What should athletes eat to optimize every aspect of their health? How can nutrition give you a competitive advantage? Why do we attach an emotional value to food? How can you eat more produce? The first guest of season 2 of the Food Bullying podcast can help.

Leslie Bonci is a registered dietitian and a board-certified specialist in sports dietetics. She is the nutrition consultant for the Kansas City Chiefs, Carnegie Mellon University athletics, and the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre – and helps power a wide variety of athletes with smart nutrition.  Listen in, and learn how Leslie’s food insight can help you make smart eating choices. 

Key Points:

• Who is a sports dietitian?
• How do we find common ground when it comes to food?
• Dealing with the boredom factor
• Is canned or frozen food good?
• Why do we attach emotional values to food?
• Plant-based diet for athletes
• Food waste
• Common food labels
• Tips to overcoming food bullying

The Conversation:

 (01:55): Leslie’s introduction

 (02:51): Who is a sports dietitian?

 (05:55): Finding common ground with food

 (07:32): Preventing boredom factor

 (10:11): Canned and frozen food

 (11:41): Why do we attach emotional value to food?

 (15:51): Food wastage

 (19:36): How long should we keep food in the freezer?

 (20:51): Common food labels

 (25:40): Tips to overcoming food bullying

 Fabulous Quotes:

• “Take the fright out of your bite.”
• “All of us can manufacture enough guilt in the course of any given day. It certainly doesn’t have to be derived from the foods that we’re eating.”
• “Take advantage of the freezer. That why it’s there.”
• “It is time for all of us to get back to the idea of nourish, not torture.”
• “As long as you’re eating the produce, that’s what matters at the end of the day.”
• “People always say they want variety, but the reality is that most people have a fairly narrow circle of their go-to foods.”

Links:

• USDA
• Leslie’s website
• Leslie’ LinkedIn
• Food Bullying: How to Avoid Buying BS by Michele Payn
• Embrace your Heart with Eliz Greene