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Nutrition Plan for Clonmore GFC players of all ages

November 8, 2018

Nutrition Plan for Clonmore GFC 

Eating before match/training session – 

•    Try different food options and different times before match/training session to find what is right for you. 

•    Get used to the routine of eating the same foods before match/training session. 

•    This will benefit you and should be part of your exercise routine. 

Before morning training session or match

Skipping breakfast is a definite nutrition mistake!!! When eating breakfast before a training session or match you should aim to eat a moderate carbohydrate meal e.g. Cereal, Fruit, Toast at least 2 hours before training/match. 

•    Breakfast boosts your blood sugar levels giving you important energy you need for your training session or match. 

•    Not everybody likes eating a large breakfast, you can instead eat a high carbohydrate dinner the night before (e.g. pasta with chicken) then have a light breakfast (e.g. small bowl of cereal with milk or glass of juice and a banana).

Nutritious breakfast options – 

    Bowl of porridge/cereal (try putting fresh fruit in your cereal).

    French toast and banana. 

    Oatmeal pancakes with fruit & glass of milk. 

    Scrambled/boiled or poached eggs with brown bread or toast. 

    Omelette and brown bread.

•    Having a glass of orange/apple juice with your breakfast will provide you with one of your 5 a day. 

•    Having a glass of milk with your breakfast also adds extra calcium and protein. 

Carbohydrates and fat are the two main fuels for exercising muscles. Protein is needed for muscle growth and repair. You need to eat more than half your calories as carbohydrate everyday – so include carbohydrates at every meal and most snack times. Your body only stores a small amount of carbohydrate so you need to keep your stores topped up!! 

Breakfasts which are a good source of carbohydrates are

•    Weetabix or shredded wheat – these are high fibre, high carbohydrate cereals which are also low in sugar. Add chopped fresh or dried fruit to these cereals. 

•    Cereals to avoid are cocopops/frosties/nesquik, these all have high sugar levels and while they may provide some energy at first they do not give enough energy for the day. 

Afternoon training session/match 

•    A meal should be eaten 2-3 hours before match/training session to allow proper digestion. A small snack 30-60 minutes before match/training is ok. 

•    Food should contain carbohydrates with a small amount of protein and little fats. 

Meal examples include – 

•    Pasta with tomato/low fat sauce 

•    Pasta with chicken breast/steamed vegetables. 

•    Pasta with Bolognese with lean mince. 

•    Boiled rice/noodles with chicken and vegetable stir-fry and low fat sauce. 

•    Baked potato with steamed vegetable and low fat sauce. 

•    Sandwiches with chicken/tuna/ham/turkey with salad and fruit/yoghurt. 

Snacks 30-60 minutes before match/training session

Snack examples 

High energy/easy digestion 

•    Fresh fruit

•    Milkshake/smoothie/yoghurt. 

•    Cereal and milk. 

•    Rice cake 

Do not eat a snack less than 30 minutes before the game. If needed, you should only drink fluids leading up to and immediately before the game (ie water).

Refuelling after Match/Training – 

The most important thing to do after your match/training session is to replace fluids and nutrients you have used. Fluids can be replaced with water/milk/juice/yoghurt, smoothie or soup when the weather is cold. These drinks replace fluid, nutrients and electrolytes. In addition you should have a good meal within 2-3 hrs of your match/training session. This meal should be high in carbohydrates and protein – for best results try the following – 

•    Spaghetti Bolognese.

•    Chicken/tuna/turkey and cheese sandwich or toasty.

•    Boiled/poached/scrambled eggs with brown bread. 

•    Beans on toast.

•    Pasta with chicken in tomato sauce. 

•    Burger with salad and homemade oven chips. 

•    Steamed fish, potatoes and roasted vegetables