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Tag: tag: Cortina Olympics

  • Elana Meyers Taylor Just Won Gold. Here’s What the Olympic Bobsledder Ate to Train.

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    Published February 17, 2026 09:46AM

    The daughter of an athlete, Elana Meyers Taylor, seemed destined for sports. At 11, she held a torch at the Atlanta Games. Decades later, she’s claimed six Olympic medals. Most recently, she took home her first gold medal in the women’s monobobsled event on Monday, February 16, at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympics—her fifth Games.

    Not only is she the most decorated female bobsledder in history, but she’s also the most decorated Black winter sports Olympian.

    Days before the Winter Olympics, I had to ask: What fuels an athlete competing at this level? Taylor’s answer was refreshingly practical. As the mom of Nico (five) and Noah (three), she gravitates toward a meal the whole family enjoys—something she can make anywhere in the world.

    What Does the Most Decorated Female Bobsledder Indulge in to Fuel? Pasta.

    Taylor, along with her entire family, travels when she competes, so, in addition to getting her body ready for the games, she’s also taking care of her two boys. “During the training season, we’re in a different location almost every week,” says Taylor. At the time of this interview, they’re all settled in Milan, Italy, as she gets ready to compete in her fifth Olympics.

    She consistently turns to one particular dish to power her journey: Bolognese pasta. “I can find the ingredients anywhere in the world, and it’s got everything I need in it.”

    Bolognese sauce is an Italian staple, which Taylor loves; she’s the daughter of parents with Jamaican, Panamanian, and Italian American roots. She follows a classic Bolognese recipe, ground beef stewed in an aromatic tomato sauce, but she adds spinach so she can “sneak veggies in.”

    She is also gluten-free, so while she loves this Bolognese dish, she always makes sure to grab her favorite Barilla chickpea pasta as the base. “Since I’m in a speed and power sport, I need a good carbohydrate to complete my meals,” she adds.

    Plus, her two boys love it. “If mom’s got a bowl of spaghetti for them at the end of the day, they’re going to be happy,” Taylor says.

    I share those same sentiments. At least once a week, I make a Bolognese. But I’ve never tried it with chickpea pasta. I decided to give Taylor’s Olympian-approved meal a try to see if it could fuel my workouts just by making a tiny swap in the main ingredients. I also connected with a few nutrition experts to get their take on whether this meal can power high-intensity workouts. Read on for their take, and my thoughts on this dish.

    How to Make Elana Meyers Taylor’s Bolognese Pasta

    (Photo: Ashia Aubourg)

    Serving: 6

    Ingredients

    • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1 medium onion, diced
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 carrot, grated
    • 1 pound ground beef
    • 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
    • 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, minced
    • 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, minced
    • 2 cups spinach
    • Salt, freshly ground black pepper, and red pepper flakes, to taste
    • 1 lb of chickpea pasta, such as penne, rotini, or spaghetti (I used this one by Barilla)
    • Optional: Parmesan cheese for garnishing

    Recipe

    1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, cooking until the onions are translucent, about six minutes.
    2. Add the carrot and ground beef, stirring often, until the meat is no longer pink, about ten minutes.
    3. Stir in the tomatoes, oregano, and basil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
    4. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste. Add the spinach and cook until wilted, about two minutes.
    5. While the sauce simmers, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the chickpea pasta according to package directions.
    6. Top the cooked chickpea pasta with the Bolognese sauce and a generous grating of Parmesan.

    The Verdict: Taylor’s Pasta Dish Hits Different

    I’m married to an Italian-American, so pasta is a weekly tradition in our household—and we’ve definitely side-eyed legume-based pastas in the grocery store. Going into this recipe, I was skeptical: Would chickpea pasta taste good, or would it derail the whole meal?

    I was pleasantly wrong. The chickpea pasta was so mild that it essentially disappeared under the Bolognese sauce.

    The real test came the next morning. I’d eaten the Bolognese pasta for dinner the night before, and when I woke up for my barre class, I had sustained energy throughout the entire workout—no crashes. That’s when I realized this pasta might actually be a game-changer for my fitness routine.

    How to Get the Most Out of This Meal, According to Nutritionists

    Olympic athletes need a well-balanced meal to stay fueled: lean protein, complex carbohydrates, and vegetables, says Yvette Hill, a registered dietitian nutritionist based in Boulder, Colorado. This pasta delivers all three.

    The chickpea pasta serves as an excellent carbohydrate base, says Claire Rifkin, a registered dietitian nutritionist based in New York City. “The chickpea pasta will give her a good carbohydrate base to fill up muscle glycogen stores overnight, which can be especially helpful for a sport that requires really explosive movements, like bobsledding.” Each 3.5-ounce serving of Barilla chickpea pasta packs 15 grams of fiber and 21 grams of protein, which is more than many traditional pastas.

    The ground beef adds even more protein, which is essential for muscle growth and repair. The beef and spinach also deliver iron and B vitamins critical for energy production. This matters especially for female athletes: iron directly affects oxygen delivery to working muscles, and many women athletes need to be vigilant about their iron status, says Rifkin.

    For even more performance benefits, Hill suggests adding hydrating ingredients like zucchini to the sauce. “Even mild dehydration can cause lowered energy, which can impact performance,” she explains.

    At the same time, Rifkin emphasizes: “The other thing that stands out to me is that this is clearly a meal she enjoys and knows her body handles well. Sometimes we get so focused on optimizing every little thing that we forget the most important factor is actually eating enough foods that digest well and that an athlete will consistently eat.”

    As for me, I’ll continue making this Bolognese pasta and be reminded of Taylor’s feats every time I take a bite.

    Want more Outside health stories? Sign up for the Bodywork newsletter. If you’re ready to push yourself, sign up for the You vs. The Year 2026 Challenge here. 

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    aunderwood

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  • Jessie Diggins Recovers From Olympic Training with This Protein-Packed Meal

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    Published February 10, 2026 03:00AM

    Jessie Diggins started skiing at age three. Her early interest in the sport paid off as she’s now considered the best cross-country skier in the world. Her talents have earned her three Olympic and seven World Championship medals.

    She came in eighth place in the women’s 20-kilometer skiathlon event this past Saturday, February 7, at the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics—her final Games before she retires.

    However, her work is not done yet. She’ll be back at it again on Tuesday, February 10, for the women’s cross-country skiing event.

    Considering just how much time and effort it takes to be the best, I was curious about what she eats to stay energized and ready. I learned that, after intense workouts, she prioritizes recovery and typically returns to a single dinner.

    How Jessie Diggins Refuels and Recovers

    Her training schedule has been intense.

    “I’m training twice a day, six days a week. It’s super fun, but it’s also really demanding,” Diggins told Outside. “And for cross-country skiing, the name of the game is getting enough fuel and nutrients in your body.”

    Several times a week, Diggins heats up her oven to make what she calls miso salmon. She gravitates toward this dish because she’s a self-proclaimed “big seafood person” and says the omega-3 oils in the salmon help her feel good.

    The recipe is simple and fast. She makes a glaze—made of honey, Dijon mustard, white miso paste, and butter—to brush over the fish. The oven broiler handles the rest, caramelizing the sauce while the salmon cooks.

    To build her bowl, Diggins adds whichever vegetables happen to be in her kitchen. During our interview, her garden was still producing plenty of broccoli and kale, so she tossed those in. She also adds farro, her favorite grain, and whisks up a vinaigrette with olive oil and maple syrup. Anything else lingering in the fridge or pantry, like pumpkin seeds, sun-dried tomatoes, and goat cheese, might get added too.

    “I try to see food as not just fuel, but also as fun,” says Diggins.

    And I couldn’t agree more. Miso ranks high on my own list of fun ingredients. The fermented Japanese paste appears regularly in my cooking, whether stirred into a cacio e pepe sauce or melted into chicken soup. So I couldn’t wait to try Diggins’ salmon grain bowl. More importantly, I wanted to see if this recovery meal could help fuel my own efforts to spend more time outdoors and move with more energy.

    I also reached out to a few nutrition experts to weigh in on the meal’s recovery potential. Read on for their thoughts, and my honest take on the taste of this dish.

    How to Make Jessie Diggins’ Miso Salmon Grain Bowl

    I turned my oven to broil and gave the recipe a go.

    Serving: 1

    Salmon and Glaze Ingredients

    • 1 (6-ounce) skin-on or skinless salmon fillet, patted dry
    • 1 tablespoon white miso paste
    • 1 tablespoon honey
    • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
    • 1 tablespoon butter, softened

    Maple Vinaigrette Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
    • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
    • Salt and pepper, to taste

    Salad Mix-ins

    • Pre-cooked farro
    • Crunchy salad greens
    • Seasonal vegetables (optional)
    • Nuts or seeds (optional)

    Recipe

    1. Preheat your oven to the broil setting.
    2. Pat the salmon filet dry with a paper towel. This will help the glaze stick.
    3. Make the glaze: In a small bowl, mix together the white miso paste, honey, Dijon mustard, and softened butter until smooth.
    4. Spread the glaze evenly over the top of the salmon using your hands or a silicone brush. Place the filet skin-side down on a parchment-lined sheet pan.
    5. Broil the salmon and, depending on the filet’s thickness, check it at the five-minute mark. (You’re aiming for an internal temperature of 125 degrees Fahrenheit for medium-rare, and to be on the safe side, the USDA recommends an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahenheit for fish.)
    6. Remove the cooked salmon from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes.
    7. Make the vinaigrette: In a mason jar, combine the olive oil, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Shake well.
    8. Assemble your bowl: In a serving bowl, layer one cup of salad greens, one cup of cooked farro, and an optional topping of seasonal veggies or seeds and nuts. Top the grain bowl with the salmon filet, either whole or flaked into pieces. Then drizzle the salad with the vinaigrette and enjoy.

    The Verdict: Earthy and Energizing

    (Photo: Ashia Aubourg)

    Let’s start with the flavor. The miso hits a sweet, salty, and earthy balance that complements the rich, buttery salmon. The texture was hearty, and the variety of flavors kept each bite interesting. I tossed in some romaine I had sitting in the fridge, which added a crisp, refreshing crunch. For the grains, I played around (and saved time) with microwaveable farro and found a beet-and-spinach farro at my grocery store.

    After eating this miso salmon grain bowl, I woke up feeling energized and ready to take on my daily walks by the beach.

    How to Get the Most Out of This Meal, According to Nutritionists

    “I often encourage the active clients I work with to view dinner as part of their recovery, especially after an intense training session,” Leisan Echols, a registered dietitian and exercise physiologist based in New York City, New York, told Outside. A grain bowl like this provides the right balance of nutrients to support muscle repair and replenish glycogen after exercise, says Echols.

    Starting with the farro, this grain is a powerhouse, says Echols. This ancient grain is rich in protein, fiber, and vitamins (such as magnesium), which can aid digestion and support heart health.

    “The salad greens add phytonutrients and antioxidants, while the olive oil vinaigrette adds heart-healthy fats,” Claire Rifkin, a registered dietitian based in New York City, said to Outside.

    And the salmon? In just one filet, you’ll get around 40 grams of protein, a nutrient crucial for muscle growth and repair. The omega-3 oil it contains offers anti-inflammatory benefits, which may help reduce post-exercise soreness and keep you moving, day after day, says Echols.

    The meal already strikes a balance, but for athletes focused on maximizing recovery, adding a source of calcium and vitamin D (like a yogurt-based sauce or a fortified beverage such as soy or oat milk) can offer extra benefits, says Rifkin. “Vitamin D in particular supports muscle strength and contraction speed, and deficiency is pretty common in the U.S., so it’s especially important for athletes to make sure they’re getting enough through food or supplementation,” she says.

    For endurance athletes, these details can significantly affect how well the body recovers and performs in back-to-back sessions, says Echols. “The best recovery meals are the ones that match the effort and evolve with your training, not apart from it.

    Are you planning to watch the cross-country ski event? If so, let us know in the comments and tell us what you think of this recipe. 

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    aunderwood

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