Some of my favorite memories growing up were waking up early on a summer day and spending hours on the boat with my siblings and parents. Together we would swim, explore islands, fish and try to outlast each other on the tube. Those days felt like they’d last forever, but now as I look back, I can only imagine the headache prepping for them must have been for my mom. I mean seriously: how do you feed three children and a hungry husband when you’re stuck in the middle of a lake?

Sandwiches and chips are fine at first, but after a couple of hours, your diners may start to grumble or complain. This is where my mom shined. She must’ve spent forever combing over Internet forums, constantly coming up with new fun snacks to feed us while on board.

I’ve decided to share some of my favorite boat snack recipes, hoping to save you some of the hassle of searching for new snack ideas for your family. Don’t worry, I’m not sharing my mom’s secrets without her permission. I’ve already talked to her, and while it took some convincing, she approves.

Mexican Watermelon

This recipe is an easy snack you can make right on the boat if you want to, but if you don’t want to cut up your watermelon on the boat you could always do that at home. All you need is chunks of seedless watermelon, tajin powder and lime juice. The rest is pretty self-explanatory: squirt some lime juice on the watermelon and then sprinkle the tajin powder on it. The sweetness of the watermelon and the saltiness and spiciness of tajin powder complement each other perfectly.

Another similar style snack that I personally never ate growing up, but my wife swears by is Mangos with Li Hing Mui powder. Li Hing Mui is a popular option in Hawaii that has a similar flavor profile to the previous powder, but is a little less spicy. This may be a good option for someone who doesn’t quite like the kick of tajin powder.

Whether you choose to make your fruit Mexican or Hawaiian style one thing is for sure: this refreshing snack is a great option if you’re looking to mix things up.

Tacos-To-Go

Probably the most popular snack idea my mom showed us was walking tacos. They take the convenience of packing chips and combine the fun of a taco night. The prep time at home required to bring these on a boat is relatively easy too. All you have to do is cook the taco meat the night before and gather any other ingredients you’d like to use, such as lettuce, sour cream, shredded cheese, etc. Then when you’re on the boat, crush up a closed, snack-sized bag of Frito’s, open it up, drop in your ingredients and shake. Without a grill or a way to warm up the meat it will be on the cool side, but still surprisingly delicious. The adventurous among us can switch it up by using other types of chips such as Doritos. My sisters and I loved to shake everything up in the bag. I can still hear our giggling as we shook our meals like maracas while singing, “Shake, shake, shake señora.”

Chicken Or Fish Wraps

Another fan-favorite in my family were wraps. They’re the perfect light meal to keep you satisfied while allowing you to jump right back into the water when you’re finished. They’re quick to make at home the night before, usually only taking about ten minutes depending on how much meat you’re using. Then toss them in your cooler and eat them cold on the boat. My favorite style of my mom’s wraps were her grilled chicken ranch wraps. Cheese, lettuce, chicken strips, and ranch all wrapped together in a flour tortilla. How much yummier does it get?

Pigs In A Blanket

We’ve all heard of pigs in a blanket, but how many of us have thought of bringing them with us on a boat outing? The beauty of this snack is they’re yummy at practically any temperature. How many times have you packed a delicious frozen or warm snack just to find out when you reached in your cooler the temperature had completely ruined it? With pigs in a blanket, you can eat them warm, cold or somewhere in between. As long as you’ve cooked them fully the night before, it doesn’t matter. Now I’m not denying they taste the best warm, but I am saying that your kiddos will happily eat them cold too.

Homemade Uncrustables

If you have young kids at home, you’ve probably already heard of Uncrustables. They’re frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with the borders crimped together to make the sandwich version of a giant peanut butter and jelly ravioli. But did you know you can make a similar snack at home?

This is a great way to spice up the classic boat snack sandwiches. All you’ll need to do is make your normal PB&J sandwich and then use different shaped cookie cutters to cut out fun designs. After you have your designs, just pop them in the freezer the night before you go out and then throw them in your cooler to eat on the boat.

Frozen Fruit

The last and easiest snack idea I have is frozen fruit. When you’ve been out in the hot sun all day, nothing cools you off quite like snacking on some frozen fruit. Grapes, watermelon, blueberries and pineapple are all great options my family used to bring, but you can freeze practically any fruit and it’ll taste delicious. They’re a healthier option than bringing popsicles and the fruit will give your kids the energy to keep playing for the rest of the day without a crash. All that goes into prepping for this snack is freezing your desired fruit the night before, placing it in a ziplock bag and throwing it into your cooler. That’s it! You have a delicious snack to eat.

Boating with your family is a great way to create memories you’ll talk about for years to come, and having delicious snack options to keep your children happy will take your trips to the next level. These are just a few boating snacks and meals my parents made me as a kid. Do you have any memories of your favorite childhood lake-day snacks? If you do, share them with us on our Facebook page; we’d love to try them out on our next boat trip.