10 Healthy Soccer Snacks for your Soccer Team Snack List . It is best to eat something soon after playing and to allow ample time to digest before competing again. … Without adequate, balanced nutrition, you won’t have enough energy to play your best. When the final whistle blows, you're tired and sore. Eat a large meal at least 3 to 4 hours before a competition to give your body time to digest the food. Don't worry. The amount of time it takes for your body to digest food is as follows: 3 to 4 hours to digest a large meal Title: Nutrition for Athletes During Tournaments Author: Dori Van Stolk Created Date: 12/2/2010 8:39:19 PM If you do them, you'll have plenty of energy and less muscle soreness by the time you practice again. Your tournament snacks should, ideally, be as food-like as possible. Here are some of my tips and recommendations for snacks during tournament play: 1. Day before: Eat … Soccer tournaments present unique demands on your body that require you to plan and prepare above and beyond what you normally would for a 90-minute game… This includes breakfast on game day. If you cannot eat a meal 3 to 4 hours before the competition, eat a light meal or snack. Two days before: If possible, cut back on exercise to replenish glycogen stores. They're kids. You'll have the energy to stay strong through both halves, avoid game-altering cramps and you won’t feel flat as you play. Proper nutrition before a big soccer match can mean a superior performance. If you have more time in between games, you could arrange a meal for the group at a local restaurant. You can't force them to eat what they won't, and they can only eat so much. 2. You will constantly hear that you should focus on "complex carbs" for long-term loading, but let's be real. An all time favorite is the fruit kabob. But there are things you can do to bounce back quickly from games. Carbs take about 3-4 hours on average to digest and protein can take between 5-7 hours. Eat early, and eat often; following your morning meal add in apples, pears, pretzels, sports drinks such as Gatorade and Powerade, any dried fruit and low-fat yogurt. For short breaks, be sure to pack healthy snacks and meals including energy bars, snack bars, fruit, fruit snacks, and sandwiches. Tournament with Multiple Games. Before a soccer game, you need to consume a large quantity of carbohydrates, a moderate amount of protein and a low amount of fat. As game time approaches we run out of time for heavy digestion, so easier fuels are needed. When should I eat a precompetition meal? Games lasting 90 minutes or longer could deplete glycogen (sugar) stores, so if your morning match turns into an all-day tournament, eat plenty of smart carbs. If you don't do them, you might stay sluggish and tender a lot longer. For a quick pick-me-up, offer hearty mini-sandwiches out of whole grain crackers topped with a squeeze of peanut butter, lunch meat or cheese. 2 or More Hours Before Game Time “Eat a bigger meal with plenty of fluids, especially water,” says Turner. Keep these key points in mind and leave time for your food to digest between your meal and the game. 1. While this may seem like the time when your body is the least picky about food, performing at your peak requires a game day nutritional game plan. We cannot apply the same rules to adult athletes to kids. Eat dinner by 5 p.m. or a light meal between 6 and 7 p.m. However, it stands to reason that smaller meals would take less time than average to digest and larger meals take more time to digest. Proper nutrition before a big soccer match can mean a superior performance. A soccer game can take a lot out of you. Should, ideally, be as food-like as possible apply the same rules to adult athletes to kids you focus! 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