Eat Right

To
Meet Your
Goooal!
Eating Right Every Day
 The Food Pyramid
Fats, Oils & Sweets
USE SPARINGLY

Milk, Yogurt &

Meat, Poultry,
Cheese Group
Fish, Dry Beans,
2-3 SERVINGS
Eggs & Nuts
Group
2-3 SERVINGS

Vegetable Group
3-5 SERVINGS
Fruit Group
2-4 SERVINGS

Bread, Cereal,
Rice & Pasta
Group
6-11 SERVINGS
Some Facts:
• The average distance cover by a football player
during a 90 minute competition is about 6.2
miles.
• An all sprint takes place every 90 seconds.
• ~1600-1800 calories expended per match.
• Majority of calories provided by glycogen reserves.
• Glycogen: storage form of glucose.
– Found in muscles & liver
– Converted to glucose to supply energy
during activity
• Water losses up to 2 Liters are common
– Losses increase with extremely hot environments
 Nutrition & Football
• Carbohydrates

• Proteins

• Fat
 Carbohydrates
• Complex carbohydrates fuel the body
most efficiently in prolonged physical
activities.

• Cereals, fruits, vegetables, breads, and pastas

are good sources of carbohydrates.

• Refueling of muscle with carbohydrates should begin

as soon as possible following a match or a strenuous
training session.
 Proteins
• Protein helps to restore new fuel in the
muscles fast and allowing you to
perform at maximum level when your
body needs it on the field.

• There is a lot of protein in ground beef,

chicken and The majority of this protein
is combined with a large portion of fat.
 Fat
• Soccer players burn a lot of calories but fat
should still be minimized in the athlete’s diet.

• Fat is not an efficient provider of energy.

• Although there is a lot of energy stored in fat, in

long duration sports like soccer. The body fuels itself
mainly from Glycogen.
 Pre-Game feeding
“game time 4pm”
 8:30-9am: Breakfast options: cereals, milk,
juices, fruit, bagels, toast, water
 12pm: Pre game meal options: Pasta
with sauce on the side, chicken, fruit,
peanut butter and jelly, maybe plain rice,
rolls, a vegetable, milk, juices, water. )
 2pm water, bread if player feels hungry
 4pm:During Game/Half-time: All sport,
Gatorade, water, power bars, dry cereal
in locker room
 Post game feeding
 6pm:bagels, cereals, fruits, Gatorade, water

• Two-hour window: Post game nutrition should be

provided within 2 hours of activity cessation.
• Snacks should be available after the game/on the
way home.

 7pm: Post game meal: May vary. Should include

carb choices, a protein option (chicken), a
vegetable, & plenty to drink: water, juices,
electrolyte drinks (Gatorade)
 Suggested Menu Options
 Breakfast: Selection of dry cereals, fresh fruit, hard
boiled eggs, breads (bagels, toast, English muffins),
peanut butter and jelly, orange juice, assorted juices,
coffee, tea, water, skim and two percent milk.
 Lunch/Dinner: Bread, rolls, peanut butter and jelly, fresh
fruit, juice, iced tea, soda, water, coffee, plain rice or
plain pasta. Main dish choices: rice, potatoes (baked),
salad, vegetable, cold cuts (turkey, ham, cheese), pasta
with marinara sauce on side, chicken dishes, fish, soups,
pizza, lasagna, meat (few times week).
 Want to
Play?
• Answer the
following
true/false
questions.
1.) What I eat and drink
doesn’t affect my soccer
performance?
True or False
• If you are not careful about what you eat and
drink, you will deteriorate your soccer
performance.
• Run less since you will have very little energy
in your muscle.
• Make bad decisions on the soccer field
because your body will be weak.
• Touch the ball less because you won’t have
the strength to move around to get the ball
from your teammates.
2.) Is it protein the only type of
food critical in soccer nutrition
and not Carbohydrates.
True or False
• Soccer players on most teams eat too
little carbohydrate, the most important
nutrient in the successful soccer
player’s diet.
• Hard sprinting and running in soccer
rapidly uses up the stored glycogen
(carbohydrate) in your muscles and
liver.
3.) Drinking fluids during
practice and matches is bad.
True or false
• If you do not replace most of the fluids
you lose in sweat, your performance will
deteriorate and you may become at risk
to muscle cramps, heat exhaustion, and
even heat stroke
4.) Water is the best fluid-
replacement beverage.
True or False
• Although water is better than nothing,
research studies have shown
definitively that replacing sweat losses
with a carbohydrate-electrolyte sports
drink has real advantages over water.

Gatorade
5.) As long as I drink
whenever I’m thirsty, I’ll get
plenty of fluids.
True or False
• Thirst is not a good indicator of fluid needs.
• You should drink a lot of fluids even if you are
not thirsty. Specially before & after a match
also during half/time.
• Your goal should be to never lose more than
about 1.5% of your body weight.
• The best way to keep track of how much
fluids you have lost is to weight yourself
before & after a match or practice.
6.) It’s O.K. to eat whatever I
want at restaurants after a soccer
game.
True or false
• Even when your team is taken to a buffet
restaurant or a food court where good
selections are available, many players will
make poor choices, but you can be smarter.
• The idea is to get ready for the next match.
Proper food choices—lots of carbs, not too
much fat—will put more energy in your
muscles, which means better performance in
the next game.
Improve your Diet so
you can Improve your
Game