The right snacks can be a make-or-break for soccer games. Sports nutrition author Gloria Averbuch discovered this when her daughter Yael, now a professional women's player with the Western New York Flash, was a young player in New Jersey. Yael's team of Under-10 players tended to win in morning tournament games, while their performance slipped in late afternoon games. Gloria Averbuch had a light bulb moment at a tournament and grabbed cash from other parents. The soccer mom raced to a supermarket and bought high-energy snacks, and the correctly fueled team won and kept winning.
Time Frame
Averbuch relates the importance of snacks in "Food Guide for Soccer," written with Nancy Clark, a registered dietitian who consults with the Boston Breakers of Women's Professional Soccer. The book goes past the staple snack of a soccer game -- orange segments -- to provide other snack ideas as well. The authors note that snacking becomes especially relevant for afternoon games, needed to solve "the 4 o'clock munchies." While athletes may think they should not snack before games, the obverse is actually the case, they note. In fact, they recommend that coaches ask the players if they have eaten enough before the game. Take a poll and pass snacks if a player hasn't eaten, they advise.
Fruit and Vegetables
Frozen fruits and berries -- grapes, orange segments, blueberries, strawberries and raspberries -- can appeal to youthful taste buds looking for a bit of sweetness. Children with more sophisticated tastes may be enticed by slices of avocado between two tortilla chips, Clark and Averbuch suggest. Cider can produce the carbohydrate contribution of an apple in liquid form. FIFA, the international governing body of soccer, in its "Nutrition for Football" booklet recommends fruit juice, juice boxes, especially V-8, a fruit smoothie or a single piece of fruit.
Grains
Snack ideas in the grain family are many, including popcorn, whole-grain bagels, crackers, pretzels, fig bars, energy bars, granola bars and oatmeal raisin cookies. The authors of "Food Guide for Soccer" recommend viewing the pregame snack as a second lunch, such that players can have half a turkey sandwich on wholegrain bread. "Nutrition for Football" concurs, recommending a small sandwich including meat or cheese and a small container of juice, perhaps after the game as a postgame snack to aid in recovery from the exertion. You can also save part of a meal to eat for later as a snack, "Nutrition for Football" recommends.
Dairy and Nuts
Frozen yogurt cups of blended flavors can provide a healthier alternative to ice cream and one that can also defrost on the road to a tournament, "Food Guide for Soccer" recommends. Dairy snacks such as fortified milkshakes provide calcium, important for healthy bones especially in young players, FIFA notes. You can sprinkle peanuts and trail mix on the yogurt. Other nut options include peanut butter spread on dark chocolate with a sprinkling of cinnamon, a recipe suggested by Yael Averbuch in "Food Guide for Soccer." You can also put peanut butter on graham crackers.
References
- "Food Guide for Soccer: Tips & Recipes from the Pros"; Gloria Averbuch and Nancy Clark; 2010
- FIFA: F-MARC Nutrition for Football; 2005
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