Eating a lot of food may not be first on your mind when you think of an NFL team but it plays an important role in the team’s success. I never really stopped to think about it until I had the chance to eat with an NFL team during a training camp. The amount of food that an NFL team consumes is truly mind blowing.
When the team was first assembled, it was like nothing I’d ever seen before. There was a full buffet available, with enough food to feed a small country. It was an absolute feast: piles of scrambled eggs, mountains of bacon, and trays of fresh fruit. There were all sorts of different sandwiches, salads and deserts.
And that’s just for breakfast! As we all know NFL players work hard and need to take in enough calories to fuel their bodies. During practice, they’re putting in even more calories than they’re using, so they need to eat even more.
It’s no surprise that lunch was also very filling. There were fruit and veggie platters, a pasta bar with every kind of topping imaginable, massive salads, and gourmet sandwiches. And more. So much more. It was incredible.
Snacks were also in abundance. Every time someone asked for food, it was like the heavens had opened up and the entire team had access to rivers of snacks: protein bars, protein shakes, and all sorts of other energy-packed snacks.
But it’s not all about fueling these athletic machines, it’s about taste, too. The team chef managed to make everything just right. He would season the food in a way that was delicious without being too spicy. He also created healthy and nutritious versions of comfort food that tasted amazing.
The team was having dinner the same way they did the rest of the meals. The entrées could have looked like they came from a five-star restaurant. There were steaks, chicken, salmon and various other seafood options served alongside a smorgasbord of vegetables and potatoes.
When I asked about all of the food the team was consuming, the chef explained that they run through two-thousand pounds of food per week. That’s not a typo. Two-thousand pounds of food a week. It’s an incredible amount of food, and it’s necessary for the players to perform.
Given the sheer size of the team and how much energy they need to be expending every day, the two-thousand-pound figure seemed to make sense. But to actually see it all spread out in front of us was astounding. I couldn’t believe my eyes.
The players were well aware of the amount of food they were consuming, and they seemed to be in awe of it as well. They would often joke about it, saying that they felt like giants with superhuman appetites.
Fuelling the players isn’t just about food either. Throughout the day, ice baths were available for recovery. Smoothies and protein drinks were readily available for hydration. Supplements were on hand for energy.
The team was also provided with nutritional counselling if needed. The chef was always available to answer questions or to make sure the players are eating the right kinds of foods.
I was truly amazed at the amount of food an NFL team consumes. To consume two-thousand pounds of food in a week is no small feat. But I think it’s great that the team is being provided with all the necessary nutrition to make sure that they can perform at their best.
This experience really opened my eyes and made me think about nutrition and what it takes to fuel an NFL team. I can see now why it is so important, and I’m grateful that these players are being provided with all the necessary resources to maintain their health and help them reach their goals on and off the field.