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 dwelling 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 adorned feminine bobsledder in historical past, however she’s additionally essentially the most adorned 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 be able to make anyplace on the planet.

What Does the Most Embellished Feminine Bobsledder Take pleasure in to Gas? 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 unique 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 persistently turns to 1 specific dish to energy her journey: Bolognese pasta. “I can discover the components anyplace on the planet, and it’s obtained all the pieces I want 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 be able to “sneak veggies in.”

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

Plus, her two boys find it irresistible. “If mother’s obtained a bowl of spaghetti for them on the finish of the day, they’re going to be glad,” Taylor says.

I share those self same sentiments. At the very least 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 offer Taylor’s Olympian-approved meal a attempt to see if it may gasoline my exercises simply by making a tiny swap in the primary components. I additionally linked with a number of vitamin specialists 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.

Find out how to Make Elana Meyers Taylor’s Bolognese Pasta

Serving: 6

Elements

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 purple pepper flakes, to style
1 lb of chickpea pasta, equivalent to penne, rotini, or spaghetti (I used this one by Barilla)
Non-obligatory: Parmesan cheese for garnishing

Recipe

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.
Add the carrot and floor beef, stirring usually, till the meat is not pink, about ten minutes.
Stir within the tomatoes, oregano, and basil. Scale back the warmth to low and simmer for half-hour.
Season with salt, pepper, and purple pepper flakes to style. Add the spinach and cook dinner till wilted, about two minutes.
Whereas the sauce simmers, convey a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook dinner the chickpea pasta in response to bundle instructions.
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 wouldn’t it derail the entire meal?

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

The true take a look at got here the subsequent morning. I’d eaten the Bolognese pasta for dinner the night time earlier than, and once I awakened for my barre class, I had sustained power all through your entire exercise—no crashes. That’s once I realized this pasta may really be a game-changer for my health routine.

Find out how to Get the Most Out of This Meal, In line with Nutritionists

Olympic athletes want a well-balanced meal to remain fueled: lean protein, advanced 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 wonderful 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 replenish 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 development and restore. The meat and spinach additionally ship iron and B nutritional vitamins crucial for power manufacturing. This issues particularly for feminine athletes: iron straight impacts oxygen supply to working muscle mass, 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 could cause lowered power, which might impression 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 properly. Generally we get so targeted on optimizing each little factor that we overlook a very powerful issue is definitely consuming sufficient meals that digest properly and that an athlete will persistently eat.”

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

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