School has started, fall sports and activities are in full swing, calendars are jam-packed, and since new kids and new germs are introduced, everyone has started getting a little under the weather. We don’t know about you, but around this time of year, things start getting a bit much. The last thing we want to do is to add another responsibility to the list. However, kids will need to eat when you run them to football, soccer, volleyball, fall ball, taekwondo, gymnastics, art class, music class … wherever they are going, and whatever they are doing, they need snacks. We need to move past the idea of just sliced oranges. Kids need fuel to keep them going (we do, too)!

In February, we covered Great Oregon-Made Healthy Sports Snacks For Kids; consider this your updated Fall edition. This list has been expanded and updated to help serve you better and to give new ideas. Hopefully, this list will help you choose some quick and easy snacks as you all are on the go. 

Light Snacks

  • Fruits- Apples, pears, dragonfruit, star fruit, grapes, strawberries, bananas, blueberries, marionberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, or whatever works for your family. Right now, it is apple season, and Jenifer Dale just had an article about the “Top 5 Apple Picking Places In And Around Portland.” Picking apples is a great family activity if you can squeeze it in!
  • Veggies – Carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, sugar snap peas, cucumbers, tomatoes [we know, we know, they are a fruit], avocado, etc. Throw in some ranch or hummus to round out this snack. For hummus, King Harvest is a great local choice. 
  • Cheese – Tillamook is one of our famous cheeses. Look at the lineup of cheeses here. Please note that Tillamook has many snack options besides cheese.
  • Granola Bars/Power Bars-Bob’s Red Mill makes some really yummy options. Check them out here). 
  • Yogurt – Nancy’s Yogurt is a great local yogurt. Find out more here. 
  • Hard Boiled Eggs
  • Pickles
  • Pretzels (soft or hard). If you want to make soft pretzels, here is a great recipe.
  • Trail Mix
  • Popcorn
  • Dried Fruit
  • Fruit Leather
  • Seaweed
  • Jerky – Have a hankering for some local jerky? Check out Old Trapper.
  • Nuts – Pistachios, almonds, pecans, and more. Lots of great choices here. If you are looking for hazelnuts, go to Oregon Orchard. 
  • Applesauce/Fruit Sauces
  • Energy Balls – Here are “20 Easy, Nutritious Energy Ball Recipes Kids Love!”. Are there any that sound good for your kids? 

More Substantial Snacks

  • Smoothies – Our favorite is frozen bananas, milk (any kind), protein powder, and unsweetened cocoa powder. Also, for Fall, we make a variation of chai smoothies. Here is the recipe. Or go here to see some easy kid’s smoothie recipes (this article was updated recently as well).
  • Quesadillas
  • Avocado Toast
  • Sandwiches – Pro tip: if you want to feed your whole family, Fred Meyer has a giant loaded submarine sandwich that costs around $16. This author’s family calls it the Scooby sandwich because it is big and looks like something Scooby and Shaggy would love to eat. 
  • PB&Js – Or use other nut butters. Wild Friends Foods is a great local brand.
  • Fruits with yogurt or peanut butter
  • Veggies with peanut butter or cheese
  • Homemade “Lunchables”-Meat, cheese, crackers, etc. Otto’s Sausage Kitchen has some great options to gather. You can get sausages, of course, but there is also lunch meat, bacon, and jerky. 
  • Oatmeal
  • Wraps – One of our favorites is hummus and shredded carrots. Easy peasy!

That is the updated list! Any new ideas for you and yours? 

Here are some more resources because we believe knowledge is power, and we want you to be knowledgeable and prepared for whatever these busy times bring. Here are the best team snacks, best sports snacks, and healthy sports snacks articles. It is important that we share what works for us. Families helping families is always a good idea!

What are your go-to activity snacks? Do you hit the drive-through, or do you do something different? Or a combo of the two? Sometimes, we must roll with whatever life throws at us. Balance is the key. We want to make sure we are doing our best to keep our kids healthy, fed, and fueled so they can achieve their goals.

We hope this list helps you get ready for your Fall events. What are we missing? What would you add to the list? Any favorites with your kids? We would love to know!