Gamers have such a stressful lifestyle – little sleep, cramps from all-day mousing and typing, and not eating on time. The list can go on and on.

No wonder, gamer health can one day crop up as a major issue. But some of you might say “who cares? I’m a gamer, I only count EXP not calories!” Come to think of it, EXP does matter more TODAY. But your health (and the calories) may “level you down” TOMORROW.

Not wanting to sound like an infomercial (or a nutritionist), this post is basically about the types of food gamers prefer (and why?) and some healthy alternatives.

QUICK AND EASY

If you’re hunting in Elan all day or going through those “last 10%”, gamers will always choose foods and beverages based on the following:

• Quick – no cooking, no mess, no fuss. It has to be fast… you don’t want to be killed while in the kitchen.
• No mess – foodstuff that have crumbs or grease are simply not acceptable. You don’t want a “cornik” stuck in your “pots macro key” or Shawarma oil on your mouse, would you?
• Instant Satisfaction – it has to hit home hard, fast and heavy. Good candidates here would be siopao (Chinese pork bun), noodles, burgers and sandwiches. The faster the burp, the higher it is in value.
• Cheap – in the Philippines, gamers don’t often have money to burn. We prefer affordable and heavy meals (flavor is a secondary choice). Sigh. Less money for food may mean more money for top-up cards and café rentals to some.

1. Noodles – The King of the Hill. Instant noodles (just add hot water) and a pair of chopsticks can satisfy your hunger during loading screens. Pinoy gamers prefer this because noodles fit almost all of the criteria above: fast, cheap and filling. Plus, there are scores of flavor options to choose from; beef, chicken, seafood, spicy, Korean, Japanese, Filipino. They designed this for the MMO gamer.

2. Sandwiches – Going on a boss hunt? Hungry? Just dial one of the many fastfood burger joints and a hot, greasy burger (with equally greasy fries) will be on your lap in 30 minutes tops. If you’re planning on doing an all-nighter in a café, preparing a couple of sandwiches at home with leftover adobo,” Maling” or corned beef is easy. Baon!

3. Power Drinks & Coffee – Another ingenious staple for the online gamer. Power drinks, strong sodas and coffee are things that gamers can’t do without. Internet Cafes make a killing selling these. Don’t forget to stock your cupboard at home. Sleep? What’s that???

4. Chips – They come in all shapes, sizes and varieties. I think there are as many chips are there are ways to scam someone inside the game. Oh well… Potato chips, IMHO, are on the top of the stack. Closely followed by their corn cousins and all the rest.

5. Microwaveable Dishes – pasta dishes (if you can avoid them sloshing on your keyboard) are great meals while gaming. And it’s not just limited to pasta. There are nuke-ready rice toppings available. Take your choice.

6. Pizza – I’m putting Pizza somewhere in the bottom because some gamers like it, some gamers don’t. Not for the fact that it’s Pizza, but simply because of the grease that can get on your hands. As I said above, keeping your keyboard and mouse grease-free can be critical factors in controlling your anxiety levels.

HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES

While we gamers can’t avoid what’s readily available due to lack of time or the basic need to get back to your game, we can, however, make an effort to constantly watch what we eat. With some basic knowledge, gamers can have healthy alternatives to staple “gamer foods” listed above.

The first tip is to eat a balanced meal and to eat ON TIME. Don’t skimp on breakfast. If you can’t avoid the gamer foods, at least make it a habit to stay clear from fats and oil. For example, instead of a meatlover’s pizza, why don’t you try chicken or seafood toppings. I’m sure that the change in texture and flavor will also be good for you. If you can’t do well without caffeine, you can try Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), they give you the same perk. Natural fruit juices will also keep you awake and will give you your Cs. If you go to any convenience store, you can also find ready-to-eat salads. They’re not only affordable but rate high in nutrients. Another good idea is to try to set a weekend or two to “de-tox”. Detoxing, for me, means eating oats, milk and cereal to wash away the oils and other bad stuff I acquired during the week.

I hope this post helps you in your food choices while gaming. Remember, inside the game there’s buffs, heals and resurrections. In the real world, you only have one life… try taking care of it.

Cheers,

GM T