Less Cooking, More Match Play

The Part of Match Preparation Players Forget

The racquets are freshly strung. The shoes are packed. The doubles court is booked, and you’ve already thought about how to handle that opponent who keeps lobbing. Dinner? You’ll figure it out afterward. 

Tennis players put considerable thought into their equipment, practice schedules and match strategies. Meals can receive less attention when work, family responsibilities and evening matches fill the calendar. Planning, shopping and cooking consistently becomes one task too many. A rushed snack replaces lunch, or the drive home ends with another last-minute takeout order. 

For busy recreational players, knowing they should eat well is often the easy part. Having a suitable meal ready when they need it is the challenge.  

Make Meals Part of the Game Plan

Food deserves a place in match preparation. Carbohydrates provide fuel for play, while eating carbohydrates and protein afterward helps replenish energy stores and supports muscle recovery. USTA nutrition guidance emphasizes planning food around practice and matches to help maintain energy and promote recovery.

That makes the everyday routine worth considering: what you’ll eat before leaving for the club, what’s waiting afterward, and whether your schedule leaves enough time for either.

A practical starting point is to plan those meals when you book the court. Keep a familiar snack available if work runs late, and arrange dinner before the first ball is struck. Whether you cook ahead or order prepared meals, removing the last-minute decision can make eating consistently easier.

A Fresh, Flexible Alternative

For South Florida players who want help with that routine, AthleticsFit offers locally prepared meals delivered ready to heat and eat.

The locally owned company operates its own kitchen in Miami Shores, serving Miami-Dade, Broward and Boca Raton. Deliveries arrive across all service zones every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday, between 5 and 11 p.m. Customers receive a few days of meals at a time, keeping fresh deliveries coming throughout the week rather than stocking the refrigerator with one full-week shipment.

The menu includes more than 150 rotating meals, from everyday favorites to restaurant-inspired Premium selections. Weight Loss, Balanced and high-protein options provide different portions, with the high-protein meals containing approximately 50–70 grams of protein. Listed calories and macronutrients help customers compare meals according to their individual needs; low-sodium options are also available.

There’s no mandatory subscription, so orders can fit around league nights, tournament weekends and changing work schedules. Local customer support can help with scheduling and meal-plan adjustments.

The convenience is easy to picture after an evening match: put away the racquet bag, heat dinner and sit down to eat.

An Exclusive Florida Tennis Reader Offer

Florida Tennis Magazine readers can get $30 off an AthleticsFit order with code FLTENNIS. Explore the menu and claim the offer at afmeals.com.

One redemption per customer. No minimum purchase required. Valid through December 31, 2026. The FLTENNIS offer and the standard 20% new-customer discount cannot be combined on the same order. Eligible new customers may use the two offers on separate orders.

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By Florida Tennis Assistant Editor Alex Binstok. Sources: USTA & AthleticsFit. Photos courtesy of AthleticsFit

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