Game Day Menu Tips for Youth Athletes

The food your youth athlete eats can have a huge impact on their energy, stamina and overall

performance during practices and games. Just like a diesel car can’t run properly on regular gas,

giving your athlete the wrong kinds of pre-game meals and snacks means they won’t be able to

play at their best. However, finding the time to make sure your athlete gets the nutrition they

need is easier said than done. How are you supposed to alter their diet for an early morning

game versus a night game? What should you do to help them get through an all day

tournament? Here are a few menu planning tips to help your athlete get the food they need to

perform.

For early morning games:

Sometimes your team draws the short straw in a tournament and has the first game of the day

at 8 AM. Obviously you can’t send your players out there on an empty stomach, but unless they

are a fan of getting up at 5 AM for a hearty meal they don’t have much time to eat and digest

before they have to get moving. A glass of orange juice or milk and piece of toast or fresh fruit

should be enough to get them through the first game without weighing them down or getting

hungry 20 minutes in. If they are really hungry when they wake up a scrambled egg or some

oatmeal should do the trick.

Of course you want to give your athlete enough food to keep them full and focused, but sports

parents should keep in mind that this early morning pre-game meal isn’t giving their child the

bulk of their energy—last night’s dinner is. If you know you have an early morning game, make

sure your youth athlete has a hearty dinner the night before with complex carbohydrates (for

long term energy) and lean proteins (for muscle maintenance and repair).

In-between games:

All-day tournaments may mean your child’s team only has a ½ hour to 45 minutes between

each game. They are going to need to eat something, but you don’t want to weigh them down

with greasy fast food. Stick to GORP (good old raisins and peanuts) and other simple snacks like

fresh fruit and veggies that will help stabilize their blood sugar but won’t make them feel

stuffed. Surprisingly, low-fat chocolate milk is a great in-between game snack. It’s a great

source of protein and carbohydrates, but isn’t loaded down with sugars like a juice box of soda.

Although not technically a food, it is so important to make sure your athlete is staying hydrated

between games! Dehydration is a serious problem, even in the winter time.

For night games:

Night games, especially on weekdays, can get a little tricky when it comes to making sure your

athlete is getting the right food. Assuming they have school all day and then a game at 5 or 6

PM, you don’t have time to get them home for a well-balanced meal. On game days like this,

their school lunch becomes very important. Fill their lunch box with fruit (fresh or dried, just

not “fruit” snacks), make a sandwich on hearty bread with a couple slices of turkey or chicken,

add a low-fat yogurt snack and maybe some carrots sticks to round it out. You might also want

to tuck in a few extra snacks for them to have later in the day so they aren’t hungry by game

time.

About the Author

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