The Paris 2024 Olympics will introduce a shift towards vegetarian food choices, with 60% of recipes for the public being vegetarian and all options at La Concorde being vegetarian. This move aims to reduce the carbon footprint of catering services and provide athletes and visitors with plant-based meal options to enhance performance.
The upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics will mark a significant shift in its food offerings, focusing extensively on vegetarian options. Philipp Würz, responsible for food and beverages at Paris 2024, announced that 60% of the recipes for the general public will be vegetarian, and all food options at La Concorde will be entirely vegetarian—the first time this has happened in Olympic history. This move aims to reduce the carbon footprint of the catering services by including a variety of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole cereals.
Athletes and visitors will have access to an array of plant-based meals, including meat-free hot dogs, falafels, and plant-based ‘tuna,’ among other options. Charles Guilloy, the executive chef for Sodexo Live!, mentioned that he plans to provide dishes like plant-based beef bourguignon with seasonal vegetables and other plant-based variants.
The Olympic and Paralympic Village will cater to 15,000 athletes with vegan options such as cauliflower and baked potato with turmeric, veggie moussaka, and zaatar sweet potato with hummus and chimichurri. Notable athletes like vegan basketball player Diana Taurasi of the Phoenix Mercury, who holds the U.S. Olympic basketball record for most titles, endorse the benefits of a vegan diet for athletic performance.
Research supports the benefits of a plant-based diet for athletes, including improved heart health, performance, and recovery. Athletes from various sports, such as tennis stars Venus Williams and Novak Djokovic, and Formula 1’s Lewis Hamilton, have also adopted plant-based diets to enhance their performance.
Dr. James Loomis, co-author of a review on plant-based diets for athletes and featured in the documentary “The Game Changers,” supports the diet as a means to improve endurance, strength, and recovery. Additional studies corroborate that a vegan diet can be just as effective as an omnivorous diet for performance-based exercise.
The Paris 2024 Olympics’ commitment to plant-based dining options reflects a growing trend among athletes seeking to optimize their performance through dietary choices.
TOP EVENTS
TOP EVENTS
