• Your Performance
• Energy Utilisation
• A Balanced Diet
• Carbohydrates & GI
• Protein
• Fats
• Hydration
• Pre-training & pre-game strategies
• Plan to drink
• Half time Strategy
• Recovery snacks
• Sample Daily meals
• Sample Meal Plan

Nutrition

Sample Daily Meals

Breakfast

As a rule ensure that you consume a low to moderate GI cereal such as muesli with added milk and/or yoghurt. This will provide much needed moderate to low carbohydrates, a good supply of B vitamins and minerals and a good supply of protein. Also have at least two pieces of fruit. You could blend a smoothie from low fat milk and some fruit. When training intensely you will need protein at each meal so add an extra protein source to this breakfast - choose from eggs, meat or cheese. While cheese is a dairy product it does provide a choice for you as a protein rich food and is rich in calcium. Do not forget to consume approximately 500mls of fluid - between water and other breakfast beverages. The options presented here are intended to serve as samples of both carbohydrate and protein rich foods that you can mix and match for breakfast. For example, on Monday you may choose a Carbohydrate rich food such as Porridge with Protein option 2 (an egg omelet). If your preference is for porridge on a regular basis each morning then you might select Protein option 4 the next morning to go with your favourite cereal.

Breakfast options

Carbohydrate Options	Choose one from the Carbohydrate Options listed here and combine with one option from Protein based list
1	Choose from Porridge/oats, Special K, Weetabix, All-bran with added seeds, nuts and fruit. Skimmed milk gives an additional protein option
2	4 slices of granary or wholemeal bread with fruit jam spread or slices of banana
3	Pancakes with syrup
4	Fruit salad made from 2 or more tinned or fresh fruits with organic or low fat bio yoghurt
5	Low fat Rice pudding with fruit

Additional Protein Options for the player in training
1	Scrambled eggs
2	Egg Omelet
3	Grilled bacon and tomatoes
4	Tinned tuna or salmon

Lunch

Make sure that you eat either a green salad or selection of vegetables with your lunch. These will provide you with further vitamins and minerals that are so important in maintaining a healthy body. As always at each meal protein is essential and this should be chosen from a high quality source of protein. Again moderate to low glycaemic index carbohydrates are recommended. This translated looks as follows:

A Green salad with tomatoes, added nuts and some oil dressing. Have some bread to provide further carbohydrates. A vegetable soup is also an alternative with bread. Experiment with varieties of homemade soups as they can be a convenient and excellent source of vitamins and minerals. Continue with the main course preferably opting for fish, vegetables and a choice of potatoes/pasta/rice.

Dinner

If this meal is consumed after training then ensure that it supplies protein and energy replenishing carbohydrates. Dinner may resemble Lunch in many ways. If so opt for the alternative protein rich foods that you did not consume at lunch - for example if you selected fish and rice at lunch then opt for a meat dish and potatoes at dinner. Ensure that you consume carbohydrate foods such as potatoes, vegetables and breads. A desert of fresh fruit at the end of the meal is highly recommended. Finally drink water to ensure that you are well hydrated following this meal.

Preparation is as important as selection

Bake, boil, broil, steam. Avoid frying and barbequing foods. Also note that precooked foods such as prepacked and tinned foods are mainly refined, processed or enriched and should be limited. Enriched may mean that the food has added fat and sugar.

Learn to prepare your own food. A convenient and excellent cooking utensil is a microwave steamer dish. This allows you to steam cook all your vegetables in the microwave in a short period of time. This reduces the time you have to spend in preparing food. In addition steaming retains most of the food's vitamin and mineral content.

Where food is cooked in oil or fat it is preferable to use polyunsaturated oils. Most fast food takeaways use saturated fats as the cooking or frying base. This is not recommended. Polyunsaturated oils are preferable to saturated fats. There are several to select from including Olive oil and Grapeseed oil (also very tasty for salad dressings). These are available in all foodstores in Ireland. Add it to your shopping list.

Snacks between meals and after supper

When you are snacking you should try to eat foods that contain a low to moderate glycaemic index GI. If you consistently eat and snack on high glycaemic index foods (including sports drinks) then you will experience hunger pangs and endure periods of contrasting high and low mental states throughout the day. So limit sports drinks to immediately before, during and immediately after exercise.

Water - The Elixir of Life!

You can live without food for several weeks but you can't live without water for more than a few days!

This is the most overlooked nutrient. Both protein and fat metabolism depend on the body being well hydrated. Without adequate water carbohydrates cannot be stored in your muscles. When you eat 1.2 to 2 grammes of protein per kilogramme of body weight you are recommended to drink more water than normal. When you are well nourished with protein, carbohydrates and fats AND are well hydrated then your body is in a state of 'anabolism' (i.e. it is ready to repair and grow).

The volume of water you require to maintain good hydration will vary depending on the intensity and duration of training and the foods and beverages that you eat.

When engaged in pre-season training drink at least 300 mls of water every hour. This amounts to about 4 litres per day. This covers all your waking hours. Immediately after training lightly diluted carbohydrate drinks (sports drinks) are ideal as they provide a fast entry of water into the bloodstream. However, limit their consumption when you are not training or playing.

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