An athlete planning to play soccer at a collegiate level should consume around 3,000 calories per day. These calories should be divided between carbohydrates, proteins, and healthy fats. 60% of the calories (1,800 calories or 450 grams) consumed should be carbohydrates. The majority portion of your diet is devoted to carbohydrates because carbohydrates give you the energy you need to perform. In addition 25% of the calories (750 calories or 187.5 grams) consumed should be protein. The protein will help rebuild muscles and speeds up post exercise recovery time. The last 15% (450 calories or 112.5 grams) of your diet should be devoted to the consumption of simple fats, which provide our body with an extra source of energy in addition to carbohydrates.
As an athlete you should be eating 3 full meals a day with healthy snacks in between. Try and eat every 3 hours or so if possible. You should also be drinking a lot of water. 8 cups a day is recommend, but as an athlete you should be consuming 1-1.5 gallons a day. Avoids eating processed foods such as white rice, white pasta, frozen foods, etc. because these foods have been stripped of most of their nutrients. Instead, try to eat more whole grain foods such as whole grain pasta and brown rice.
Plan to eat 1-2 hours before exercising or training to allow your body time to digest all of the food. During this time you want to eat more carbohydrates because carbohydrates will give you energy. Also, avoid eating proteins because they take longer to digest and you don't want to be digesting food while trying to workout. Your body uses blood to digest food which takes energy to do. When exercising you want your body to focus its full attention on the workout. 30 minutes before you can eat simple carbohydrates if you feel hungry. Simple carbohydrates, such as fruits, are a quick source of energy that are fast and easy to digest. Bananas are most recommended because in addition to energy they also provide potassium, which prevents cramps.
During your workout you should still be hydrating. Water is good, but Gatorade is better because it will provide you with electrolytes that you are losing while working out. Outside of exercising it is not recommend to consume on a regular basis because of it's high content of sugar. Post workout (less than an hour after completing your workout) you should eat a lot of protein. This will help reduce the chance of injury because you are providing your body what it needs to repair damaged/torn muscles and tissues.
To manage how many calories you consume per day you can look at the back of the package the food comes in and measure out. You can keep track of how many calories you are consuming by writing them down. In the beginning this will be tedious, but in the long run it will become a quick reference point when eating healthy foods that you've eaten and recorded before.
Diet:
Carbohydrates:
Proteins:
Healthy Fats (use when cooking):
Fluids
As an athlete you should be eating 3 full meals a day with healthy snacks in between. Try and eat every 3 hours or so if possible. You should also be drinking a lot of water. 8 cups a day is recommend, but as an athlete you should be consuming 1-1.5 gallons a day. Avoids eating processed foods such as white rice, white pasta, frozen foods, etc. because these foods have been stripped of most of their nutrients. Instead, try to eat more whole grain foods such as whole grain pasta and brown rice.
Plan to eat 1-2 hours before exercising or training to allow your body time to digest all of the food. During this time you want to eat more carbohydrates because carbohydrates will give you energy. Also, avoid eating proteins because they take longer to digest and you don't want to be digesting food while trying to workout. Your body uses blood to digest food which takes energy to do. When exercising you want your body to focus its full attention on the workout. 30 minutes before you can eat simple carbohydrates if you feel hungry. Simple carbohydrates, such as fruits, are a quick source of energy that are fast and easy to digest. Bananas are most recommended because in addition to energy they also provide potassium, which prevents cramps.
During your workout you should still be hydrating. Water is good, but Gatorade is better because it will provide you with electrolytes that you are losing while working out. Outside of exercising it is not recommend to consume on a regular basis because of it's high content of sugar. Post workout (less than an hour after completing your workout) you should eat a lot of protein. This will help reduce the chance of injury because you are providing your body what it needs to repair damaged/torn muscles and tissues.
To manage how many calories you consume per day you can look at the back of the package the food comes in and measure out. You can keep track of how many calories you are consuming by writing them down. In the beginning this will be tedious, but in the long run it will become a quick reference point when eating healthy foods that you've eaten and recorded before.
Diet:
Carbohydrates:
- Grains- wheat bread, whole grain pasta, brown rice, whole grain cereals, etc.
- Vegetables- broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, celery, green beans, green peas, spinach, salad, cabbage, cauliflower, sweet potato, avocado, eggplant, tomato, squash, etc.
- Fruits- apples, oranges, grapefruits, pears, bananas, mangoes, pineapple, melons, berries, etc.
- Snacks- fruits, celery, whole grain celery
Proteins:
- Eggs
- Lean Meat- Beef
- Poultry: Chicken
- Fish: Salmon, Tilapia, Trout, Tuna
- Beans: black beans, pinto beans, Lima beans, black-eyed peas
- Snacks: unsalted nuts, almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, etc.
- Dairy: Almond Milk (minimal)
Healthy Fats (use when cooking):
- Vegetable Oil, extra Virgin Olive Oil, Canola
Fluids
- Water, Gatorade, Almond Milk