Good Foods to Eat Before Football Practice

Football players burn calories during practice--as much as a thousand calories for every half hour of play and as much as 10,000 during summer workouts. That is a lot of energy that a player needs to stock up on before going out to practice. However, many football players rarely think about the best foods to eat--only about the large amounts of food to eat. That is the wrong way of thinking.

Think Carbohydrates

Carbs have gotten a bad rap in the dieting world in the last few years, but they are essential for athletes. These will provide the energy to handle the short bursts of activity needed to survive a practice. Think about whole-grain breads and pastas in addition to high-protein foods such as eggs and lean meat. Avoid fried foods. If this is a morning practice, consider eggs, whole-wheat toast or bagel and some fruit. In the afternoon, think about baked chicken, nonbuttered whole grain rolls and noodles. When eating carbs, avoid white bread and other items that act like sugar in the digestive system. Between practices, munch on trail mix or whole-grain crackers.


Make Key Substitutions

If the team is going out to eat before practice, think about ways to make the food intake better. Instead of eating a plate of fries, ask for a baked potato or, even better, sweet potato fries. Eat the frozen yogurt instead of ice cream. Go with the chicken sandwich over the hamburger. Eat slices of turkey instead of ham. This way you get healthy carbs and proteins whose energy will stick with you on the football field.

Don't Overeat

This may be the toughest thing to figure out. Players need to regain calories to play better, but they don't want to feel sluggish from eating too much (or cramp up). Look for lighter foods to fill up on such as fruits and vegetables as opposed to potato chips and cookies. Most athletic trainers recommend players to eat until they feel sated, which is a way to make sure that large or small players get proper meals. Remember, its fine to eat, just don't gorge on the bad stuff.

Diet Plan for Boxers

Boxing is a sport of endurance, speed, quickness and strength. Just as in most sports, the better shape you are in, the better chance you have to excel. Diet has always been considered a critical part of boxing, a concept Sylvester Stallone helped make famous by drinking a raw egg in the movie “Rocky.” While raw egg is no longer considered a healthy choice, the protein it provides is an integral part of the boxing diet.

Pack on Protein

Protein is considered the building block of muscle, and while boxers aren’t bodybuilders, it doesn’t hurt to be rock hard when entering the ring. Protein also goes a long way when it comes to assisting recovery after an intense training session. Chicken, turkey, fish, lean beef, tuna and yes, eggs, are all good sources of protein. Boxers should consume at least two to three servings of protein a day, with each serving being the size of your fist.

No Counting Carbs

Many diet plans insist that carbohydrates of any sort are bad, but such is not the case for boxers. In fact, it has been said that boxers in training should receive anywhere from 40 to 55 percent of their calories from carbs--an essential part of energy needed for a fight. Of course, the key is to eat the right types of carbs, avoiding flour-enriched foods, such as white bread, crackers, sugary cereals or some instances, pasta. Instead, a boxer should get his carbs from fruits, beans and according to some experts, oatmeal.

Drink Up

Water is an important part of anyone’s diet, especially an athlete, as water provides most of the day‘s essential vitamins and minerals. Boxers should drink eight to 10 8 oz. glasses a day to help improve circulation and flexibility, and to stay hydrated. They should drink even more on the day of a bout, consuming as many as 14 glasses.

Meal Plan

Boxers should eat five or six smaller meals throughout the day, as opposed to two or three large meals. At least three of the meals should consist of one protein and one carbohydrate. For instance, breakfast may consist of a serving of egg whites with a side of fruit (apple, orange and banana). That could be followed by a low-fat, low-sugar protein shake for a snack, followed by a broiled or chicken breast and broccoli for lunch. Another protein shake could follow for a snack, with salmon and salad for dinner. Following this plan, a boxer would want to eat another serving of fruit, or other healthy carb, before going to bed.

Fight Night Diet

Experts recommend boxers avoid starchy foods on the day of the fight. This means no vegetables or beans. Instead, most of the calories should come from protein sources and “lighter” carbs found in fruit. The latter are easier to digest and keep a boxer feeling energetic.