Tournament meal

[cyrex]

Food tips

Great input so far. Trail mix/peanuts and fruit for a sugar rush is definitely worth trying out. I don't want to get weighted down with 'fatty' foods or overload on empty carbs. Maybe an early (lunch) meal of carbs/pasta and then and early light dinner then snacks the rest of the way.

It does suck to play for 5 hours only to lose because you're completely out of energy or you lose focus because of the grumbling from your stomach.

 

[9 on the snap]

Draft Budweiser, Wings, Pizza Pie.

 

[James]

A lot of the advice in this thread is just awful, strictly from a nutritional standpoint...

After a few hours of playing, I'd bet that the vast majority of you are dehydrated. The average person is usually under hydrated as it is, and if you're drinking soda or beer during the tourney that will just make things worse. At that point, if you go for all these high sodium foods being suggested (nuts, pre-made trail mixes, etc. etc.) you're just compounding the problem.

Whether you realize it or not, hydration is one of the significant contributors to how you "feel" i.e. tired, sluggish, etc.

I have fasted for 7 days, more than once. Meaning NOTHING but water. Not even toothpaste I wasn't ready to run a marathon, but the feeling is very managable.

Conversely, if I go one day without water, I will be completely incapacitated.

Now, I don't want to sound boring. I'm a micro-brew lover and drink with the best of them. But that's not what you need during a tournament when you want lasting focus and energy.

Stay hydrated, lay off the high sodium foods, snack smart (fruit is a great option)

Another suggestion would be to avoid any sort of large meal, especially since you'll likely eat it too fast. This huge caloric intake and the resulting spike in your insulin aren't going to do anything good for your energy and focus.

Hope that helps.

-J

edit: For those who want a simple pre-packed snack and don't feel like dealing with fruit (not the most practical snack to bring, I know), I'd suggest Clif bars. Cheap, readily available, relatively healthy and available in a variety of delicious flavors! (They're also all organic and vegan, although I'm betting most here could care less ) I have a few in my desk drawer here for times I'm working late.

 

[Str8PoolMan]

Straight from the Pro's...

Luther Lassiter recommends hamburgers. Lots of hamburgers.

 

[Bigtruck]

Oh Yeah!!!

A lot of the advice in this thread is just awful, strictly from a nutritional standpoint...

After a few hours of playing, I'd bet that the vast majority of you are dehydrated. The average person is usually under hydrated as it is, and if you're drinking soda or beer during the tourney that will just make things worse. At that point, if you go for all these high sodium foods being suggested (nuts, pre-made trail mixes, etc. etc.) you're just compounding the problem.

Whether you realize it or not, hydration is one of the significant contributors to how you "feel" i.e. tired, sluggish, etc.

I have fasted for 7 days, more than once. Meaning NOTHING but water. Not even toothpaste I wasn't ready to run a marathon, but the feeling is very managable.

Conversely, if I go one day without water, I will be completely incapacitated.

Now, I don't want to sound boring. I'm a micro-brew lover and drink with the best of them. But that's not what you need during a tournament when you want lasting focus and energy.

Stay hydrated, lay off the high sodium foods, snack smart (fruit is a great option)

Another suggestion would be to avoid any sort of large meal, especially since you'll likely eat it too fast. This huge caloric intake and the resulting spike in your insulin aren't going to do anything good for your energy and focus.

Hope that helps.

-J

edit: For those who want a simple pre-packed snack and don't feel like dealing with fruit (not the most practical snack to bring, I know), I'd suggest Clif bars. Cheap, readily available, relatively healthy and available in a variety of delicious flavors! (They're also all organic and vegan, although I'm betting most here could care less ) I have a few in my desk drawer here for times I'm working late.

Clif bars are excellent!! I might have to dust off the ole Cannondale!!