Fueling on the Road: Navigating the Hotel Breakfast
During my high school career, the Illinois High School Association state track meet was held at Eastern Illinois University, several hours from my hometown. Our team, which was quite talented, often brought many athletes to the multi-day competition. I remember one year when a top athlete underperformed and blamed the hotel’s breakfast buffet, choosing to skip the meal rather than eat what was available.
Many high-level athletes will travel overnight for competitions. Given how important breakfast is for performance, it’s essential to know how to create a proper meal from the hotel’s offerings, adding your own items as needed to fuel for the day.
Athlete Breakfast Basics
Breakfast is called "the most important meal of the day" for good reason. Skipping it can reduce performance, hinder concentration, and increase the risk of underfueling, even if later meals make up for the lost energy intake. For athletes at all-day meets or tournaments, breakfast becomes the key pre-competition meal, making it even more essential.
An athlete's breakfast should include all the components of a performance plate: carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fruits or vegetables. If breakfast is the pre-competition meal, it should include a balance of nutrients to provide sustained energy. Carbohydrates are essential for fueling muscles, while protein supports muscle repair and recovery. Fats help with long-lasting energy. The meal should be lower in fat and fiber to make it easily digestible, ensuring the athlete feels energized and ready to perform without feeling sluggish or overly full.
Typical Hotel Breakfast Offerings
Most hotels offer a continental breakfast with common options across different chains.
Carbohydrates are typically easy to find, with cold choices like bread, bagels, and cereal, or hot options like oatmeal, potatoes, and waffles.
Protein options vary; hot bars may offer eggs or breakfast meats, and higher-end hotels might have an omelet station. Cold protein options can include milk, Greek yogurt, or hard-boiled eggs.
Fat sources may include nuts, nut butter, butter, or cream cheese, and some dairy options may also contain fat. Be mindful of fat intake to avoid stomach discomfort, especially before a competition.
Common fruit choices include apples, bananas, oranges, or fruit cups, and juice is often available. Some omelet bars may also offer vegetables.
Hotel Breakfast Meal Ideas for Athletes
Here are a few hotel breakfasts that can be made with most common food offerings:
Bagel with peanut butter + banana
Oatmeal with brown sugar, nuts, and dried fruit + milk
Potatoes + eggs + fruit
Waffle with syrup + yogurt + fruit
English muffin with jam + turkey bacon or sausage + fruit
Travel Food Ideas for Athletes
Athletes with allergies, specific food preferences, or special breakfast needs may benefit from supplementing the hotel breakfast with snacks brought from home or a nearby store. They can start with hotel offerings and add their own food.
Many hotels provide storage for food. Cold options like Greek yogurt, overnight oats, and berries can be kept in a minifridge, while shelf-stable items such as instant oatmeal, bars, fruit, and applesauce pouches can be stored on shelves. A microwave may also be available for quick meal prep.
I believe my teammate could have succeeded with some support in using the hotel breakfast offerings to build a meal. Are you an athlete needing guidance for navigating your nutrition while traveling? Fill out a contact form on my website to see if my nutrition services are a good fit for you!