There are 10,000 Olympic athletes that need to be fed during
the 2008 event, which represents the tastes of over 200 countries.
Approximately 80 percent of the food at the Olympics is shipped in from China
and is grown on special farms where the soil, water and food are constantly
being tested. After it’s arrival, it is X-rayed and tested again according to
Aramark, the Philadelphia-based caterer to the Games. There is a lot of
international scrutiny and suspicion about food safety, so everything is watched
very closely. The dining room sits 6000 people and is the size of 3 football
fields. One of the most popular dishes is Beijing duck, which is carved by a
local chef who prepares it a kitchen all of his own.
The “World Menu” consists of 1500 items for every meal and it took more than a year to put together. Some breakfast offerings include grilled catfish, veal schnitzel with butter sauce, pizza with white clam sauce and ham and eggs. They address many issues such as super low-sodium diet, gluten allergies and even homesickness. It was developed with four sports categories in mind: endurance, precision, weight class and team sports like soccer and basketball. Jillian Wanik is the lead dietitian at the Athletes Village and she just loves it when the dining room if full and bustling. She says, “It’s a very joyful place, very positive.” There are menu cards, which list the name of each dish, portion size and extensive nutritional information and are offered in English, French and Chinese.
Wanik, who is from Hartford, Conn., works with two other dieticians from Chile and Hong Kong and they provide an information kiosk right in the dining hall. They work with athletes individually and with doctors and trainers to develop specialized plans. “People used to take things like nutrition for granted,” Wanik said, “but as competition gets more intense, nutrition is becoming increasingly prominent.” It’s a way for athletes to boost energy and perform at their peek, so nutrition is very important to them.
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