What Would YOU Eat At a Tourney?

[WildWillieWonderboy]

Tournaments are rough. You have to endure 50 minutes of mental strain and almost always a draw is necessary to get food if you're well off enough to top 8. Of course, if you die in the swiss, time constraints are almost immaterial. Then again, is there a practical way to keep your stamina up during the swiss?

In essence the question is: "What do you eat when?"

Incidental props to Ray for having pizza AT the last tournament. That's a huge load off.

[MuzzonoAmi]

Ordering pizza and reselling what you don't eat is savage tech.  I have yet to meet a TO who gets offended when you do this.

[Hyperion]

Things that are high in protein, fats, or complex carbohydrates are a good choice because these take a longer time for your body to digest. Thus, they're probably the best bet if you aren't sure when your next meal will be or if you know it'll be a while before it comes, and are more filling/satisfying over the long run than, say, a Coke.

Energy bars are nice because they're convenient, (can be) relatively cheap, and easy to find at a grocery or convenience store. Balance bars are pretty good - I eat these often anyway and always bring 1-2 to a tournament. They make a good snack and should do the job for 2-3 hours, and cost $1-$1.50/each depending on the retailer. If you have a faster metabolism or anticipate a longer time between meals, then meal replacement bars (like Met-Rx) are good too, but these are obviously more expensive and can cost up to $3/each.

I think that other good choices are nuts/cashews, rice cakes with peanut butter, bagels, and the like. Incidentally, this is why pizza can often be a good choice, since it's high in complex carbohydrates, protein, and fat.

If you have the opportunity to bring a couple snacks with you to the tournament, you won't be at the mercy of what's available at the tournament scene and won't have to waste time looking for stuff between rounds. If you have something every 2-3 hours between regular meals you should be safe from hunger adversely affecting your play.

EDIT. Also, while it technically isn't related to eating AT a tournament, you can do yourself a favor by having a breakfast with similar characteristics if the tournament starts in the late morning/early afternoon. Oatmeal, cream of wheat, etc. take a while to digest and are a good way to start the day, for example.

[Whatever Works]

Pizza is always a great (though often over-priced) food for a tournement. Its quick to eat and rather filling, but it does have the drawbacks of being messing, and having the huge variable of quality (some pizza's can look great but taste terrible)...

Subway is the best bet if it is close to the tournement especially if your playing a fast deck that can win a round in 10-15 minutes. Its healthy, cheap (considering), and is filling, and wont make you sick usually. It is the best choice in most circumstances.

Things that I try to avoid are places that serve chinese food, because of price, and that it always seems to take forever to eat, and you often are half way done eating when the next round begins. Alot of fast food places should be avoided, because they can upset the stomach especially in the later rounds...

Last but definitly not least... If your serious about winning ---> AVOID eating contests with people like Kowal/Ray Robilliard... #1 you will lose... BADLY... #2 You will get sick trying to down a huge bottle of syrup. Or try to match the ammount of 15 tacos (I dont remember the exact # but it made me sick thinking about it)... And avoid drinking to much soda, and girls should always watch there drinks... you never know what kinda creepy nerd will slip something into them... oh... wait... there are no girls at most tournements.

[WildWillieWonderboy]

My experience with energy bars is that they taste terrible and contain chinese newspaper. The one sort of exception is the Clif Bar, which is semi organic and semi energy but completely good.

I almost think that the rounds should be staggered for a tournament so that there's like a half hour to eat every now and again for some of the players while the majority are playing regularly. Of course, this would complicate the hell out of things and make for a nightmare on the TO side of the equation.

What about after the tourney? I have yet to find a food that just screams post-tourney type 4 food, though pizza sort of has that feeling by association with that particular event.

[Matt]

I am NUCLEAR POWERED[/color].

[Hyperion]

My experience with energy bars is that they taste terrible and contain chinese newspaper. The one sort of exception is the Clif Bar, which is semi organic and semi energy but completely good.

For the most part I agree, but Balance bars are quite good. Most people I know who've tried them like them.

[Kowal]

Pre tournament:  Real breakfast foods.  Eggs, bacon, sausage, toast.

Mid tournament:  Anything that won't sit heavy in your stomach.  In a particularly tense game, your stomach will reject greasy disgusting food like pizza.  Usually I bum an apple from Jacob around round three or four.

After tournament:  Depends on whether it's a victory dinner or a consolation dinner.

[Jacob Orlove]

Usually I bum an apple from Jacob around round three or four.

I generally bring a ton of fruit to tournaments, to eat in between rounds. Usually, it's a bunch of apples, but sometimes I also bring oranges, pears, or bananas. I also usually try to bring a (refilled) bottle of water.

[Hi-Val]

My suggestions: Stay the hell away from coffee and caffeine, because it makes you jittery and weak-bladdered, and drink a lot of water. You wouldn't think it, but a tournament is like 8 hours of continuous talking. You lose a lot of water that way.

I find that PB&J or bagels with sandwich fixin's in them are good. Stuff that can be eaten with one hand primarily. Stay away from simple sugars like candy bars, they don't last as long as you think they should.

[Saucemaster]

My suggestions: Stay the hell away from coffee and caffeine, because it makes you jittery and weak-bladdered, and drink a lot of water. You wouldn't think it, but a tournament is like 8 hours of continuous talking. You lose a lot of water that way.

I would like to say that this only applies if you're lame enough to stop drinking the caffeine in the first place.  If you just keep drinking it hardcorestyle, like God intended, you're fine.

[Godder]

Having played in many rapid chess and magic tournaments, they have similar time frames (i.e. a round per hour), so they place similar demands on players.

Anyway, my experience has been that a good breakfast/lunch about an hour before sign-in is essential. Something like muesli + milk + yoghurt is great, but anything involving cereal or toast will do the trick.

During the event, muesli bars and fruit (especially bananas) are great food sources. Cookies (large ones) are good for a quick pick-me-up as well.

If you're expecting to go past your normal evening meal, and you don't think there will be a break, bring extra muesli bars. It might look odd, but they're very effective for keeping your energy levels reasonable.

Hydration is also very important, so drink plenty. Note that coke dehydrates, so water or watered-down juices (pure juice tends to cause indigestion in large amounts) are preferable. Randomly walking around and stretching is very useful to keep the blood moving and the brain active, particularly prior to the top 8. If a decent meal can be had/arranged before top 8, go for it, but greasy, fatty foods cause more trouble than they're worth, unless you're on the brink of collapse.

[TracerBullet]

I'm a big fan of Nature's Valley Granola Bars.  They're the ones that come two to a bright green package.  They're carbed/fatty enough to keep you going for a while, with enough sugar to give you a quick pick-me-up when you need it.  I usually end up eating like 3 during a full day tourney.

[Moxlotus]

I like the Nature's Valley Granola bars too, but I also use NutriGrain bars and Pop Tarts (strawberry to be exact).  At SCG Chicago I think I drank 5 bottles of water and that was about perfect, except for the numerous bathroom breaks needed.  Going to bathroom a lot> being dehydrated.  Also bringing along sandwiches is a great idea.

[The Atog Lord]

One thing that is good to remember is that staying hydrated, like staying fed, is going to help keep you sharp. Caffeine, while not without its appeal, is actually drying to your system, and not refreshing. Having a couple of bottles of water on hand is something I recommend to anyone.

[Lost In Admiration]

@ Moxlotus

<3 <3 <3 Your girlfriend and her sandwiches and cookies.

I find these sort of things and a huge dinner afterwards to fit me nicely.

[MadManiac21]

-Five pounds of homemade honey bbq chicken wings
-homemade chicken caeser salad w/ bowties
-apples
-bananas
-water bottles.
-goldfish

Of course the rest of Team Hadley helps polish this of rather quickly.

[orgcandman]

Echoing most of the sentiments on here, the best types of foods are foods that won't leave you feeling hungry again after just 30-60 minutes, and will keep the energy going. I think eating small snacks every 1 1/2 hours to be more beneficial, as you won't be hungry, but you won't keep greasy disgustingess sitting in your stomach.

One of the better tricks to bring along to tournaments in honey. Honey gives you bursts of energy, is good on bread/rice cakes/other bland snack foods, and prevents many of the dehydration problems that occur (cotton mouth, shortness of breath, fatigue) and is a great supplement to any magic players arsenal of food.

As far as drinks go, Gatorade is probably my favorite. While not as "thirst quenching" as water (you keep wanting more after you drink it) it DOES replenish lost electrolytes. Electrolytes are important for keeping hydrated. Thus, drinking Gatorade will keep you hydrated. It's also choc full of vitamins that help you throughout the tournament. In case you haven't already gotten the picture, I fully endorse this product and/or service.

Aaron

[Zherbus]

Excedrin, Water, and any ol' food item to hold me over.

[Sytupal]

I think that it's partially the venue's responsibility to provide access to food or drink when holding a tournament.  

Players shouldn't be forced by time constraints set by the venue when the TO/owner should very well know that people do need to eat.  Places should offer a time period around "dinner" time between 4-7PM even if just to allow players to drive a close distance away to a nearby fast food place or subway etc.  

Free Pizza is great way to go(even better when my place gets it "nearly" free from domino's), but when I'm on the road, i usually find that as long as i haven't had a horrible sleep schedule within the last few days that water is the best thing.  Followed closely by my caffiene addiction through soda. The latter option is more for those crazy sleep schedule situations.

As long as there is access to some sorts of liquids, then dry foods that can easily be carried are probably best.  

I'm biased from being a huge Bridlewood shortbread fan however it is easy to travel with and is high is saturated fats and carbs(butter is in abundance in shortbread) which mimics what Hyperiod said with things that won't be digested fast.

[Bram]

Broodje Bapao. Hmmmm.

[BWM]

Eating is overrated!!

[Klep]

I've found Chex Mix to be adequate sustenance.  Drinking a lot is key, and it helps to have some Excedrin on hand if you have any sort of tendency to get headaches.  If you can, definitely eat breakfast of some sort.

[ProZachar]

I would like to say that this only applies if you're lame enough to stop drinking the caffeine in the first place.  If you just keep drinking it hardcorestyle, like God intended, you're fine.

Speaking as someone who is physically addicted to caffeine (granted, I don't need a lot for my fix, but it's still irritating to be dependent on it) I think you should consume your typical load of caffeine, or maybe a little less.  Caffeine withdrawl symptoms aren't conducive to good play.  Obviously, you should not neglect staying hydrated, either.

Also, whatever you do, don't consume caffeine and Gatorade/Powerade in the same 3-6 hour period.  Gatorade + caffeine is the greatest diuretic known to man, IMO.

[Hi-Val]

I'd also like to mention that I've seen some pretty strange things that players eat. I've known Rich Shay to eat kitchen appliances to gain his strength back, and Kevin Cron was once spotted in a parking lot eating a small child.

But as far as regular stuff goes, the addition of peanut butter to anything makes it much better as far as lasting foods go.

[The Atog Lord]

I ate a chair for +2/+2 against ELD in the last Disposable Heros tournament.

[Magi]

I'll eat some eggs and sausages for breakfast. depending on how hungry I am, I'll eat a bowl of cereal as well.

Pre tourney, snacks like nuts and chips. Usually finished by the time we're at the tourney.

During, whatever is available. I usually bring some sort of snack to chwo down on in (Rice Krispy Squares).

Dinner is either on the go, or a sit down meal.

[WildWillieWonderboy]

There are indeed quite a few oddities. Kevin Cron should carry around a rifle with big game ammo to kill and eat on the go for all the meat he consumes. Joe Bushman will one day have the local McDonalds host a tournament, since he consumes a skid of whoppers for every meal. Steve doesn't so much eat as just smear food on his face and camera.

Expect me to roll up to the next tournament with a large cooler or not at all!

[Outlaw]

Do yourselves a favor, go into walmart and proceed to enter the camping isle.  Look for translucent water bottles, their nigh unbreakable and can be sealed tightly, along with costing like 2$, buy one of those and find a carribeaner.  Fill and attach to yourself, open and enjoy.  At Waterbury you could find me filling this bottle at least 8 times during the day to stay fully hydrated and awake for the 24 hours that I did.   Energy bars are good to consume, health food is pro, no greasy stuff as it sits heavily in your stomach and makes you feel like junk.  If caffeine is needed then pick up a pack of Jolt Gum and use that, it is just caffeine and flavoring (very strong actually).  Sandwiches are good ideas, and when coming to a tourney early pick up some Dunkin Donuts tech.

[Mixing Mike]

Moxie Soda

'Nuff Said.