Athletes must maintain his or her diet to perform every day at peak level. A healthy diet changes the way an athlete feels during their sport, in the classroom and while resting.
When talking about a healthy diet, everyone has their own opinion. ‘Eat more protein, don’t eat red meat, don’t eat beef, stay away from carbs.’ College students who work part-time jobs don’t have the money to go get fresh food at the grocery store each week. This makes it harder for college athletes, whose jobs are to perform each day at their sport and to maintain a healthy diet as well.
Most athletes rely on the Cav’s Corner for their meals, however, what is best for an athlete to eat from the cafeteria?
“Sodexo has a different health option each week,” Dustin Malandra, Cabrini’s strength and conditioning coach, said. “It’s a matter of if the student-athlete chooses the right thing to eat each meal.”
The easy thing to do is grab a burger and fries with a Pepsi and have a nice meal, but for a student-athlete, this might be the worst meal to eat. With the high-intensity workout, an athlete must compete at each practice and game, foods like a burger and soda can make an athlete feel slow and sluggish.
“[Sodexo] has their own app on the phone where you can see what they will be serving each day,” Malandra said. “For those who don’t have a meal plan, going out and shopping for your food is much better than eating fast food. You don’t have to make full meals either. Pasta, pre-packed chicken and seafood fill the daily intake an athlete should need to be productive in their sport.”
Photo by Cabrini Athletics
With strength and conditioning being a big part of an athlete’s life, recovery is as well. Just because an athlete is injured doesn’t mean they can eat whatever they would like.
Rachel Flanders, the head athletic trainer for Cabrini, commented on the topic as well.
“There are definitely healthy options available in the cafeteria for student-athletes,” Flanders said. “The bigger issue is choosing a better decision from what is available. Student-athletes should eat a very balanced diet including healthy fats, carbohydrates, and proteins.”
Cabrini has done an excellent job of providing plenty of healthy options for their student-athletes in their cafeteria. With carbohydrates being the main source for energy for athletes, Flanders believes the cafeteria has those to give.
“Carbohydrates are an athlete’s main source of energy during a workout. Some examples are pasta, bread, fruits, and vegetables to name a few,” Flanders said. “High-quality proteins, which are important for sustaining healthy muscles, are also important and are available in the cafeteria.”
With strength and conditioning and athletic therapy, both believe that Cabrini’s cafeteria has the essentials for a student-athlete. However, they aren’t the ones who eat there on a daily basis.
Jarren Abad, senior exercise science and health promotion major, plays basketball for Cabrini and has an interesting diet. He explained how his diet is affected by what is served at the cafeteria.
“I don’t eat red meat. Chicken, seafood, and salad is what I get from the café,” Abad said. “Doesn’t seem like much, but that is what I work with. I don’t eat or drink dairy also, but overall the café is better than other colleges I’ve been at.”
