Cover your Nutrition for Away Games

Away games when you're an athlete can cause a lot of disruption in your daily schedule and can especially disrupt your eating patterns. That's why it's important to know your schedule at least a week in advance so you can plan ahead for those days where on-the-go food options need to be available.

I can share from personal experience, that my nutrition for away games was horrible, and definitely affected my performance on the field. Whether it was my mental performance or my skill performance, there were errors, and your nutrition plays a very large part in why your performance can be hindered.

Remember that carbohydrates fuel all the cells in your body, including your brain and muscles. If you do not refuel your body throughout the day, your brain, muscles, organs, and so many other systems in your body cannot function at their highest level. So continuing to add in carbohydrates, ESPECIALLY as an athlete, is super important to perform at the next level!

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What does not fueling right look like?

Let's go through an example! You have school all day long, you eat your normal breakfast and lunch, but you have to wait at school because your family cannot pick you up and drop you back off at school for the bus that is taking your team to it's away location. As you wait an hour and a half after school (or longer), maybe doing homework, wondering around, maybe you are in another club that meets that day, or maybe, yes, maybe (guilty!) you even go run a few laps or go to the weight room to waste time. In this hour and a half, which is probably at least 2 if not 3 hours before your warm-up or game even with travel and getting your equipment on, you have yet to consume anything since lunchtime! It has now been around 4-6 hours since you have eaten anything! That is too long for an athlete who needs to perform. You also need to have stored carbohydrates, and now, 4-6 hours later, your body has probably used those stores up, your muscles are depleted of energy, and you are going to find it hard to pick up the pace.

How do you fuel better then?

Athletes should be eating every 2-3 hours, containing foods with carbohydrates, moderate protein, and some healthy fats! And do not forget about your fluids.

You should be including foods you enjoy in your meal plans because there are no forbidden foods. A registered dietitian nutritionist can help incorporate nutrients you may be missing out on with the foods you enjoy, rather than taking foods away from you. If you are being forced to eat foods you do not like, it's very likely you will not follow the plan. As an adolescent athlete, your body is growing and needs fuel to perform.

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Let's get fueling!

• Granola bars, animal crackers, goldfish, popcorn, rice cakes, dried fruit with dry cereal, fruit snacks

• Microwaveable Macaroni and Cheese or leftovers ( heat it up after school, ask your guidance counselor or coach to borrow their microwave)

• Lunchboxes are cool- pun intended!

  • Grab a milk from the school cafeteria, dry cereal packed in a container- a bowl of cereal after school!

  • Sandwich

  • Overnight Oats (oatmeal, milk, yogurt, fruit, optional honey/flaxseed/chia seed as one option)

  • Bagel/English Muffin with cream cheese or nut butter

  • Bento box (sliced meat, cheese, fruit, crackers of some kind, nuts/seeds as one option) but make sure to pack more carbohydrates too (like more crackers)

• Hydration- water, sports drink, sports gels/chews/crackers, milk

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Working with a registered dietitian nutritionist can help you determine YOUR likes.

The above information are ideas and not prescriptions.

Everyone does not like the same food, eat the same foods, or are able to have the same food.

Individualization of an athlete is so important and it is a great investment to talk to a registered dietitian nutritionist. With my services, you not only receive nutrition for your current sport, but nutrition for your overall health and wellness for life!

Information provided on this website does not constitute medical advice and is not intended to assist in the diagnosis, treatment or alleviation of any medical condition. Persons seeking to address a medical condition should consult with a qualified medical professional. Emily Richters Fasciana LLC will not be liable for any damages, losses, injury or liability suffered as a result of reliance on the information provided on this website.