Just like football players who eat hot dogs during games, video game aficionados rely on snacks to tie them over during long play sessions. When you get the chance to snack on something during a loading screen, you have to take advantage of the opportunity to refuel. It wouldn’t be realistic for gamers to go out and order some food. The pizza delivery man? We all know he’s going to take his sweet time getting to your house. When you’re fragging foes in your favorite shooter, sacrificing fighters in Mortal Kombat, or engaging in a fierce turn-based battle in Pokemon Black/White, you need something to help get your through it. Sitting at the dinner table and having a lengthy meal isn’t going to cut it.
GameZone presents the top five gamer snacks perfect for those sessions when you just need something quick and tasty to ease your hunger.
5. Hot Pockets
Ordering a pizza and waiting for its arrival may be tedious, but popping some Hot Pockets in the microwave is no hassle. This miniature meal is cooked in about two minutes, so you don’t need to miss out on too much game time. If you’ve got the patience for it, you can even stick those suckers in a toaster oven, let them get nice and crispy, and grab them 10 minutes later. Just be careful not to burn the roof of your mouth by eating them too fast. That can really mess with your game.
4. Pizza Rolls
Another member of the pizza family, the pizza roll takes the mechanical build-up of Hot Pockets and compresses it into bite-sized morsels of tastiness. You may need a napkin to manage the pizza roll’s slightly greasier consistency, but if you want a snack you can just toss into your mouth, pizza rolls are convenient, portable, and delicious. This is another variation of pizza that can be microwaved. However, if you want that extra crunch, the toaster oven is highly advised.
3. Slim Jim
There’s one snack that doesn’t burn your mouth or leave your fingers greasy. The classic Slim Jim is one of the most popular couch potato snacks around. It is also fully equipped to keep hungry gamers sustained for the duration of their late night play sessions. All you have to do is peel the plastic off, take a bite, and get a nice kick of tasty goodness. To quote the late, great “Macho Man” Randy Savage, “Gotta have meat! Gotta have spice! Snap into a Slim Jim! Ooohh yeah!”
2. Popcorn Chicken
Not in the mood for pizza? Are Slim Jims too snack-like for you? Perhaps you’d like to emulate the satisfying effects that a nice fried chicken dinner has on your stomach. Well, popcorn chicken does a good job of tricking your mind and your stomach into thinking they’re getting a high quality meal. It’s all processed snack food, but no one has to know. We recommend going with Tyson or Banquet brand popcorn chicken. Not only do those get nice and crispy in the toaster oven, but they don’t taste like newspaper, which is a flaw that most processed chicken snacks have. Also, popcorn chicken is relatively dry, so you can snack away without worrying about grease or crumbs getting your controller filthy.
1. Corn Dogs
Corn dogs are easily one of the tastiest snacks around. They have managed to blur the line between snack and meal, and many people enjoy a good corn dog with some French fries when lunch time rolls around. Mini corn dogs have the bite-sized appeal of pizza rolls with hardly any grease, so they’re easy to recommend. Additionally, if you’d rather not touch your snack directly, you can always go with a traditional corn dog on a stick. These leave out the processed taste while filling your belly, making them the ideal choice for gamers. As always, you can stick a couple of these in the microwave and please your taste buds seconds later, but what have we learned here today? Toaster ovens are always the way to go. You have to spare a few extra minutes, but the batter on your corn dogs will get nice and toasty, making them well worth the wait.
Sometimes it’s hard for gamers to get away from their favorite consoles or handhelds. Even if it means sacrificing a meal, gamers will often stick to what they’re doing and ignore the demands of their tummies. Hot Pockets, pizza rolls, Slim Jims, popcorn chicken, and corn dogs all make for great snacks that won’t take up your time, won’t leave your fingers too messy, and will provide you with the sustenance necessary to get through that dungeon in the Legend of Zelda or defeat that mythological boss in God of War.
