Elana Meyers Won Gold. Here’s What She Eats When Training.

The daughter of an athlete, Elana Meyers Taylor, appeared destined for sports activities. At 11, she held a torch on the Atlanta Video games. Many years later, she’s claimed six Olympic medals. Most just lately, she took house her first gold medal within the ladies’s monobobsled occasion on Monday, February 16, on the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympics—her fifth Video games.

Not solely is she essentially the most embellished feminine bobsledder in historical past, however she’s additionally essentially the most embellished Black winter sports activities Olympian.

Days earlier than the Winter Olympics, I needed to ask: What fuels an athlete competing at this degree? Taylor’s reply was refreshingly sensible. Because the mother of Nico (5) and Noah (three), she gravitates towards a meal the entire household enjoys—one thing she will make wherever on the earth.

What Does the Most Embellished Feminine Bobsledder Take pleasure in to Gasoline? Pasta.

Taylor, alongside together with her complete household, travels when she competes, so, along with getting her physique prepared for the video games, she’s additionally caring for her two boys. “Throughout the coaching season, we’re in a distinct location virtually each week,” says Taylor. On the time of this interview, they’re all settled in Milan, Italy, as she will get able to compete in her fifth Olympics.

She constantly turns to at least one specific dish to energy her journey: Bolognese pasta. “I can discover the components wherever on the earth, and it’s bought all the pieces I would like in it.”

Bolognese sauce is an Italian staple, which Taylor loves; she’s the daughter of oldsters with Jamaican, Panamanian, and Italian American roots. She follows a basic Bolognese recipe, floor beef stewed in an fragrant tomato sauce, however she provides spinach so she will “sneak veggies in.”

She can also be gluten-free, so whereas she loves this Bolognese dish, she all the time makes positive to seize her favourite Barilla chickpea pasta as the bottom. “Since I’m in a velocity and energy sport, I would like an excellent carbohydrate to finish my meals,” she provides.

Plus, her two boys adore it. “If mother’s bought a bowl of spaghetti for them on the finish of the day, they’re going to be completely satisfied,” Taylor says.

I share those self same sentiments. Not less than as soon as per week, I make a Bolognese. However I’ve by no means tried it with chickpea pasta. I made a decision to present Taylor’s Olympian-approved meal a attempt to see if it may gasoline my exercises simply by making a tiny swap in the principle components. I additionally related with a couple of vitamin consultants to get their tackle whether or not this meal can energy high-intensity exercises. Learn on for his or her take, and my ideas on this dish.

How one can Make Elana Meyers Taylor’s Bolognese Pasta

Serving: 6

Substances

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

Recipe

1. In a big pot, warmth the olive oil over medium warmth. Add the onion and garlic, cooking till the onions are translucent, about six minutes.
2. Add the carrot and floor beef, stirring typically, till the meat is now not pink, about ten minutes.
3. Stir within the tomatoes, oregano, and basil. Cut back the warmth to low and simmer for half-hour.
4. Season with salt, pepper, and pink pepper flakes to style. Add the spinach and prepare dinner till wilted, about two minutes.
5. Whereas the sauce simmers, convey a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook dinner the chickpea pasta based on bundle instructions.
6. High the cooked chickpea pasta with the Bolognese sauce and a beneficiant grating of Parmesan.

The Verdict: Taylor’s Pasta Dish Hits Completely different

I’m married to an Italian-American, so pasta is a weekly custom in our family—and we’ve positively side-eyed legume-based pastas within the grocery retailer. Going into this recipe, I used to be skeptical: Would chickpea pasta style good, or would it not derail the entire meal?

I used to be pleasantly improper. The chickpea pasta was so delicate that it primarily disappeared beneath the Bolognese sauce.

The true check got here the following morning. I’d eaten the Bolognese pasta for dinner the evening earlier than, and once I awakened for my barre class, I had sustained power all through the whole exercise—no crashes. That’s once I realized this pasta would possibly truly be a game-changer for my health routine.

How one can Get the Most Out of This Meal, In response to Nutritionists

Olympic athletes want a well-balanced meal to remain fueled: lean protein, complicated carbohydrates, and greens, says Yvette Hill, a registered dietitian nutritionist based mostly in Boulder, Colorado. This pasta delivers all three.

The chickpea pasta serves as a superb carbohydrate base, says Claire Rifkin, a registered dietitian nutritionist based mostly in New York Metropolis. “The chickpea pasta will give her an excellent carbohydrate base to refill muscle glycogen shops in a single day, which may be particularly useful for a sport that requires actually explosive actions, like bobsledding.” Every 3.5-ounce serving of Barilla chickpea pasta packs 15 grams of fiber and 21 grams of protein, which is greater than many conventional pastas.

The bottom beef provides much more protein, which is important for muscle growth and repair. The meat and spinach additionally ship iron and B nutritional vitamins essential for energy production. This issues particularly for feminine athletes: iron instantly impacts oxygen delivery to working muscles, and many ladies athletes should be vigilant about their iron standing, says Rifkin.

For much more efficiency advantages, Hill suggests including hydrating components like zucchini to the sauce. “Even delicate dehydration may cause lowered power, which may affect efficiency,” she explains.

On the similar time, Rifkin emphasizes: “The opposite factor that stands out to me is that that is clearly a meal she enjoys and is aware of her physique handles effectively. Generally we get so centered on optimizing each little factor that we neglect crucial issue is definitely consuming sufficient meals that digest effectively and that an athlete will constantly eat.”

As for me, I’ll proceed making this Bolognese pasta and be reminded of Taylor’s feats each time I take a chunk.

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