With the season winding down, some athletes have started to look ahead to what the summer months may hold. It’s easy to put nutrition on the back burner…but now is actually a GREAT time to focus on nutrition!

Why? The off-season is an excellent time to try new things. You can put together some new pre-game meals and test them out without worrying about your energy levels during a game or you can make some post-game recovery snacks and see how they make your body feel.

The most important factor to think about is your off-season activity:

Are you continuing the same training you’ve been doing all year?
If this is the case, you’ll want to keep doing what works for you. This means eating the same amount of food that you’ve been eating throughout the season to keep your performance on point.

More nutrition tips:

• Timing Your Pre-Game Meal for Ultimate Performance
• Carb-Loading - What's the Deal?
• Smoothies: Your New Secret Weapon
• The Best Hydration Options for Recovery and Growth
• Top Five Power Foods You Can Grab on the Go

Are you doing more/different activities?
If you find the activity you choose in the off-season is challenging you in different ways, you may need to change up your diet. This could mean more hydration, or a change in your food intake. If you’re doing more cardio than you would in the regular season, you’ll need more food to fuel your body. If the sport you’ve chosen is less physically demanding, you can decrease the amount of food but it all depends on your total activity. See how you feel, and how you perform. You still need all the nutrients like carbohydrates, protein, and fat, you just may need them in different amounts.

Are you taking a bit of a break?
Totally understandable! You play hockey for most of the year and you want some time off. This means being careful about your nutrition needs. If you’re not being as active, you need to modify your fuel intake to reflect the difference in your activity. Listen to your body!

My recommendations in the off season are to keep things simple and focus on two main categories: Hydration and eating real, whole foods.

If you practice proper nutrition, you’ll be ready to go when the regular season begins. Don’t let go of all the hard work you’ve put in all season. Be realistic, have fun, but also remember that for ultimate performance in any season, fuelling your body properly will always give you that extra edge.

When it comes to fuelling for performance, eggs are one of my favourite foods. They can be eaten for pre-game meals as the body digests them faster than other meat based proteins, and they are excellent (eggcellent?) for post-game recovery because they contain 6 grams of protein each which help muscles recover and repair.

I love eggs and toast for breakfast or pre-game, egg salad for on the road, or my favourite for the whole family, Breakfast Burritos!!

You can follow exactly how I make mine, or customize them for your favourite fillings. Just don’t forget the eggs!

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BREAKFAST EGG BURRITO

Ingredients:

• Whole wheat tortilla
• 2 eggs, scrambled
• 2 tbsp black beans
• 2 tbsp shredded cheese
• Handful baby spinach
• 1 tbsp sliced red onions
• 1 tbsp sliced red peppers
• 2 tbsp salsa
• Other options: 1 slice tomato, 1/4 avocado, sliced, ham slices, hot sauce, etc.

Directions:

• Scramble the eggs with a bit of salt and pepper and place on top of the tortilla.
• Add all of the other ingredients or customize to make it your own.
• Wrap up the tortilla and enjoy!