It takes years of preparation and training for an athlete to get to the Olympics. It takes almost as long for Olympic organizers to figure out how to feed those athletes once they get there.
The Olympic dining hall is the length of four swimming pools. That’s built to accommodate the more than 18,000 athletes, coaches and staff. The staffs crank out 460,000 pounds of food in 60,000 meals a day, but it can’t be just any food.
The menu has to be healthy and provide the right mix of nutrients, protein and carbohydrates to fuel these world-class athletes. To accomplish such a gargantuan task, chefs began preparing the menu a year ago.
Food safety is of particular concern. Chefs have to be certain the meat they use is steroid-free so it doesn’t provide a false-positive when the athletes are tested for drugs.
The most popular dishes? Pizza and pasta.
For breakfast, oatmeal and yogurt are a big hit. The dining room offers ten different types of yogurt including varieties made with soy, goat milk, full fat milk and reduced fat.
