Nutrition hints and tips for galas

Pre-gala meal:

• There is no magic meal you can eat before a competition to ensure that you win.

• There are some guidelines you can follow to enhance your performance.

• The pre-event meal should be familiar - this is not the time for experiments.

• Don't eat anything that gives you indigestion or makes you feel bloated.

• Your pre-event meal should be light and easy to digest, but contain enough food to satisfy your hunger and prevent weakness when you compete.

• It is advisable that you eat a minimal amount of fat as it is difficult to digest.

• You do not want your body diverting blood supply to your stomach when you need the blood for your muscles.

• Some pre-event meals could be:
  - Breakfast cereals and low fat milk.
  - Fruit and fruit juices.
  - Bread, toast, pancakes, crumpets, muffins.
  - Banana, honey.
  - Rice, pasta/noodles, potatoes with low fat sauces.

Eating during the gala:

• At galas you are required to compete several times during the day.

• Your priority is to replace fluids and top up your glucose levels between events.

• If you have 2 -3 hours between events you can eat solid food as well as liquids.

• Solid foods will not only restore glucose levels, they will also prevent you being distracted by hunger pangs.

• If there is too little time to eat and digest food properly between events, your priority must be fluids.

• Fluids containing carbohydrates, such as sports drinks, can also replenish some of your carbohydrate losses and prevent dehydration.

• Some suitable recovery snacks for rapid replenishment are:
  - Jelly Beans.
  - Ripe Bananas.
  - Honey Sandwich.
  - Rice cakes with honey.
  - Sports drinks.
  - Potatoes.
  - Muffins with jam/low fat cheese.

• Other healthy snacks for galas are:
  - Muesli bars/ Cereal bars.
  - Fruit.
  - Provita Biscuits.
  - Health rusks.
  - Rolls with tuna.
  - Raw vegetables with cottage cheese.
  - Popcorn.
  - Biltong in small quantities.
  - Pretzels.