Pre-Match Preparation Guide: Week 1 – Food

Thankfully as a dedicated amateur footballer, you are perfectly disciplined in every aspect when it comes to preparing for your match. You never go out drinking the night before a game, you stick to a 10pm curfew, and you most certainly would never, ever consider eloping with your other half/a stranger with a critical league game approaching…

…Dream on.

Do whatever you want during the week, get obliterated the night before, kill a swan and shag a dwarf. But from match-day breakfast onwards – look here to find the best ways to prepare for that all-important game.

I’ll be looking at all aspects, including guidelines about food, drink, team talks and even the best music to listen to in order to psyche yourself up.

This week is Week 1, and I’ll be detailing the best food to eat in order to optimise your match-day preparation plan.

Week 1: Food

Breakfast

What food you should eat in the morning does depend on what you got up to the night before. As stated in my ‘6-point guide to cure a hangover before a big game’, if you are feeling hungover, it’s because the alcohol has taken away various nutrients from your body. The best breakfast remedy for this is a full English breakfast – eggs, sausages, baked beans, bacon, the lot. The greasier the better, it’ll restore your body with sugars and protein you need.

Assuming you decided to not get drunk the night before, for whatever reason, the two best things to eat for breakfast are non-sugar, non-chocolate cereal (something like cornflakes or Shredded Wheat), and a bowl of Porridge. These will both slowly release energy throughout the day.

Fruit

Whether your hungover or not, fruit is great to have throughout the day, specifically bananas and oranges. Have one or two of each at some point before the game.

Lunch

If your game is in the afternoon, a light lunch is a must, with an emphasis on the word light. A ham sandwich, or some baked beans and egg (if you haven’t already had them) will keep your body going.

Food Do’s & Don’ts

Do:

Eat – if you’re hungover, often it’s very hard to eat – but it’s important to have something if you want to be remotely alert during the game.

Eat Fruit – It’s full of nutrients & will give you loads of energy without making you feel bloated.

Have a packet of crisps – If you’re prone to getting cramp during a match, have a packet of crisps an hour before the match, the salt will do wonders!

Don’t:

Overeat – There’s no point in eating too much, it’ll make you feel bloated & sick during the game.

Eat just before a game – Don’t eat anything other than fruit just before a game, you won’t have time to digest it, and it won’t help you at all.

That’s all your Pre-Match food problems solved, check out Week 2: Drink here!

(Image courtesy of Gene Hunt)

Related Posts:

• Pre-Match Preparation Guide: Week 2 – Drink