Everyday Eating

When you don’t have practice or a game, you’re refueling your body and building up energy for the next practice/game.

CARBOHYDRATES: Are your fuel! Try to have 2 servings with every meal, and 1 serving between meals:
 

Examples:	Servings
1 bagel	2 servings
1 slice of bread	1 serving
1 bun	2 servings
1 bowl of rice	2 servings
1 pita	2 servings
1 bowl of pasta	2 servings
1 granola/cereal bar	1 serving
1 muffin	1 serving
1 baked potato	1 serving
1 bowl of cereal	1 serving	(good choices: granola, vector, cornflakes, mini-wheats)
Fruit counts as carbs too! 1 piece	1 serving	Try to get at least 6 servings of fruit & vegetables in your diet
- 1 handful of grapes	1 serving
- 1 cup of 100% pure juice	1 serving

PROTEIN: Is the building blocks for your muscles! After a workout , your muscles need to rebuild themselves, so they can be ready for the next workout. It’s great for snacks, too! Have 1-2 servings with every meal.

Examples:	Servings
Steak, Roast beef, chicken breast, fish, pork chops	1 serving (size of Palm)
1 bowl of beans	1 serving
1 handful of trail mix	1/2 serving
1 handful of peanuts	1 serving
1 handful of pumpkin seeds	2 servings!!!
½ salmon fillet	2 serving
1 can of tuna	2 serving
1 large glass of milk	1 serving
1 protein bar	1 serving
2 slices of cheese	1/2 serving
1 scoop of protein powder	1 serving
Protein shakes are a great afternoon snack. Mix 1-2 scoops of protein powder, 1 cup of milk, 1 banana or strawberries (or the fruit of your choice), 1 spoon of honey, and 1 package of Nestle’s Instant Breakfast in a blender. Add your own ingredients to be creative!

WATER..FOR HYDRATION: This is just as important as Carbs, Protein and Fat. Water is in every cell of your body. You can only live 3-4 days without water! When exercising, we lose lots of water by sweating. To keep our body functioning properly, you need to keep refilling your tank before you get dehydrated. If you feel thirsty, that’s usually a sign that you’re already dehydrated!

Try for 2 liters each day.
***This is NOT including the amount you drink while exercising!*** You can easily get into the habit of drinking this much by carrying a water bottle with you everywhere you go. You can usually get some water from other fluids (juice, milk, sports drinks), and some foods. Soft drinks are NOT options for hydrating.

Game Day Eating

• 3-4 servings of carbohydrates, 1 serving of protein. Add on 1 serving of Carbs and 0.5 of protein for every extra 10 lbs.
• Pasta, bread, bagels, rice, sports drinks, juice are all great ideas for Carbs. Try not to have anything fatty or really sweet (French fries, burgers, cake, chocolate or treats…you get the idea). They won’t help you-only bring your energy down.
• 1 sports drink bottle = 2 servings of Carbs (Put the leftovers in the fridge for when you get home from the game.)

Less than 1-1.5 hour before game time: At this point, sports drinks are probably the best bet. Have about ½ bottle.
Right before and during the game: Sports drinks mixed with water are good. Try to have 1/3 bottle every 20 minutes. This may be difficult at first, but try it out during practice first (if you’re not used to drinking that much). This is the optimal amount of water and carbs: it keeps your body in top form throughout the game!
IMMEDIATELY after game (within ½ hour off the ice): Believe it or not, what you do at this point (30 mins-2 hours after game) will affect your performance in the NEXT GAME OR PRACTICE!!!! This is especially critical for tournaments. Have another bottle of sports drink. 1-2 hours off the ice: When you get home, try to have a plate of food ready. 30 minutes- 2 hours after the game is the best time for your body to refuel. After the 2 hour mark, your body can’t completely restore all the energy you burned on the ice. A big plate of pasta & sauce with 2 servings of protein and a protein shake are great ideas.

JUNK FOOD: A bag of chips or a chocolate bar is okay to have a couple of times a week. BUT, on game day, this is a BAD idea. It’s ‘empty food’-all it has is LOTS and LOTS of sugar and fat. (Fat is very important, but you can usually count on getting this nutrient with anything you eat. Just don’t eat in excess, like burgers and fries everyday of the week.) This will only succeed in draining all your energy, and throw all the hard work you put into eating right out the window.