Game night can be a fun, interactive way for families to get together and enjoy time. However, it’s easy for the food you serve at game night to derail your diet and health goals. Keep those healthy snacks on hand with these recipes that are sure to please even picky eaters!
Store-bought snacks for game night are a great way to make sure you have the perfect snack on hand. Your family will love these healthy options.
Have the game but no snacks to accompany it? Here are some nutritious game night snacks that the whole family will enjoy.
My family can get into a habit of parking in front of the TV for Netflix–or, worse, gazing zombie-like into our own devices–after supper.
However, on occasions when someone offers a game and everyone accepts (although reluctantly), the evening is changed.
We’re suddenly giggling and making ridiculous family inside jokes. Rather than scrolling.
Good food are required for any great gaming night.
Since all those fingers will be manipulating game pieces and shuffling cards, keep it simple.
Nothing too extravagant, since part of the appeal of remaining at home is that you don’t have to impress anybody.
And it’s even better if these game night snack options can provide the nutrients your young competitors need.
Snack Ideas for a Game Night
- The finger foods mentioned below are all healthy game night snacks. If you’re presenting anything that needs cutlery, instead use toothpicks or little cocktail forks (we have this fun set, which I also use for lunchboxes).
- This is the ideal moment to bring out those strange dishes and napkins from past birthday celebrations. You’ll create a joyous atmosphere and use them all up.
- Choose cups with lids for little children to avoid spillage on the game board. When my sons were smaller, I bought a pair of flexible silicone lids like these, and I still use them while giving smoothies or other potentially messy beverages to them when they’re not at the table.
- Toss stems, peels, and other materials into a small garbage dish nearby.
10 Healthy Game Night Snacks
1. Veggie Jars: No more worrying about the dreaded double-dip! Arrange fresh vegetables on top of a cup or jar of veggie dip (I used my kids’ favorite ranch dressing) so they’re simple to grasp, dunk, and eat. To replenish, have washed, sliced vegetables on hand.
2. Apple Nachos: Cut an apple into thin slices and put them on a platter. Microwave for 10 seconds or until thin and smooth a small serving of natural peanut or almond butter. Using a spoon, drizzle the almond butter over the apple slices. Mini chocolate chips and dry coconut are sprinkled on top.
3. Stove-Popped Popcorn: Popcorn is a natural whole grain food, and it’s rich in fiber. Here’s my fool-proof recipe for stovetop popcorn. We like sprinkling on nutritional yeast and Parmesan cheese. You can also toss in Goldfish crackers, mini pretzels, and M&Ms.
Nacho Popcorn is another tasty option. 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika, plus a sprinkle of cumin and chili powder, plus a pinch of cumin and chili powder Toss one batch of my popcorn recipe with the spice mixture. (Note: Popcorn may cause choking in children under the age of four.)
4. Personal Snack Platters: Gather fruit, vegetables, protein-rich meals, and crunchy, carby items and allow everyone in the family put together their favorite snack dish. Place bowls of shared dips, such as hummus, ranch dip for vegetables, or nut butters, on the table.
5. Homemade Guacamole: Guacamole is high in delicious, heart-healthy fats and may be prepared very simply (like in my No Fuss Guacamole recipe, which is usually a hit) or with additional ingredients your family enjoys, such as red onion, chopped tomato, or cilantro. Serve with corn tortilla chips, either store-bought or homemade.
6. Frozen Grapes: Perfect for game evenings in the summer! Rinse them, remove the stems, put them in a freezer-safe bag, and freeze them flat. They taste like small sorbet bites! (Note: Whole grapes may cause choking in children under the age of four.) For small children, cut grapes into half or quarters before freezing, then thaw them slightly before serving.)
7. Edamame: Buy these soybeans in their pods, microwave for a minute to remove the cold, then season with kosher salt and serve (keep that trash bowl on hand to toss in empty pods). Edamame is high in fiber and protein.
8. Clean-Out-The-Cupboard Snack Mix: Get a stack of tiny bowls and all the other items out of your cupboards, then let everyone make their own snack mix. Cereal bits, nuts and seeds, pretzels, miniature crackers, dehydrated vegetables, dried fruit, chocolate chips, and leftover holiday sweets (hello, candy corn and jelly beans!) are all good options.
9. Roasted Chickpeas: These provide protein, iron, and fiber while satisfying a crunch appetite. Drain and rinse chickpeas, then mix with a splash of olive oil and your choice spices (for a taco-spiced version, 1/2 teaspoon each chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt). Roast for 20-30 minutes on a baking sheet at 400 degrees F or until crispy, stirring halfway through.
10. Pepperoni Rolls: If supper and family game night coincide, offer a batch of my homemade pizza rolls (far better than the premade kind) with some pizza sauce for dipping. Assemble all of the vegetable jars. Dinner is finished.
Individual Games that Our Family Enjoys
- Uno Flip (7+): Similar to Uno, but has a whole other deck on the back to throw in quick curveballs.
- Players construct railway lines and routes throughout the nation in Ticket to Ride (8+).
- Trade, develop, and dwell on the island of Catan (10+).
- Root (10+): Asymmetrical game play to rule the forests (everyone is a different animal character with distinct abilities).
- Formula D (14+): Use clever dice rolls to race around the course.
Favorite Cooperative Games in Our Family
- Defend your castle against orcs, goblins, and trolls in Castle Panic (10+).
- Grab valuables and flee the island before it collapses in Forbidden Island (10+).
- Work as a team to put out a fire and rescue humans and pets trapped inside.
Additional Snack Ideas
Looking for more snack ideas? For ideas, check out the websites below!
Game night is a fun time for the whole family, but sometimes it can be difficult to find healthy snacks that will satisfy everyone’s cravings. Luckily, these healthy game night snacks are perfect for any occasion. Reference: game night desserts.
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