Porridge with apricots and honey
The slow release carbs in the porridge and apricots will ensure you cover every blade of grass on the pitch. Serve with a glass of apple juice; rich in antioxidants and fast release sugars, it will give you a short, sharp burst of energy early in the morning. This breakfast is particularly useful if you have a lunchtime kick-off.
Beetroot, chicken and potato salad
As your pre-match meal, it’s probably the most important meal of the week. And it won’t let you down: with energy boosting carbohydrates from the potatoes, you’ll be running well into injury-time while the nitric oxide in the beetroot will help feed oxygen into your muscles, helping stave off cramp in the latter stages of a match.
Chilli con carne
What better way to recover (and reward yourself) after the first match of the season than with a hearty bowl of chilli. Bursting with spices such as cumin, cayenne pepper and cinnamon, chilli will crank up your metabolic rate while kidney beans and low-fat mince will fill your aching muscles with the protein you need to recover from your earlier efforts on the pitch. A fitting end to a good day.
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