Kelsey HigginsonSports Nutrition Coach and Founder at Clutch Day Coaching

What to eat on gamedays!

27 Jul 2026 · 1 min

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1:03

In this solo nutrition guide, Kelsey Higginson outlines her "4-2-1-0 Clutch Day" protocol for athletes with a game at 5 PM. She breaks down what to eat and drink at each key time point: 4 hours before (a high‑carb, protein‑rich chicken‑rice bowl with fruit), 2 hours before (a high‑carb snack like a banana and granola bar), 1 hour before (12‑16 oz of fluids with electrolytes), during the game (carbs, fluids, electrolytes from applesauce and a sports drink), and 1 hour post‑game (a substantial refuel with carbs, fats, and protein such as steak and potatoes, bread, fruit, chocolate milk, or a burger and fries). She explains the rationale—maintaining energy stores, preventing hunger, supporting muscle recovery, and rehydration—while emphasizing easy digestion and balanced macronutrients.

Chapters

If I was your nutrition coach and I knew you had a game at 5 PM, here's everything I'd have you be eating starting 4 hours before your game. This is my 4-2-1-0 Clutch Day protocol. Starting 4 hours before the game, 1 PM if it's a 5 PM game, I would have the athlete eating a chicken rice bowl with fruit. This is going to give high amount of carbs. It's going to be easy to digest, and it's also going to give them protein to keep them fuller longer and give their muscles the building blocks that they need to stay healthy and strong. 2 hours before the game, 3 PM at this point, I would have them have a high carb snack. This is going to top off their energy stores to make it so they're not feeling hungry during the game and they're not lacking energy during the game. This could be like a banana and a granola bar. 1 hour before the game, so about 4 PM-ish, I'd have them drink 12 to 16 ounces of fluids plus some electrolytes, especially if they were a heavy sweater. During the game, we want to make sure that we're giving them carbs, fluids, and electrolytes. This is going to come from applesauce and a sports drink. 1 hour post-game, we want to make sure that they're refueling their body, eating carbs, fats, protein, a good heavy meal. This could be steak and potatoes, bread, fruit, and chocolate milk, or you can even go get a burger and fries and enjoy that too.