Nutrition Manual

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Make sure your pre-game meal plans follow these guidelines:

Allow enough time for digestion. Eat the meal at least three hours before an event.
Choose a meal that's high in starch. Starch is easy to digest and helps steady the levels of blood sugar.
Consume only moderate amounts of protein. Protein foods take longer to digest than starch. And high-protein meals may lead to increased urine production, which can add to dehydration.
Limit fats and oils. They take too long to digest.
Restrict sugary foods. Sweets can cause rapid energy swings in blood sugar levels and result in low blood sugar and less energy.
Avoid foods and drinks that contain caffeine. Caffeine stimulates the body to increase urine output, which can contribute to dehydration problems, and a full bladder can be very uncomfortable.
Watch out for foods that produce gas. Certain raw vegetables, fruits, or beans may cause problems for some young athletes.
Within these guidelines, chose foods you like to eat.
Remember to drink plenty of fluids with your pre-game meal.

Sample Pre-game meals

Meal 1	Meal 2
Cereal (avoid highly sweetened cereals) Banana slices Milk (low-fat or skim) Toast/jam Pineapple juice* Water	Chicken noodle soup Crackers Orange Low-fat yogurt Water
Meal 3	Meal 4
Poached Egg Toast/jam Milk (low-fat or skim) Orange juice* Water	Pancakes (limit butter and syrup) Applesauce Milk (low-fat or skim) Grape juice*
Meal 5	Meal 6
Turkey Sandwich/bread & lettuce Apple Milk (low-fat or skim) Tomato Juice Water	Cottage Cheese/peach Breadsticks Milk (low-fat or skim) Apple juice Water
Meal 7
Spaghetti/tomato sauce Bread Milk (low-fat or skim) Orange juice* Water

*Juice your choice except for prune