Best Snacks for Wrestlers: Fuel Like a Champion

Need ideas for the best snacks for wrestlers to help keep them fueled for optimal performance?

Check out the snack ideas below to provide wrestlers with the energy needed for in-season training and competition.

Best Snacks for Wrestlers During the Season

Well-planned snacks can help wrestlers with meeting their nutrient needs during the season.

When planning snacks, I encourage wrestlers to create balanced snacks by pairing a food containing protein with a food containing carbohydrates.

In addition, snacks can be an ideal opportunity for wrestlers to incorporate a variety of anti-inflammatory foods into their diet, such as fruits, veggies, whole grains, and healthy fats.

Nutrition Tip for Wrestlers: Avoid Prolonged Underfueling

During the season it is important for wrestlers to ensure they are consuming adequate carbohydrates in their diet to support their training.

A common diet mistake I see wrestlers make is under consuming carbohydrates in their meal plans. Prolonged underfueling during the season can have negative impacts on a wrestler’s health and performance.

Pro Tip: Wrestlers should fluctuate their daily carbohydrate intake based upon their activity. On intense workout days, wrestlers need to include more carbohydrates in their meals and snacks than on low intensity or recovery days (1).

Healthy Snack Ideas for Wrestlers

Putting this together, healthy snack ideas for wrestlers during the season include:

• Apple slices with nut butter
• Greek yogurt with blueberries and whole grain cereal
• Jerky, almonds, and orange wedges
• Hummus with whole grain pita chips and mini peppers
• Cottage cheese with pineapple and chia seeds
• Turkey and avocado on whole wheat wrap
• Sliced cheese with whole grain crackers and grapes
• Hard-boiled eggs with fig bars
• Tuna with whole grain pita bread and celery sticks

Best Snacks for Wrestlers Cutting Weight

When wrestlers are trying to cut weight for competition, it is important they prioritize protein in their diet to help with maintaining muscle mass (1).

During this brief time period leading up to competition (1-2 days), wrestlers will want to reduce their intake of carbohydrates as well as fiber. The body stores water with carbohydrates, thus reducing intake helps decrease the associated water weight (1).

Fiber slows the movement of food through the digestive track. It also absorbs water and adds bulk to stool (1). Therefore, eating a low-fiber diet prior to competition can also help with reducing body weight (2).

In addition, as wrestlers work to cut weight for competition, it is commonly recommended that they reduce their intake of sodium. Sodium leads to water retention, which can result in undesired weight on the scale (1).

During this time period, I encourage wrestlers to be particularly mindful of ultra-processed and packaged foods which tend to be high in sodium.

Snack Ideas for Wrestlers Cutting Weight

Wrestlers cutting weight for competition should focus on eating snacks that contain protein and healthy fats, including:

• Hard-boiled eggs
• Greek yogurt
• Tuna fish and salmon
• Chicken and turkey
• Lean cuts of beef and pork
• Unsalted nuts
• Natural nut butters
• Low sodium cottage cheese

Best Snacks for Wrestling Tournaments

Once a wrestler weighs-in for competition, refueling and rehydrating for the upcoming match is of top priority.

Wrestlers should plan ahead and pack a variety of high-carb snacks to take with them to the tournament. They should not count on finding food at the concession stands that will meet their sports nutrition needs throughout the day.

Eating high-carb snacks after weighing in will help wrestlers replenish their body’s carbohydrate stores and provide a quick source of energy for the upcoming match (1).

Some of my top choices include:

• Pretzels, pita chips, snack crackers
• Granola bars, cereal bars
• Bagels, rolls, dry breakfast cereal
• Applesauce squeeze pouches, banana

Rehydrate After Weigh-In

Wrestlers also need to focus on rehydrating with both fluid and electrolytes (primarily sodium) following their weigh-in.

When wrestlers have lost >3% of their body mass prior to competition, rehydrating with an oral rehydration solution (such as Pedialyte® or Gatorlyte®) is recommended (1).

If wrestlers have lost <3% of their body weight, rehydrating with a standard sports drink is appropriate (1).

In addition, eating salty, carbohydrate-rich snacks, such as pretzels and pita chips, can be a convenient option for replacing both sodium and carbs following weigh-in.

Consuming sodium will also aid the body in retaining the fluid the wrestler drinks after weighing in (3).

Snacks Between Wrestling Matches

In addition to high-carb snacks, wrestlers should pack snacks that can serve as mini-meals throughout the day.

Since there can be an extended period of time between matches, having food available that can serve as a mini-meal can come in handy.

Some simple mini-meal ideas for wrestling tournaments include:

• Beef jerky, pretzels, grapes
• Greek yogurt, strawberries, dry cereal
• Sliced cheese, crackers, apple slices
• Granola bars with peanut butter
• String cheese with banana
• Ham and cheese wrap
• Hummus with pita chips
• Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
• Tuna pita pocket
• Bagel with almond butter
• Breakfast bars with hard-boiled eggs
• Trail mix with pretzels, cereal, nuts, dried fruit

Snacks to Limit at a Wrestling Tournament

When planning snacks for a tournament, there are some types of foods that wrestlers should avoid.

Foods that are high in fat, fiber, and/or protein all tend to slow down digestion and could lead to GI distress when eaten too close to a match (4).

Foods high in fiber can also lead to wrestlers needing to use the restroom, which is not ideal during a wrestling match!

While wrestlers can enjoy a moderate amount of protein as part of a balanced snack, they don’t want to overdo their protein intake.

Snack foods I recommend wrestlers limit at a tournament include:

• Fried or greasy foods
• Heavy cheese sauces (i.e., nacho cheese)
• Donuts, pastries
• Ice cream, milkshakes
• High-fiber bread or cereal
• Beans, legumes, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower)

Best Snacks for Wrestlers

You are now set with a variety of snacks that wrestlers can enjoy to support their nutrition needs during training and competition.

For additional sports nutrition tips for wrestlers, make sure to check out my blog on off-season nutrition strategies for athletes.

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About the Author

Mandy Tyler is a Sports Dietitian Nutritionist in the San Antonio, TX area. She is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian, a Board-Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics, a Licensed Athletic Trainer, and is a Certified Exercise Physiologist through the American College of Sports Medicine. Mandy has experience working with athletes at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels. She believes the key to reaching one’s full potential, both in everyday life and in sports performance, relies on a healthy nutritional foundation.

If you are looking to take your performance to the next level, make sure to check out my new Sports Nutrition Game Day Guide. This downloadable guide is written to help athletes develop an individualized plan to achieve peak performance on game day.