There is a popular saying that you are what you eat. Nutritionists and medical health professionals have said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
Some people even believe that a good breakfast can keep you filled for the whole day. This is just speculation and not a proven theory. Not having breakfast is very detrimental to your physical and mental health.
Many pro soccer players understand this and that is why they don’t joke with their breakfast. Most of them methodically follow through with the advice of their dietician concerning what, when, and how to eat breakfast and probably other meals for the day.
A daily healthy breakfast can adequately manage a pro soccer player’s weight and general well-being. Eating properly in the morning before starting your day is a habit that every soccer player must imbibe and not just pro soccer players.
No matter how in a hurry you are to go out in the morning, you must dedicate a minimum of 10 minutes of your time to taking a healthy meal into your system.
Humans are not much different from vehicles, the quality of fuel/food we put into our system greatly affects our functionality.
If you are working your way towards becoming a pro soccer player, you may have been doing it wrongly. What you eat may just be the beginning of it all. Today, we will tell you all about pro soccer players’ breakfast—and why you should copy them.
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What do pro soccer players eat for breakfast?
Breakfast shouldn’t be complex and tedious to prepare like some other meals eaten during lunch and dinner. Simple foods like hard-boiled eggs, fresh fruits, whole-grain bread, oatmeal, and low-fat cheese can be combined in creative ways for breakfast.
Breakfast, like the name implies, breaks the long overnight fasting period by replenishing the body with the essential nutrients to get you up and kicking. Whatever you eat for breakfast will always affect how you function through that day.
Pro soccer players oftentimes have their training and serious engagements in the mornings which is why their meals must fit well into their tight schedules. Aside from nurturing your health, good food can also affect your looks, energy levels, concentration, and mood.
Medical studies also show that eating a healthy breakfast daily can reduce the risk of contracting heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Professional soccer players don’t usually eat breakfast like regular people, their breakfast is segmented into three parts or meal partitions. We will be showing you a detailed example below of how soccer players eat breakfast.
First Meal – A short while after waking up
This meal can include one pint of tepid water containing fresh lemon fruit juice, one small bottle of fresh yogurt, and two small slices of dark chocolate with high cocoa content.
Last update on 2023-11-10 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Professional soccer players usually start their day with this first meal to get their body systems activated as well as boost their metabolism. Improved metabolism helps the body to break down food properly to release the needed nutrients and energy.
Players take fresh yogurt in the morning after waking up because it is a probiotic drink containing healthy bacteria that ensures the proper digestion of food.
The tepid water with lemon juice also works like fresh yogurt. It revs up your metabolism. Since the lemon juice is mixed with warm water, the body absorbs it faster and utilizes it without wasting much time.
The lemon and tepid water concoction also have a purging effect on the stomach and intestines. Therefore, cleansing the body of useless rubbish that might harm you in the long run.
The slices of dark chocolate have numerous health benefits aside from having a soothing taste and making you feel happy. Make sure the slices are small in portion and avoid eating the whole bar, no matter how tempting it might be.
Putting this meal together doesn’t take time at all, aside from squeezing the lemon juice into the tepid water which you can easily do with an affordable kitchen accessory called the lemon squeezer. Make sure you eat this meal before taking your bath.
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Last update on 2023-11-11 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
There are many more foods that a soccer player can take before practice. We listed all of them here.
Second Meal – Proper breakfast (30 minutes after the first meal)
For this meal, you can either take porridge with honey or two toasted brown bread slices with peanut butter or almond spread. Professional soccer players usually take this kind of breakfast because it provides enough energy to get them through morning training.
Carbohydrate foods are usually broken down by the body into glycogen which stimulates the muscles and gives professional soccer players enough gusto to carry out demanding activities.
Brown bread is better than white bread because it doesn’t contain unhealthy additives and is also a good source of carbohydrates. The almond or peanut butter spread is a slow-releasing energy source.
Porridge is also a very good source of carbs, and most important of all, it is filling, contains lower cholesterol levels, and has a bit of protein which is very good for soccer players. As you know, protein is necessary for the building and repair of body tissues.
What makes this meal unique and suitable for professional soccer players is that it is easy to prepare, contains the right amount of carbohydrates to generate energy, and is very light.
Last update on 2023-11-11 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Third Meal – Snacks (after taking breakfast)
Since pro soccer players do a lot of energy-draining activities and drills during morning training, there is always the possibility that they will eventually get hungry again during or after training.
In this circumstance, professional soccer players often turn to a cheeky bag of chips, crisps, nuts, bananas, apples, carrots, chocolate bars, doughnuts, etc. to boost their energy level. Boosting energy levels is also one of the reasons why soccer players take orange slices at halftime during competitive games.
This third meal must be consumed in moderation since they are only used as supplements and not proper meals. Overfeeding on chocolate bars can make you hyperactive while too many chips, doughnuts, and crisps can make you dizzy.
Also, it is easy to become addicted to snacking which can eventually cause you to add weight. Nevertheless, for soccer players struggling to lose body fat, we have all the answers here.
Last update on 2023-11-11 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Reasons why pro soccer players eat breakfast
Our research shows that some groups of soccer players are more likely to miss breakfast more frequently than others. The group of soccer players that often skip breakfast include;
- Older female players
- Players from lower-income households
- Underweight or overweight players
- Players with bad diet habits
- Players who wake up very late in the morning
- Players observing religious or cultural fasts
In case you intend to become a professional soccer player and you are fond of missing breakfasts due to one or more of the above-mentioned reasons, below are factual positive effects breakfast has on pro soccer players you should know about.
- Breakfast prevents cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and overweight
- Improves memory
- Prevents mood swings
- Increases endurance, strength, and energy levels
- Improves productivity and concentration
- Reduces cravings, starvation, and overeating
- Stabilizes blood sugar levels
- Boosts body metabolism
Now that you know what you are missing every time you skip breakfast, it is time to change your habit.
On matchdays, you must endeavor not to skip breakfast because it is very important if you intend to play effectively. You must try to have your breakfast 2 to 3 hours before the match starts.
Conclusion
Pro soccer players who still desire to remain relevant hardly miss breakfast because they understand its significance to their overall performance on the pitch.
To be the best in something, we often have to copy from those that have excelled in that thing we want to become. That is why we have mentors, right?
As an amateur soccer player, you have to look up to pro soccer players and learn from them—and that includes adopting their breakfast routine.
Long commutes, late nights, and very busy mornings shouldn’t stop you from sitting down for breakfast. You will always find time for anything as soon as you make it your priority.
You can prepare and refrigerate your breakfast at night. That way, you wouldn’t spend much time preparing a fresh breakfast in the morning.
Hi there, I’m Jay.
Soccer is everything in my life! My friends and I have created this blog with all our enthusiasm, passion, and understanding after years of playing pro soccer. Hope you will enjoy it!