How to Build the Perfect Meal for Better Performance in Football/Soccer

A HUGE part to a successful athlete's training is the fuel they put in their bodies for the session / match they are in.

The athlete who feeds their body proper nutrients and a balanced amount of macronutrients will have more energy, better recovery, and a better physique than the athlete who does the same amount of training but eats complete junk.

Our body runs on the glucose it obtains from digesting the food we eat, and if we feed our bodies with foods that are full of junk such as processed foods, grease, saturated fat, and refined food sources, our body will be given 'false energy' and it will see a sharp crash followed by fatigue.

As an athlete, your goal on the pitch is to be able to run, sprint, change direction, jump, dribble, etc, for the duration of 90 minutes, and in order to have the best performance, you must be able to perform these actions efficiently for the entire match.

If you feed your body clean fuel that will support your energy levels, such as quality complex carbohydrates, essential vitamins, protein, and healthy fats, your body will be able to utilize the digested glucose and stored glycogen to fuel the muscles and their function.

By following a healthy meal plan where you your diet consists of balanced meals, you will feel, look, and perform better as an athlete.

But how should a typical plate of food look like for an athlete looking to increase performance?

These questions and more will be answered in this blog post! So make sure your stick it out until the end!

The Proper Ratio of Macros

In a typical day, an athlete should be looking to consume around 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight, around 0.4-0.6g of essential fats per pound of bodyweight, and a ton of carbs depending on how much they burn on that day of training.

In order to be able to reach these quantities and make sure they're eating enough of each Macronutrient, the macro ratio for each meal is important.

By distributing the total quantity of each macro over 3-4 separate meals, you are ensuring that your body has enough of each macro to digest throughout the entirety of the day, which will help you feel energized and full.

For a one meal, a widely accepted ratio of macros for athletes looks like this:

1. Protein - One meal should have at least 1 serving of protein, and at most two servings of protein. This should make up about 1/4 of your plate. By having 1-2 Servings, you are making sure to include around 20-40+ grams of protein per meal.

2. Carbohydrates - The total amount of carbohydrates you should be eating per meal depends on how much you burn in a day of training. Personally, a typical day of training and workouts sees me burning at least 1000 calories a day, so I would need to eat around 2800 to 3000 calories to maintain my current weight. Since I am burning a ton of calories, eating around 1-2 servings of carbohydrates per meal, I can reach my calorie goal and give my body enough energy to perform activity throughout the day. Carbs should make up anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 of your plate depending on how much activity you have done for that day.

3. Fats - Fats are essential for controlling our internal functions and hormone activity, as well as decreasing any inflammation. On your typical plate, you should be looking to eat anywhere from 10 to 20 grams of fat. This is equivalent to around a serving to a serving and a half of fats. Fats can be included into your plate through the use of cooking oils, or an actual food like an avocado.

4. Veggies - Veggies are essential for athletes because they are rich in micronutrients such as a variety of vitamins, minerals, and other smaller nutrients that aid our internal function and support our immune system. On a typical plate of food, you should be looking to eat anywhere from 2-3 servings of vegetables. This should take up about 1/2 of your plate.

What Type of Foods to Include in a Meal

There are several healthy options for you to include in your meals and into your diet. Here are a few examples for each macronutrient:

Proteins:

• Chicken Breast / Chicken Thigh

• Turkey

• Hen

• Lean Beef

• Salmon

• Cod

• Tilapia

• Mackerel

• Tuna

• Shrimp

• Tofu

• Legumes and Beans (Can also be a carb source)

• Greek Yogurt

• Cheese

• Milk

• Eggs

• Egg Whites

Carbohydrates

• Rice

• Quinoa

• Sweet Potato

• White Potato

• Oats

• Granola

• Fruits

• Couscous

• Whole-Grain Bread

• Rice Cakes

• Beans and Legumes

• Butternut Squash

Healthy Fats

• Oils (Preferably Avocado, Olive, or Coconut Oil)

• Avocado

• Minimally Processed Butters

• Milk

• Cheese

• Any Type of Nut

• Fatty Fish (Tuna, Mackerel and Salmon are excellent examples)

• Olives

• Eggs

Vegetables

• Brocolli

• Leafy Greens

• Carrots

• Bell Peppers

• Onions

• Cucumbers

• Zuchinni

• Yellowneck Squash

• Tomatoes (I count this as a vegetable 😉)

• Asparagus

• Green Beans

• Brussel Sprouts

• Mushrooms

How Much is a Portion Size?

There are two ways to determine portion sizes of the foods you want to include in your diet:

Method 1: Hand-to-Food Proportion Sizes

This is an easy estimation of a portion size for each macronutrient that almost anyone can utilize. All you need is your hand!

The palm of your hand would be equivalent to about 3 ounces of any type of meat or protein source.

When you make a fist, that is equivalent to one cup of anything from carbohydrates, veggietables, etc.

The top of your fingers/knucles when your hand is in a fist is equivalent to about 1/2 cup of anything, so this would be helpful for carbs, nuts, beans, veggies, etc.

Your index finger is about the size of 1 tablespoon, which can be helpful when trying to cook with oil.

Your entire thumb is about equal to 2 tablespoons, which can be helpful for fats like nut butters, cheese, etc.

Method 2: Nutrition Labels and Weighing out Your Food

Another simple way to identify how much a portion size is for whatever food you are trying to eat, is to look at the nutrition facts for that food, and use either measuring cups, or a scale to measure out the right amount for a portion size.

This is by far the most accurate way to calculate your food, but it can get annoying for people, so I would stick to using this method only for the first few weeks of starting a new diet to get a feel for how much you're supposed to be eating, then switch to the hand method.

What About Fruits?

Fruits are a must-include food in your diet. They are rich in essential micronutrients and antioxidants that support your immune system, your internal functions, your energy levels, etc.

Fruits are also a great source of energy since they are high in simple carbohydrates and can be quickly broken down by your body into glucose.

Whether or not you want to include fruits into your 3-4 separate meals is completely up to your preference. Personally, I love to eat an apple with each of my meals and have some fruits as pre-workout/pre-training snacks in order to satiate my hunger, increase my energy levels, and because they're delicious and are like my go to candy! 😁

Make sure to include fruits into your diet, just make sure you don't consume so much that your stomach starts to experience some backlash from it!

Personally, as someone who is in mad fricking love with fruits, I would recommend eating anywhere from 3-5 servings a day! This number can change with preference!

Takeaway

As athletes, our nutrition and what we put into our bodies is essential for our performance in our trainings and games.

A big part of a healthy diet to support performance is actually building your meals for Breakfast Lunch, and dinner.

In order to split the number of macros you need a day throughout 3-4 meals, a proper ratio must be set in place so that you are able to distribute the total amount of protein, carbs, fats, and micros throughout the course of the day to keep your energized.

When building a balanced plate of food, follow these portions sizes:

1. Protein: 1-2 Servings

2. Healthy Fats: 1-1.5 Servings

3. Carbohydrates 1-2 Servings (depending on how much you burn for that day)

4. Vegetables (2-3 Servings)

To identify how much a portion size is for each, you can choose either the hand-to-food method, or using the nutrition labels on the back of food packacing to weigh out your food.

Make sure to also include about 3-5 servings of fruits a day in order to include a variety of nutrients, antioxidants, and simple carbohydrates throughout your day to keep your body functioning properly and to provide you with quick energy for workouts!

For more information on how to build healthy eating habits, download our FREE NUTRITION GUIDE!

Thanks for reading! Alex from GoGrind Soccer Signing off...

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