Baseball Meal Plans

RT STAFF NOTE: This is a great follow-up to his tremendous baseball Nutrition series from Jon Doyles great web site, baseballtrainingsecrets.com. Andrew McInroy is a highly-sought after consultant who works with numerous amateur and professional-level athletes and will make this whole nutrition thing very clear - once and for all. Enjoy!

By Andrew McInroy
As always, this is not to be used as medical advice. The following information is to be used for informational purposes only. Always speak with your doctor or healthcare physician before beginning and nutritional or supplement program.

Sample Meals

EXAMPLE: Off-Season

Name: Dave
Weight: 185 lbs
Sport: Baseball
Seasons: Off-Season
Goal: Add muscle and strength
Calories: 3515 cals
Protein: 277.5 g (1110 cals)
Fat: 78.11 g (703 cals)
Carbohydrates: 425.5 g (1702 cals)
Meals Per Day: 6

Off-Season Nutrition: This is the season where you want to add rock hard muscle, recover, and prepare to be bigger, stronger, and faster for your next season. During this season, you will have time to prepare meals as opposed to your other seasons where you are on the go constantly with school and baseball. From a nutrition stand point, you will eat above maintenance calories to bulk up.

7 AM: Meal 1 / Breakfast
Oatmeal - 3/4 Cup
1 Large Banana (Can slice into Oatmeal for extra flavor)
1 Cup of Egg Whites + 2 Whole eggs
1 Fish Oil Pill

10 AM: Meal 2
Tuna Sandwich - 1 Can of Tuna + 2 Whole Wheat Bread Slices
1 Slice of Whole Wheat Bread Toasted with 0.5 TBS of All Natural Peanut Butter
1 Cup of Spinach

12:00 PM: Meal 3 - Pre-workout meal
Protein Shake: 1.25 Cups of Oats + 1 Scoop of Whey Protein
1 Fish Oil Pill

3:00 PM: Meal 4 - Post-workout meal
1 Banana
Protein Shake: 1 Cup of oats + 2 Scoops of Whey Protein

6:00 PM: Meal 5 / Supper
Chicken and Whole Wheat Spaghetti (2 Cups of Whole Wheat Spaghetti + 1 Whole Chicken Breast cut into Spaghetti Sauce)

10:00 PM: Meal 6 / Night Time Nutrition
Cottage Cheese - 1 Cup
Natural Peanut Butter - 1 Table Spoon
Spinach - 1 Cup
1 Fish Oil Pill

EXAMPLE: In-Season

Name: Dave
Weight: 185 lbs
Sport: Baseball
Seasons: In-Season
Goal: Maintain Muscle and Strength
Calories: 3000
Protein: 277.5 g (1110 cals)
Fat: 66.66 g (600 cals)
Carbohydrates: 322.5 g (1290 cals)
Meals Per Day: 6

In-Season Nutrition: This is the time where you will want to maintain what you have achieved during Off-Season and with your busy schedule with school and baseball, you will want to have a more convenient method of eating. Nutritionally, your calories will be less than Off-Season because right now you are just maintaining what you have.

7:00 AM - Meal 1 / Breakfast
Oatmeal - 0.5 Cup
1 Banana
1 Cup of Egg Whites + 1 Whole Egg
1 Fish Oil Pill

10:00 AM - Meal 2 / School Snack
Protein Shake: 0.5 Cup Large Flake Oats + 1 Scoop Whey Protein + 1 Table Spoon of Peanut Butter

12:00 PM - Meal 3 / School Lunch
Tuna Sandwich - 1 Can of Tuna + 2 Whole Wheat Bread Slices
1 Slice of Whole Wheat Bread Toasted with 0.5 TBS of All Natural Peanut Butter

3:00 PM - Meal 4 / After School SnackBanana
Protein Shake: 2 Scoops of Whey Protein + 0.5 Cup of Oats

6:00 PM - Meal 5 / Supper
Chicken and Whole Wheat Spaghetti (2 Cups of Whole Wheat Spaghetti + 1 Whole Chicken Breast cut into Spaghetti Sauce)

10:00 PM: Meal 6 / Night Time Nutrition
Cottage Cheese - 1 Cup
Natural Peanut Butter - 1 Table Spoon
Spinach - 1 Cup
1 Fish Oil Pill

EXAMPLE: Game-Day

Name: Dave
Weight: 185 lbs
Sport: Baseball
Seasons: In-Season
Goal: Maintain Muscle and Strength
Calories: 3000+
Protein: 277.5 g (1110 cals)
Fat: 66.66 g (600 cals)
Carbohydrates: 322.5 g (1290 cals)+
Meals Per Day: 6

Game-Day Nutrition: Today is the day where you will want to be full of energy and you have to eat right to do this; carbohydrates will be the nutrient that we will manipulate. Before a game, you will want to have complex carbohydrates that will digest slowly to provide you with long lasting energy whereas during the game in the dugout and after the game, you will want to have fast digesting carbohydrates that will immediately replenish your energy stores. This is why there are '+' signs in the profile above and they indicate that there will be increased carbohydrates to accomplish these factors.

7:00 AM - Meal 1 / Breakfast
Oatmeal - 0.5 Cup
1 Banana
1 Cup of Egg Whites + 1 Whole Egg
1 Fish Oil Pill

10:00 AM - Meal 2 / School Snack
Protein Shake: 0.5 Cup Large Flake Oats + 1 Scoop Whey Protein + 1 Table Spoon of Peanut Butter

12:00 PM - Meal 3 / School Lunch
Tuna Sandwich - 1 Can of Tuna + 2 Whole Wheat Bread Slices
1 Slice of Whole Wheat Bread Toasted with 0.5 TBS of All Natural Peanut Butter

3:00 PM - Meal 4 / Pre-game meal
Protein Shake: 2 Scoops of Whey Protein + 0.75 Cup of Oats

During Game Nutrition
Sip on 50% Water / 50% Gatorade Solution

6:00 PM - Meal 5 / Post-game meal
Banana first thing you get home
Chicken and Whole Wheat Spaghetti (2 Cups of Whole Wheat Spaghetti + 1 Whole Chicken Breast cut into Spaghetti Sauce)

10:00 PM: Meal 6 / Night Time Nutrition
Cottage Cheese - 1 Cup
Natural Peanut Butter - 1 Table Spoon
Spinach - 1 Cup
1 Fish Oil Pill

TIPS / OTHER
- The point of a lot of these meals, such as the protein shakes, is for convenience. Some of it may not be enjoyable, but you got to do what you got to do to get your nutrients; let's face it, 6 meals in a day is a lot.

- For protein shakes, I suggest using a tall glass and measuring the appropriate amount of ingredients into each and then you can place a little sandwich bag over it and place it in your locker. When it comes time, just add water and it's good to go.

- Do not be obsessed with going over or under calories by a bit, just do your best to get your own meal plan done and try to stick to it.

- What is more important: Taste or Results?