Each meal is an appropriate pre-game meal, no matter what time your game is. Notice, you should eat many small meals, not one large pre-game meal. Please be aware to not “carbo load” right before a game. Large amounts of complex carbohydrates can take a long time to digest and my not be beneficial 3-4 hours before a game. However, eaten the night before a game can be very beneficial. Please pay close attention to the POSTGAME meals for recovery.
7:15AM: Breakfast
1 cup Whole Grain (high fiber, low sugar) Cereal or Oatmeal, 1-1.5 cup Skim or Soy Milk, 1 Piece (or 1 cup) of Fresh Fruit, 2-4 Hard-boiled Egg Whites, 8oz. water, Multivitamin + 1000mg capsule of Fish Oil
9:30-10:00AM: Morning Snack
1-2 cups Low-fat Yogurt with 1 Handful of Chopped Walnuts or Almonds
12:00-1:00PM: Lunch
Large (Spinach) Salad with lots of veggies & 2 fists* of protein (chicken, turkey, fish, beans, eggs) OR
Low-carb wrap filled with veggies & 2 fists* of protein (tuna, turkey, hummus etc.), 16 oz. water or green tea
*1 fist= 1 serving
4:00-4:30PM: Pre-Game Meal
1. Choose Lean Meat 4oz –Fish, Chicken, Turkey, Beef (lean), Venison
2. Choose veggie- all you can eat fresh veggies (not smothered in Butter)
3. Choose Carb – ½ Cup brown rice, 1 sweet potato (avoid pasta with creamy white sauce)
5:45-6:00PM: Pre-Game Snack
1 Apple with 2Tbsp. All-natural Peanut Butter OR 1 Protein Bar
7:30 Game Time!
Post-Game Shake
16 oz. low-fat Chocolate Milk OR Muscle Milk/ Gatorade Shake, or Homemade Shake with protein powder, skim milk, banana,
Post-Game Meal
Grilled Chicken, Fish or Steak Fajitas (with veggies, black beans, salsa, cheese, guacamole, whole wheat tortillas)
Healthy Snack Ideas
It’s hard to make healthy choices when you are on the go. Below are some ideas for snacks that can be convenient and easy to carry with you
Grains and Cereals Fruits and Veggies
Whole Grain Fresh Fruit and Juice
Cereals Salsa
Low-fat Granola Any raw vegetables (Cherry
Oatmeal Tomatoes, celery, carrots,
Whole Grain Crackers pea pods, broccoli,
Wheat Tortillas cauliflower, squash, zucchini)
Whole wheat Bread and Bagels Frozen Grapes or Bananas
Granola Bars Applesauce
Graham Crackers Dried Fruit
Baked Chips Individual Juice bottles
Pretzels Hummus
Soy Chips
Light Microwave Popcorn
Dairy Meats and Protein
Skim or 1% milk Tuna
Part-Skim Mozzarella Pre-Cooked Chicken Breast
Low-fat Cheese Peanut Butter
1% Cottage Cheese Turkey, Lean Ham
Cheese Sticks (String Cheese) Roast Beef
Yogurt (under 150 calories) Nuts
Fat-Free Pudding cups Soy Nuts
Low-fat ice cream bar Water-packed Tuna
Boca and Morningstar meat alternative
Other Foods and Beverages
Fat-Free Jello Cups
Sugar Free Popsicles
Sugar Free Hot Chocolate
Canned Soups (Avoid Creamy)
Water
Low-calorie Smoothie
What to look for:
Look for snacks that are under 200 calories per serving. Items from the grains and cereals should have at least 3 grams of fiber.
Limit Freebies to 1 per day. If you wonder if something is a freebie it probably is. Freebies include but are not limited to: soda (1 diet soda/day is ok), candy/candy bars, starbucks, donuts, etc…
