What to eat before a hockey game (and after)
Good game-day eating is mostly about timing. Have a real meal a few hours before, a small snack closer to the game, water all day, and something with carbs and protein afterward. Here's how to plan a normal game, an early-morning game and a tournament weekend, with food from any grocery store.
This is general guidance for healthy players. If you have a food allergy, diabetes, celiac disease or another health need, ask your doctor or a registered dietitian for a plan that fits you.
The game-day timeline
| When | What | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 3 to 4 hours before | A full meal: plenty of carbs, some protein, low in fat | Pasta with tomato sauce and chicken, or a turkey sandwich with fruit and milk |
| 1 to 2 hours before | A lighter meal or snack, if the big meal was early or you're hungry | Half a bagel with peanut butter, yogurt and fruit, or cereal and milk |
| 30 to 60 minutes before | A small, easy snack, mostly carbs | A banana, a granola bar, applesauce or pretzels |
| During the game | Water on the bench and at every intermission | Your own water bottle, with your name on it |
| Within 30 minutes after | A snack with carbs and protein | Chocolate milk, a peanut butter sandwich, or yogurt with fruit |
| About 2 hours after | A full meal | Chicken, rice and vegetables, or pasta with meat sauce |
Why those times? A regular meal takes about three to four hours to digest, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, while a small snack is fine 30 minutes to an hour before you play.
The pre-game meal
Carbohydrates are your main fuel for hard, fast skating. Protein helps your muscles grow and recover. Fat takes longer to digest, so keep it low before you play. Build the plate like this:
- About half the plate: carbs. Pasta, rice, bread, potatoes, tortillas or noodles.
- A palm-sized portion of lean protein. Chicken, turkey, eggs, fish, lean beef or tofu.
- Some fruit or cooked vegetables.
- A drink. Water or milk.
Meals that work:
- Spaghetti with tomato sauce and a couple of meatballs, and an apple.
- Chicken and rice with cooked carrots.
- A turkey sandwich, a banana and a glass of milk.
- A chicken and rice burrito, light on the cheese and sour cream.
- For a midday game: pancakes or toast with eggs, fruit and a glass of juice.
Snacks closer to the game
Within an hour of the game, keep it small and simple: mostly carbs, low in fat and fiber, so your stomach is settled by your first shift. Good choices:
- A banana or orange slices
- A granola bar
- Applesauce or a fruit pouch
- Pretzels or crackers
- Half a bagel or a slice of toast with jam
- A small yogurt
If nerves kill your appetite, a few bites of something simple and some water are better than nothing. Stick to snacks you've already eaten before a practice and know sit well.
Early-morning games
A 7 a.m. puck drop doesn't leave room for a meal three hours ahead, so the night before matters more.
- Eat a good dinner the night before. Pasta, rice or potatoes with chicken and vegetables is a good template.
- Get breakfast ready before bed. Put the snack in your hockey bag or by the door.
- Eat something when you wake up. After a night's sleep your fuel is low, so don't skip it. With one to two hours to spare, try toast or a mini bagel with peanut butter, a banana, Greek yogurt, cereal with milk or a fruit smoothie. With less time, eat half and bring the rest for the drive.
- Drink a glass of water when you get up, and keep sipping on the way.
- Eat a proper breakfast after the game.
Tournament days with several games
At a tournament, refueling after one game is getting ready for the next. After every game, start with water and a recovery snack. Then plan around the time until the next game:
| Time until the next game | What to eat |
|---|---|
| Less than 1.5 hours | Quick, light carbs about 15 to 60 minutes before: fruit, pretzels, dry cereal, a jam sandwich or a granola bar |
| 1.5 to 3 hours | A bigger snack with carbs, some protein and a little fat: a peanut butter and banana sandwich, a turkey wrap, yogurt with fruit and granola, or cheese and crackers |
| More than 3 hours | A real meal, like the pre-game meal above |
A few more tournament tips:
- Pack food. Living on rink snack bars and fast food all weekend makes it hard to eat well.
- Eating out? Choose grilled over fried, and pasta, rice or sandwiches over burgers and fries. Some teams set up a team menu with a restaurant ahead of time.
- Keep sipping water between games, not just during them.
- Rest between games too. Ideas for the downtime are in tournament weekend fun.
Water first, sports drinks sometimes
The AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) says water, not sports or energy drinks, should be the main drink for kids and teens. You sweat in hockey gear, even in a cold rink.
- Before: drink water through the day, with a little extra in the few hours before the game.
- During: drink every 15 to 20 minutes. In hockey, that means sips on the bench and a real drink at every intermission. About half a cup (120 ml) every 15 minutes is a good guide.
- After: keep drinking to replace what you sweated out.
- Use your own bottle with your name on it.
When sports drinks make sense: for hard activity that lasts more than an hour, like a long practice, a tournament day or two games in a row. They replace carbs and salts along with water. For a normal one-hour game, water is usually enough. The AAP advises against drinking sports drinks as a habit, because the sugar adds calories and can wear down tooth enamel.
After the game
A hard game uses up the fuel stored in your muscles. Within about 30 minutes, have a snack with both carbs and protein, then a full meal about two hours later. Recovery snacks:
- A carton of chocolate milk
- A peanut butter sandwich
- Yogurt with fruit or granola
- A smoothie made with milk or yogurt
- Cheese and crackers with an apple
- A turkey and cheese wrap
For the meal, aim for about a quarter of the plate protein, half whole-grain carbs like brown rice or whole-wheat pasta, and a quarter vegetables or fruit. Keep drinking water. If you train at home on off days, the same habits apply; see hockey workouts at home.
What to avoid on game day
- Heavy, greasy food before you play. Burgers and fries, pizza, mac and cheese, fried chicken. Fat digests slowly, and a big greasy meal can leave you tired and sluggish. Save it for another day.
- Trying something new. Game day isn't the day to test a new food or a new restaurant. Eat what you know sits well, and try new things before a practice.
- Lots of sugar and soda. Candy, pastries and pop give you a quick spike and then a crash, and fizzy drinks can upset your stomach.
- Big servings of high-fiber food right before. Beans, bran cereal and big salads can cause stomach trouble during the game. They're great at other meals.
- Energy drinks. They contain caffeine and other stimulants. The AAP says energy drinks are "not appropriate for children and adolescents and should never be consumed." Energy drinks and sports drinks are very different products.
- Showing up hungry. Plan the day so you never arrive at the rink on an empty stomach.
A parent's cooler list
Keep anything perishable, like yogurt, cheese, meat and cut fruit, cold in a cooler with ice packs. Whole fruit, crackers and granola bars can ride in a bag.
- A water bottle for each player, with their name on it, plus spare water
- Ice packs
- Bananas, grapes, apple slices and orange slices
- Pretzels, crackers and dry cereal in small bags
- Granola bars
- Peanut butter and jam or banana sandwiches (if your team or rink is nut-free, use a seed butter)
- Yogurt tubes and string cheese
- Chocolate milk or plain milk
- Turkey and cheese wraps
- Cut vegetables and hummus, for after the game
- A few small sports drinks for long tournament days
- Wipes, napkins and a garbage bag
Supplements and special needs
You don't need special products. The AAP says most young athletes who eat a healthy, balanced diet don't need protein supplements. This guide doesn't recommend any supplement, powder or pill. If someone suggests one, talk to your doctor first.
See a doctor or a registered dietitian (some specialize in sports) if a player has allergies, diabetes, celiac disease or another condition, eats vegetarian or vegan and wants help planning, is always tired, or is losing weight without trying.
And while you're sitting around between games, Brudvig Hockey 2027 is a free 3-on-3 arcade hockey game that runs in a phone's browser, with no download.
Questions
How long before a hockey game should you eat?
Eat a full meal about 3 to 4 hours before the game. If you get hungry closer to game time, have a small, easy snack like a banana or a granola bar 30 to 60 minutes before.
What is a good snack right before a hockey game?
Something small, mostly carbs and low in fat that you know sits well: a banana, a granola bar, applesauce, pretzels, crackers or orange slices, with water.
What should I eat before an early morning hockey game?
Eat a good dinner the night before. In the morning, have something small 1 to 2 hours before, like toast or a bagel with peanut butter, a banana, yogurt, or cereal with milk, and drink water.
Are sports drinks good for hockey players?
For a normal one-hour game, water is usually enough. Sports drinks make sense for hard activity lasting more than an hour, like a tournament day. They are not the same as energy drinks.
What should you eat after a hockey game?
Within about 30 minutes, have a snack with carbs and protein, like chocolate milk, a peanut butter sandwich or yogurt with fruit. Eat a full meal about two hours later and keep drinking water.
Are energy drinks okay before a game?
No. The American Academy of Pediatrics says energy drinks are not appropriate for children and teens because of the caffeine and other stimulants in them. Drink water instead.