COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — The Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs operates like "one of the best all-inclusive resorts in town," serving more than 10,000 athletes each year with carefully planned nutrition designed for peak performance.
I recently got a rare look inside the cafeteria to see what it takes to feed America's Olympic hopefuls, and the operation is more sophisticated than you might imagine.
Just steps from the cafeteria entrance, the facility grows 40 pounds of lettuce and microgreens every week in a controlled environment that prioritizes both nutrition and safety.
"You'll notice as we walk through, it's about 28 feet from farm to plate, which really allows us not just to provide the highest nutritional value as possible, but it's also safety," said Mike Beagley, venue director at the Colorado Springs Olympic and Paralympic Training Center.
The hydroponic growing system is completely temperature-controlled and hands-free, protecting against foodborne illness and cross-contamination.
Brian Knutson, director of food and nutrition for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, oversees a team of dietitians who partner with each sport's nutritionists to meet athletes' specific needs.
"We like to call ourselves one of the best all-inclusive resorts in town, so an athlete can come and eat as much, drink as much as they want," Knutson said.
The caloric demands can be staggering. We learned some athletes consume between 4,000 and 6,000 calories daily while training two to three times per day.
"We've had a couple of, we'll just say some weightlifters, who eat one pound of salmon per meal period," Knutson said.
Whether it's a pound of salmon or a post-workout smoothie, Knutson and his team are ready to fuel each athlete's Olympic dreams.
"We know a lot of these athletes. They come in year in, year out, and we really treat them like family," Knutson said.
The preparation extends beyond Colorado Springs. A few weeks ago, the USOPC sent 40 pallets worth of food, snacks and beverages to Italy to ensure athletes have what they need to bring home the gold.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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