The Foods Simone Biles Ate To Get Her Ready For The Paris Olympics
Simone Biles naming her favorite food as pizza makes us feel like maybe Olympians are just like us, after all. But in reality, cheese- and pepperoni-topped goodness isn't likely to fuel 12-foot high jumps all by itself. So how did the world-class gymnast fill her belly in order to train and ultimately take home a record-setting number of medals at the 2024 Olympics?
In order to power through six- to seven-hour workouts, Biles turns to protein and produce, as well as a few carbs. Boiled eggs, chicken, and salmon are at the top of her list, and sometimes pasta makes an appearance, too. She also occasionally snacks on granola bars, toast, or fruits like grapes, strawberries, and bananas. In the evening, Biles may fill her plate with vegetables like carrots, asparagus, and green beans, and starches including rice or potatoes, in addition to meat or fish. Dairy is sometimes on the table, too, particularly in the form of feta on her salads.
Biles has also been known to make protein shakes a part of her pre- and post-workout routine. But if you thought the decorated Olympian's only indulgence is pizza, think again. While Biles isn't one to nosh on sweets on the reg, she won't shy away from ice cream or cookies when she wants some. And when it comes to drinks, she will partake in the occasional glass of wine or sip on a tequila-based beverage.
What Simone Biles doesn't eat or drink
Simone Biles takes a casual approach to food, feeding her body what it needs when it needs it. So, there are few things that are off the table when it comes to her diet. However, one potentially surprising omission from the energetic athlete's diet is coffee. Despite the early hours that she rises every morning (around 7:40 a.m.), Biles chooses water over caffeine throughout the day.
Biles also sometimes skips out on breakfast in the morning, too. With dogs to walk and early training start times, food takes a backseat on some workout days. But that doesn't mean Biles has an aversion to a morning meal. When she does squeeze it in on a weekday, she might reach for fruit or oatmeal, but on weekends, the gold medalist sometimes goes big with the likes of waffles or homemade cinnamon rolls.
Other than coffee, Biles' list of foods she won't touch is definitely a short one. The famed gymnast names coconut as the one thing she won't eat, as she simply doesn't care for the flavor.
What Simone Biles thought of the food at the Paris Olympic Village
Even though Simone Biles is clearly not a picky eater, the food at the Olympic Village in Paris failed to impress her or her teammates. Just days after the beginning of the 2024 Olympics, when asked about the meals served in the village, Biles appeared to politely sidestep the issue, noting that the food was not necessarily "proper French cuisine" (via NBC), though she did say the pizza was a good pick. Meanwhile, most of her teammates avoided the question, with the exception of Hezly Rivera, who piped up to share that she was less than enthused with the dining hall's options.
Despite this, Biles had a lot of love to share regarding pastries that she enjoyed in Paris. In fact, she was so enthusiastic about them, she posted a video on TikTok captioned "give me all the desserts."
@simonebilesowens
In addition to the pastry in the video, Biles was gifted with pain au chocolat and spotted with boxes of "crookies," too. The TikTok-viral, French-born pastry marries croissants and cookies, similar to the way that croissants and doughnuts were brought together to make New York City's iconic "cronut" in 2013. So while the Olympic Village may not have served up the kind of French food that Biles hoped for, she was still able to partake in plenty of Parisian pastries, all while making history in the City of Light.