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When Maureen Ackerly won the 2008 Napa Valley Marathon, earning a spot at the Olympic Trials, she thanked two people for helping her realize the dream: her husband/coach and the hotel manager at her wine country lodge. Her husband had Fed-Exed Ackerly’s favorite pancake mix in advance to guarantee his wife would have exactly the same prerace meal she’s eaten for years. And the hotel manager agreed to have the kitchen whip up a batch of the cornmeal shortcakes. Yes, Ackerly admits she’s a control freak. But the stakes were high, she says, so sticking to her eating routine was crucial to her efforts.

Read more here: Road Food: 5 Nutrition Tips to Follow When You Travel

It’s going to take a lot of energy to carry you through 26.2. Make sure what you’re eating is fueling you for top performance with this guide.

Read more here: How to Fuel for a Marathon

Does it ever feel like you have to spend hours and hours at the gym, change your diet dramatically or jump way out of your comfort zone to reap any rewards in the health department? Think again. Our experts say that these small changes can have significant health payoffs.

Read more here: 10 Small Changes with Big Health Payoffs

Encouraging healthy eating can feel like a big task in a world that glorifies candy, chocolate and chips over foods that are healthy and will help your kids grow up strong. Luckily, kids look up to their parents, so you can help to guide them in the choices they make. “Parents have to be good role models,” says Dr. Brian McCrindle, Foundation spokesperson and cardiologist at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. “Try to incorporate fruits and vegetables into every meal – including breakfast. Also, limit processed foods and have healthy meals and snacks planned for your kids as well as yourself.” He says it’s better to try to set the example of “do as I do,” and not the more common “do as I say.”

Read more: 10 cool nutrition tips for your kids

You probably think the typical Olympic athlete’s big nutritional concern is eating enough to make it through the day’s workout(s). That’s certainly true for some. Cross-country skiers, particularly women, have a difficult time consuming the 4,000 or 5,000 calories they may need to replace what they’re burning off, says Susie Parker-Simmons, a sports dietitian with the United States Olympic Committee.

But then there’s the poor Olympic ski jumper.

The full article is Winter Olympic Nutrition Plan.

The food supplied for the athletes at the Olympic Village needs to cater for a diversity of sports, cultures, ages and special dietary needs. Here is some information about the Olympic Village food menu for Vancouver in 2010, the details taken from an article by USOC Sports Dietician Susie Parker-Simmons. See more about Olympic Village nutrition and links to information about the menus at other Olympic Games.

As for previous Olympic Games, the Vancouver Olympic Village menu has to cater for a wide range of sports, cultures, ages and special dietary needs. The dietitians preparing the menu for Vancouver are catering for the special needs of halal, gluten free, vegetarian (vegan), nut free and lactose free diets.

There will be some food selection available all day (24-hours), such as fruit, salads, yogurts, cereals, breads, sandwiches, beverages, and desserts. Specific menus will be available at the major meal times throughout the day. Breakfast is on between 4am and 10am, and includes cereals, egg dishes, breakfast meats, potato dishes, rice, assortment of breads and other hot items such as waffles. Lunch is from 10am to 4pm and dinner from 4pm 12am. Both the lunch and dinner meal will include soups, international entrees, an Asian section, grill/carvery, a Native Canadian section, pizza and pasta, halal and various vegetables and starches (rice, noodles, pasta). Late night eating will include soups, pizza, salads, omelets, pasta, salads and a Native Canadian section.

For those who have to eat away from the village, for example on days that they are competing, they are able to pre-order box lunches. All menu items will include nutritional labeling, with common food allergies also identified. The catering company for the Vancouver and Whistler Olympic Villages is Sodexo.

Also see:

• Olympic Village nutrition, includes links to info about the menu at other Olympic Games.
• Nutrition at the Olympics
• the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games
• about the Olympic Games