from the exertion. You can also save part of a meal to eat for later as a snack, "Nutrition for Football" recommends.
Frozen yogurt cups of blended flavors can provide a healthier alternative to ice cream and one that can also defrost on the road to a tournament, "Food Guide for Soccer" recommends. Dairy snacks such as fortified milkshakes provide calcium, important for healthy bones especially in young players, FIFA notes. You can sprinkle peanuts and trail mix on the yogurt. Other nut options include peanut butter spread on dark chocolate with a sprinkling of cinnamon, a recipe suggested by Yael Averbuch in "Food Guide for Soccer." You can also put peanut butter on graham crackers.
