Let’s face it.
Basketball is a fast-moving, physical, and intense game that requires the right proportion of energy for optimal performance.
Hence, what you eat before a game can affect your performance level on the court.
You can feel like a trailer load of junk when you eat the wrong food in excess. Or worse, you feel too light like a floating paper around the court because of the inadequate meal you previously had.
But, here’s the deal.
You can improve your game performance on the court by eating the right food, in the right proportion, before every game.
In this post, we’ll be suggesting some great meals you can eat before every game—tested and working. The right proportion to eat and the right time to have them.
Here are 6 things we suggest you can eat before hitting the court for a game. You don’t have to watch the food network channel to have these meals on your plate. They are all easy to prepare.
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1. Eggs with Low-Fat Cheese, Wheat Toast, and Apple Juice
Why This Meal:
Having eggs in your meal is a great way to eat, not only a decent quantity of protein, but food with rich vitamins and minerals. They are part of the nutrients your body should have during a game. These nutrients help to generate more blood supply as you run up and down the court.
Particularly, don’t neglect your egg yolk. That’s where all the nutrients hide.
The cheese helps to boost the protein level. The wheat toast balances the diet with the right quantity of carbs your body requires. The apple juice is a great supplement to the meal.
Quantity of Food to Eat According to Your Body Weight:
150–200lbs
2 slices of whole-wheat toast
Half cup of low-fat cheese
2 large eggs (cooked or fried)
1 cup of fresh Apple juice
200–250lbs
3 slices of whole-wheat toast
2 cups of low-fat cheese
4 large eggs (cooked or fried)
1 cup of fresh Apple juice
2. Pasta with Sliced Tomatoes, Garlic, and Turkey Breast with Red Pepper
Why This Meal:
If you can get the turkey breast roasted, it would be a nice source of protein with less or no cholesterol. Better still, you can grill it and garnish it with some red pepper, tomatoes, and garlic. After that, you cook your pasta.
The Pasta brings sufficient carbs and energy while combining the turkey’s quality proteins. This meal will definitely keep you in high spirit and energized throughout the game with the nutrients from the garlic preserving your immunity.
Quantity of Food to Eat According to Your Body Weight:
150-200lbs
3 oz of roasted turkey breast with garlic and tomatoes (as much as you desire)
10 oz of cooked pasta
200–250lbs
4 oz of roasted turkey breast with garlic and tomatoes (as much as you can consume)
14 oz of cooked pasta
3. Sweet Potatoes, Green Salad, Roasted Chicken Breast, and Asparagus
Why This Meal:
With the roasted chicken, you can be sure you won’t be losing any muscle while playing for long hours on the court. Why? Chicken has about 20 percent of protein for every 100g.
The reason why you should roast the chicken is to avoid unnecessary cholesterol. Rather, you can add a bit of olive oil—which is healthy.
The Green salad and Asparagus are the frontiers of the micronutrients. The sweet potatoes are responsible for the carbs that give you energy.
Quantity of Food to Eat According to Your Body Weight:
150–200lbs
1oz of roasted chicken breast
2 cups of roasted sweet potatoes
Green salad and Asparagus (as much as you can consume)
200–250lbs
2 oz of roasted chicken breast
3 cups of roasted sweet potatoes
Green salad and Asparagus (as much as you can consume)
4. Almonds, Protein Shake, and Bananas
Why This Meal:
If you don’t want to spend cooking time before you play a game, this meal will be the perfect option.
The best part:
These three foods will do a great job in keeping you super energized before you play any basketball game. Almonds are a great source of energy and quality source of fats and oil.
Bananas are rich in vitamins B6, B12, Magnesium, Potassium, and carbohydrates. There’s no way you won’t stay energized for hours with this meal. Plus, the protein shake is a great substitute for meat.
Quantity of Food to Eat According to Your Body Weight:
150–200lbs
2 mid-sized bananas
1.5 scoop of protein shake
0.5 cup of whole almonds
200–250lbs
3 mid-sized bananas
2 scoops of protein shake
0.65 cup of whole almonds
5. Rice, Broccoli, Lean Beef with Orange Juice
Why This Meal:
This meal is one of the most beneficial and simplest foods for a basketball player. Most people believe it’s a power steamer and the perfect classic bodybuilder meal.
But, there’s more.
The lean beef is one of the best protein sources you can get in the market. And the rice! Oh! The rice! It’s the perfect carb to keep you pumped up throughout the game as you shoot your layups.
That’s not all. Adding broccoli to the combo is the icing on the cake with the orange juice leading the way to your tummy. That way, the food becomes healthier.
Quantity of Food to Eat According to Your Body Weight:
150–200lbs
8 oz of Lean steak
3 cups of cooked basmati rice
Orange juice and Broccoli (As much as you can consume)
200-250lbs
10 oz of Lean steak
3.5 cups of cooked basmati rice
Orange juice and Broccoli (As much as you can consume)
6. Mixed Fruits, Protein Bar, and Greek Yogurt
Why This Meal:
This meal is my favorite. I regularly have this one before going for any game I play. The Greek yogurt meal isn’t just cheap, but it’s nutritious and tasty.
Combining the Greek Yoghurt, a protein bar, and mixed fruit is the perfect diary diet for every great game. The yogurt has no sugar, but it has got 20g of protein.
You can’t go wrong with the protein bar complemented with the mixed fruits. It helps to keep the macronutrient balance of your body in check.
Quantity of Food to Eat According to Your Body Weight:
150 – 200lbs
11 oz of Greek Yoghurt
1.5 cup of mixed fruit
1.5 bars of a protein bar
200 – 250lbs
13 oz of Greek Yoghurt
2.5 cups of mixed fruit
2 bars of a protein bar
Bonus—What Fluids Should You Drink Before a Basketball Game?
Water! Water!! Water!!! I can’t overemphasize. It’s common sense. Your body contains at least 70 percent of water. Hence, do the math.
Let your food – water ratio be 30% food and 70% for the water you take before the game.
Over the years, we see dehydration threatening the performance and endurance level of athletes. Unfortunately, many basketball players don’t take this seriously until it’s too late.
Here’s what to do.
Ensure you drink at least 15–20oz of water within 2–3 hours before you hit the court.
Perks of a Pre-Game Meal
Apart from the evident perks, like improved performance and health, the right meal before a game can do a lot. It can help save your muscles in the court and boost your recovery after the game.
How Long Before a Basketball Game Should I Eat?
It’s detrimental to feel bloated because of the excess food you ate before going for your game. It could lead to low performance and fatigue.
So, what do you do? Eat carbs about 3-4 hours before the game and proteins 5–7 hours before the game. The purpose is for your food to digest early before your game. Don’t worry; all the nutrients and energy you garnered from your last meal will still be present.
Closing Words
Now, it’s all up to you. All you need to do is start today—by adhering to all the six food recommendations we showed you in this post. Plus, it’s crucial to go for the right food proportion for your body mass. Also, don’t forget! Water is essentially important.
What meal do you take before every basketball game? Do you see your favorite in this post? Are there other meals you think aren’t here? Share your thoughts and comments.
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