Meal Plan for Footballer – Training Day

Football (soccer) is one of the most popular sports in the World, and people enjoy the game at all levels, from the occasional kick about right through to professional football. Higher level professional and semi-professional footballers generally have their football training in the mornings with their team mates on four or five days per week, and may also visit the gym later in the day for light weight training or cardiovascular fitness work. Typically, during the season, there will be a match at the weekend (meal plan for a match day). For optimal performance in football training you will need a lot of energy for long lengths of time, so it's essential that you have a well structured nutrition programme not only to provide energy for a training session, but also to provide fuel for recuperation for the next day's exercise.

The meal plan below is an example for a professional or semi-professional footballer to follow for a typical training day:

The above plan provides sufficient levels of all nutrients and sustained slow released low glycaemic carbohydrates to help provide energy for long and intense training sessions. Porridge or muesli for breakfast will provide slow released energy, and oatcakes and granary bread will top up this up through the daytime. See our Glycaemic Index Tables for GI values of foods.

However, the plan is merely a general guide, and portion sizes will need to be adapted to suit your daily routine. You must eat a variety of different meats/fish, complex carbohydrates, fruit and vegetables every day, and drink plenty of water.