16 Best Snacks for Footballers:
As a footballer, you are constantly training and working hard, which means you’re burning a lot of calories.
If you want to feel and perform your best, you need to refuel yourself so you can perform and recover properly.
I am sure you also have quite a big appetite.
I know this from first-hand…
I’ve been called the “garbage dump” at family dinners.
People think they can just dump their leftovers on my plate and I will eat them..
I usually do anyways 🙂
With a big appetite comes eating often and sometimes a lot (obviously, dependent on your goals).
Tailor Your Meals/Snacks to Your Goals & Preferences:
This is also dependent on the type of eater you are..
Some people like 5-6 small meals, and some people like to have 3 big meals and 2-3 small snacks.
I like the latter.
I would rather have 3 bigger meals and eat snacks when I’m hungry or if I feel like I need extra fuel.
Personally, I advise most of my clients to have 3 bigger/solid meals per day and then have 1-3 snacks based on their training load and hunger levels.
As I always say, you need to try things out and find what truly works for you.
Why Snacks are Very Useful:
Snacks are also something that you can and should incorporate into your diet when you are on the road and/or need a convenience food.
Unfortunately, you won’t always be able to cook at home (even though that’s the goal), therefore, you should have a couple of “staple” snacks in your arsenal that you know will make you feel and perform well.
Fit Them Into Your Macros:
Obviously, if you are counting calories, you’ll have to fit them into your “macros.”
Snacks should be used as a tool based on your hunger level.
Snacks can be used to quell hunger and fuel your training.
What’s Better; A Snack or Meal?
In general, if you are hungry and you will train in about 3-4 hours, I recommend going for a bigger meal.
If you are about to train within 60-90 minutes, I would advise having a light snack that’s quick to digest and will give you quick fuel to have on board for your session.
Here are 16 of the Best Snacks that You Can Enjoy as a Footballer:
I will say it once again (until I’m blue in the face :)), base your portion sizes on your goals and activity levels.
1.Greek Yogurt with Fruit, Raw Honey & Some Nuts.
-You can go for Greek, Bulgarian or Turkish yogurt. I would recommend getting it unflavored without any added sugar.
-You can add some berries, 100% raw honey and your favorite nuts of choice for a bit of sweetness and crunch.
-If you are sensitive to dairy, I would test this out and see how it makes you feel at nighttime before bed or on an off-day when you aren’t training so intensely. It may bother you and make you feel “heavy” or it might make you feel good.
-As I always say, the most important thing is finding what works for you and testing things out.
-This is also an excellent nighttime snack because the protein within the yogurt is called casein protein, which is slow digesting, so it will refuel and recover your muscles as you sleep.
2. Protein Shake:
-This is simple and easy.
-Find your favorite protein shake that digests well for you and have this at any time you feel a little bit hungry and you want a convenient protein boost.
-I like Vegan Protein (Sun Warrior is my favorite, even though I still haven’t received. sponsor) because whey tends to give me a bit of a stomachache.
-But, you need to find what works for you and makes you feel best.
-Obviously, real food is always better, but this is convenient and provides you a nice boost of protein to help your body recover.
-You have a couple of options…
-You can either make it on the road with some water, or unsweetened almond milk. Even better would be to make your own smoothie with fruits and some spinach.
3. Cottage Cheese with Fruit, Raw Honey & some nuts.
-When you pick a cottage cheese, go for the highest quality and the one that has the most amount of protein.
-Eat nuts like almonds, walnuts, cashews, pecans, etc.
-Add fruits of your choice, and some 100% Raw Honey for a nice snack.
4. Apple or Banana with Nut Butter:
-Also, another very good snack that provides you with a high-quality complex carbohydrate and high-quality fat.
-When buying nut butter; I would advise going for almond butter instead of peanut butter because it’s much more nutritious. But, peanut butter is also okay..
-Be careful of your portion sizes with nut butter as it’s very easy to eat over your calories, especially if you’re trying to lose weight.
-If you’re not a fan of almond butter, go for 100% Organic Peanut Butter.
5. Beef/Turkey Jerky:
-High quality snack that provides you with a lot of protein for a small number of calories.
-Try your best to go for something organic and/or grass fed.
-I wouldn’t eat this more than 2-3x per week due to the high level of nitrates and preservatives. Though, occasionally, it should be fine, and will give you a nice protein boost.
6. Hardboiled Eggs:
-Eggs are some of the healthiest foods’ to eat on the planet.
-Eggs provide you with high-quality protein and high-quality fat.
-They are rich in Choline, which is very good for your brain.
-They are also high in Vitamin A, Vitamin D, B12 and all 9 Essential Amino Acids.
-If you choose high quality eggs, you will also get Omega 3’s, which are very good for your heart and brain.
Do your best to go for Organic-Cage Free Eggs.
7.Sardines with Rice Cakes
-I understand, you may think they are disgusting, but they actually taste pretty good, and you can acquire a nice taste for them.
-Sardines are one of the healthiest fish as they provide a very high content of high-quality Omega 3’s which are super beneficial for brain health, heart health and immune function, and are also anti-inflammatory; which is crucial if you’re going to be pushing yourself and training hard.
8.Chia Seed Pudding with Fruit
-Chia seeds are highly nutritious as they re loaded with antioxidants.
-They are also packed with fiber which is very important for your digestion and the health of your gut.
-Chia seed pudding takes about 2-3 minutes to whip up and then all you have to do is store it in the fridge for a couple of hours.
-When ready to eat, top it with some fruit.
9.Vegetables with Hummus:
-Vegetables provide you with a nice hit of micronutrients and high-quality hummus will provide you with a good amount of protein and high-quality fat.
-As always, go for the highest quality hummus you can find. Pro Tip: if you can find it within a Middle Eastern shop, it will be 1000x better than any store bought hummus.
10.Natural Protein Bars
-If you’re in the US; I like RX Bars or Raw Bites.
-Also, in Scandinavia, I like “Raw Bites’ or they have versions of RX Bars.
-Basically, you have to look for bars with very simple ingredients and no extra additives or sugars.
-This provides you with as many “whole foods” as within a convenient bar.
-As you will see, most of them are made up of dates, nuts, raisins, and if you’re lucky, a little bit of protein.
11.Handful of Nuts:
-As mentioned above, nuts are an excellent snack as serve as a high-quality fat to your diet.
-Try your best to go for unsalted and un-roasted nuts as that provides you the most natural hit, and you won’t have any additional oils or additives.
-I’m a big fan of snacking on pistachios 🙂
12. Canned Salmon with Rice Cakes:
-Salmon is a high-quality protein and fat.
-Obviously, it would be better to have fresh salmon, but if you’re on the road and you’re looking for convenience, salmon is a great option.
-Spread them on some 100% Rice Cakes. Look for Brown Rice, Buckwheat, etc. They will provide you with a high-quality complex carbohydrate.
13. Piece of Fruit:
-Fruit provides you with an excellent source of vitamins and minerals and some great complex carbohydrates to fuel you through your training.
This is best combined with a high-quality protein or high-quality fat, but if you have none of that around; fruit is an excellent choice.
14. Dates with some nuts:
-Dates are a high-quality carbohydrate that provides you with a ton of minerals, and digests very quickly.
-I like eating these 30-90 minutes before a training or a game to get a quick hit of energy and quell my hunger.
15. Rice Cakes with Nut Butter:
-High quality carbohydrate with a high-quality fat.
-Like I mentioned above, when buying a nut butter, go for 100% Organic and the most natural possible.
16. Homemade Trail Mix:
-If you’re a trail mix fan, I highly advise you making your own trail mix instead of buying the store-bought trail mix.
-Add some raisins, maybe some dark chocolate chips, cranberries, etc.
-I would make it mostly comprised of nuts and sprinkle in the rest of the goodies.
I hope this list provides you with some ideas and some context on the best snacks for footballers.
The most important thing is always looking for the highest quality ingredients possible. The higher the quality of the food, the better you will feel after eating it.
Also, make sure you tailor the portion sizes based on your goals.
Quick Reminder:
-If you are looking to gain weight, you need to be in a caloric surplus (eat more calories than you burn).
-If you are looking to lose weight, you need to be in a caloric deficit (eat less calories than you burn).
If you want to check out the YouTube video where I talk about this, check the video below:
If you have any specific questions, be sure to reach out via email:
efriedlander94@gmail.com
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