You’ve made the invites, you’ve got the games curated for the night, and you’re psyched about enjoying some quality playtime with friends and family. Now all you have to do is get the board game night snacks to help make the whole event more fun.
The right gaming snacks need to be delicious, easy to eat, and leave your hands clean. You have to be ready to grab the dice, cards, money, or tokens of whatever game you happen to be playing. No one wants their games covered in grease marks by the end of the night.
Ensuring that you have a mix of snacks for all diets, allergies, and lifestyles is essential, especially if you invite new people to the board game table. You don’t want to leave anyone out. The hope is that everyone has fun with the game, company, and snacks.
You will learn about some of the best snacks to keep players happy through a long night of gaming. So pick and choose the plates that you think will best help your family and friends have fun, and stay in the action through the entire game.
Contents
- 1 Top 15 Board Game Night Snacks
- 1.1 1. Finger Fruits
- 1.2 2. Veggie Platter With Dip
- 1.3 3. Meat and Cheese Plate with Toothpicks
- 1.4 4. Salted Popcorn
- 1.5 5. Dry Roast Nuts
- 1.6 6. Non-Gooey Cookies
- 1.7 7. Pretzels
- 1.8 8. Crackers
- 1.9 9. Gummy Snacks
- 1.10 10. Sandwiches
- 1.11 11. Baked French Fries
- 1.12 12. Shish Kabob
- 1.13 13. Hard Candies
- 1.14 14. Bite-Sized Chocolate
- 1.15 15. Granola Bars
- 2 How to Keep the Game Clean
- 3 Have Fun
Top 15 Board Game Night Snacks
No matter the appetites or restrictions of your players, we will cover game night snack ideas for everyone. Some of these are hardier for gamers who didn’t get a great meal before playing, and some are lighter for people looking for a quick bite during the game.
1. Finger Fruits
Recommended for: Vegetarians, vegans, dairy-free, gluten-free, low GI.
Finger fruits come in many different styles: Berries, grapes, cherries, and anything that you can cut with a handle to hold while eating makes useful choices for treats. If you add toothpicks and plates, you can make almost every fruit a finger fruit.
Fruit works best when it is fresh. Frozen fruit is wetter and can leave stains on fingers, inevitably ending up on a game piece. If you want to use frozen fruit, you may want to serve them with a bowl and spoon.
2. Veggie Platter With Dip
Recommended for: Vegetarians, vegans, dairy-free, low carb, keto, low GI and gluten-free, depending on the dip.
When you’re trying to add healthy snacks for game night, not much beats a veggie platter. Players can choose to eat the very clean veggies or use them as a delivery system for an amazing dip.
Veggies make an excellent alternative for dips to greasy chips. Plus, they are sturdy enough to hold all types of dips and salsas. You can find the right dips for almost any diet for everyone to enjoy.
3. Meat and Cheese Plate with Toothpicks
Recommended for: Gluten-free, low carb, keto, low GI.
Meat and cheese plates add a hardy option for your gamers while still keeping their hands clean enough for the next role. Toothpicks and plates allow you to stack up on as much protein as you want, without much-added waste.
You can get premade plates, or you can make the plate yourself with cold cuts and cheeses you know everyone at the game will love.
4. Salted Popcorn
Recommended for: Gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian.
Popcorn is super easy to nom on while you’re playing a game. It can get messy if you add a ton of melted butter, but if you use the butter sparingly or skip it altogether, you can enjoy a fun bite and never miss your turn.
There are some dry seasonings for popcorn that will help add flavors without adding a mess.
5. Dry Roast Nuts
Recommended for: Vegans, vegetarians, gluten-free, low carb, keto, low GI.
Nuts, in general, are good snacks for your board game night, but dry roast nuts are particularly good. The dry roasting process makes the nuts less oily, which means you can grab handfuls and toss them into your mouth without getting grease on your fingers.
Adding some raisins to the mix will make a sweet and salty treat that your gamers might find exceptionally tasty.
Recommended for: Sweet tooth.
Listen, most of us love a gooey chocolate chip cookie, but they aren’t great for game nights. However, there are a ton of great dry cookies that you can munch on while you play games. Oreos, pecan candies, Fig Newtons, and even wafers are all wonderful for game night.
Be careful if you love dipping cookies while eating them. You can get the cookies wet and end up with sticky fingers while you’re playing.
7. Pretzels
Recommended for: Vegetarians, vegans, dairy-free.
One of the first ideas you think of for non-messy finger foods is pretzels. By their very design, they are dry, so they won’t leave residue on your fingers, and they are tasty by themselves or with dips.
If you really want to show off, you can make some big soft pretzels for your gamers to dip. People associate these with fun events, so it can make your game night more memorable.
8. Crackers
Recommended for: Depends on cracker!
Most crackers are easy to grab and toss in your mouth without getting residue on your hands. They also make a great delivery system for cheeses and meats. It is a versatile snack that you can buy in multiple flavors.
Remember that crackers can be very different, some will be for vegans, and there are even gluten-free options. Make sure you get the right ones for your group.
9. Gummy Snacks
Recommended for: Sweet tooth, dairy-free, and gluten-free.
Almost all the gelatinous gummy treats are clean to eat and tasty. You can find these in all sorts of flavors that you enjoy. Of course, the classic option is gummy bears, but you may also like worms, slices, Turkish delight, and gumdrops.
You can pick up many different kinds of gummy snacks at bulk food stores.
10. Sandwiches
Recommended for: Depends on sandwich!
Sandwiches are the classic card game snacks. Legend has it that the Earl of Sandwich invented the meal so that he didn’t have to stop playing cards. You can customize this snack so that it fits the taste of your guest.
Pro-tip, make the sandwiches small, which will allow players to eat without causing a mess.
11. Baked French Fries
Recommended for: Vegetarians, vegans, dairy-free, gluten-free, depending on the chip.
There is almost an expectation for french fries to be present at a party, even a game night. One way to get the flavor of the expected snack but avoid many of the problems is bringing baked french fries. They are less greasy in your hand but still give that french fry feel.
When you pick these fries, skip the ones with heavy flavors added. These can make your hands messy and possibly add stains that can mess up game pieces.
12. Shish Kabob
Recommended for: Dairy-free, low carb, and gluten-free depending on the recipe.
Shish kabob is a grilled meat and veggie treat all stuck on a skewer. You can make these delicious for everyone. Make meat-free ones for vegetarians and vegans, and make heavily meaty ones for low carb members.
You don’t even have to grill the food; skewers are a great way of making all foods more game night friendly.
13. Hard Candies
Recommended for: Sweet tooth, dairy-free, and gluten-free.
Hard candies and suckers are perfect for game nights. They offer a sweet treat that won’t get your hands messy at all. These can include candies you chew on, like Smarties, or candies you suck on, such as butterscotch.
If you have young kids playing, you may want to be careful as they may be a choking hazard. Plus, sometimes the suckers can get set onto game pieces, which can be extremely messy.
14. Bite-Sized Chocolate
Recommended for: Sweet tooth, vegetarians, gluten-free.
Chocolate can cause a big mess in your hands, but if you get bite-sized candy, you can toss it in your mouth before it melts. However, make sure you don’t hold the treat for too long, or it could still get fairly messy.
Even M&Ms can leave a sticky residue if you grab too many, but if you pop a few individual pieces into your mouth without holding them, you can enjoy the treat without the need for a cleanup.
When eating chocolate if you refrigerate it first, it will be even less likely to melt in your hands.
Freezing chocolate is extreme and can adversely affect the taste, but something to consider on a hot day.
15. Granola Bars
Recommended for: Vegetarians, vegans, dairy-free, low carb, and gluten-free.
Granola is a healthy and fun snack that you can enjoy without getting messy. Many dry granola bars offer a whole lot of taste, with very little fat and grease. You can bake your own snack, or you can get dry store-bought options that your party may enjoy.
How to Keep the Game Clean
No, we’re not talking about cheating. When people are eating, there will always be a chance things get messier than expected. Here are some quick ideas to help players keep the game night rolling while they’re chowing down.
- Make napkins readily available
- Keep hand sanitizer and wet wipes around
- Easy to find trash bins
- Plates and utensils to use for everyone
With these few steps, you’ll likely keep the game going and allow everyone to snack in peace.
Have Fun
One of the best things about game night is you can customize it to your friend and family group. If you know what people like and don’t like, try to tailor your board game night snacks around that. Remember that toothpicks, skewers, and forks make almost every meal an option for gaming.
This list of snacks is especially useful when playing with children, who can be much more messy than adults!