Sports Nutrition

Sports nutrition provides the optimal fuel for student-athletes to truly enhance performance and should be one of the most important parts of a student-athlete’s career.  Student-athletes often concentrate on conditioning and training, but forget that proper nutrition supplies them with the most efficient source of energy allowing them to compete at the top levels. Please check out the below sports nutrition resources for more information.  

Campus Nutritionist

Jessica Pellicciotta, MA,RD,LDN
ACE Certified Personal Trainer
jessica.pellicciotta@villanova.edu

To schedule an appointment with the campus nutritionist you can either call (610) 519-7407 or email joyce.minogue@villanova.edu.

Jessica teaches the Healthy Habits for Life program and is available for individual nutrition consultations. Jessica also provides education programs on a variety of wellness topics including, nutrition and fitness, supermarket tours, cooking demonstrations, stress management, and caffeine to the Villanova Community.

Why meet with the Campus Nutritionist?

• To IMPROVE overall health and wellness
• To OBTAIN a healthy balance while eating on campus
• To INCREASE energy levels
• To REACH and MAINTAIN an optimal body weight
• To OPTIMIZE athletic performance
• To RECEIVE nutrition education for medical concerns

Nutrition Tips

Better Sports Diets Begin with Breakfast

What happens if you skip breakfast?

Skipping breakfast can slow down your metabolism and can cause weight gain. Not eating breakfast will hurt your performance and leave you feeling drained the rest of the day. A high energy breakfast sets the stage for a high energy day!

Not hungry in the morning?

Probably because you ate too many calories the night before. Eating late at night, will curb your morning appetite, contribute to weight gain and even result in an inadequate diet.

Why do you need to eat breakfast after a workout?

Your muscles get depleted during a workout and they need food to repair and build new muscle. The best time to eat is immediately after you are done. This allows the food to go directly to your muscles instead of being stored as fat. Try to eat your post workout meal within 30 minutes to 2 hours of your workout. This ensures the best recovery! The post workout breakfast includes carbohydrates, protein and minimal fat.

Here are the best breakfast items to eat:

• Egg omelet, 2 slices whole grain toast, and fruit
• 2 bowls of cereal (Wheaties, Raisin Bran, Total, Frosted Mini Wheats, Special K, Cheerios, Life)  and a banana
• Pancakes, scrambled eggs, and fruit
• Yogurt, granola, and fruit
• Bagel with peanut butter, chocolate milk, and fruit
• Large bowl of oatmeal or cream of wheat (add milk to cereal to increase protein) and orange juice
• French toast, scrambled eggs, and fruit
• Waffles, scrambled eggs, and fruit
• English muffin with peanut butter, milk, and fruit
• Fruit smoothie with a scoop of peanut butter
• Breakfast egg sandwich with ham and orange juice

On the go breakfast:

• Gatorade Nutrition shake and banana
• Gatorade bar, yogurt, and fruit
• Gatorade Protein Recovery Powder, 1 scoop w/20 fl. oz. Gatorade
• Gatorade Protein Recovery Shake and fruit
• Carnation Instant Breakfast and fruit

What to limit for breakfast, these foods can delay recovery:

• Donuts
• Danish
• High sugar cereal like Froot Loops, Cap’n Crunch, etc.
• High fat items like, bacon, sausage, hash browns, fried potato

For more information please contact Jessica Pellicciotta at jessica.pellicciotta@villanova.edu.

Recipe of the Month

Ultimate Beef Chili

Ingredients

• 1 pound beef round, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 3 onions, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 8 sun-dried tomatoes, (not packed in oil), snipped into small pieces
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 19-ounce cans dark kidney beans, rinsed
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons lime juice

Preparation

1. Season beef with salt and pepper. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add half the beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides, 2 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat with another 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and remaining beef.
2. Reduce heat to medium and add remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to the pot. Add onions and bell peppers; cook, stirring frequently, until onions are golden brown, 10 to 20 minutes. Add garlic, jalapenos, cumin, chili powder, paprika and oregano. Stir until aromatic, about 2 minutes.
3. Simmer, scraping up any browned bits, for about 3 minutes. Add diced tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, bay leaves and reserved beef. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beef is very tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
4. Add beans; cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until chili has thickened, 30 to 45 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Stir in cilantro and lime juice. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
• For a hot, smoky chili, add 1 tablespoon chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce.

Nutrition

Per serving: 235 calories; 5 g fat (1 g sat, 2 g mono); 24 mg cholesterol; 31 g carbohydrates; 17 g protein; 11 g fiber; 496 mg sodium; 582 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: 52 mg vitamin c (90% dv), 38% dv fiber, 35% dv vitamin a, 4 mg iron (20% dv).
1 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 1/2 vegetable, 2 1/2 lean meat

For more great recipes check out www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus.

Sports Nutrition Resources

Office Of Health Promotion                                www.villanova.edu/studentlife/healthandwellness/

USDA MyPyramid                                                          www.mypyramid.gov

Sports, Cardiovascular & Wellness Nutritionist (SCAN)      www.scandpg.org

NCAA Health and Safety Programs                                  www.ncaa.org/health-safety

Australian Institute of Sport                                            www.ausport.gov.au/ais/nutrition

The Gatorade Sport Institute                                           www.gssiweb.com

Powerbar                                                                      www.powerbar.com

The American Dietetic Association                                   www.eatright.org

The National Center for Drug Free Sport, Inc                    www.drugfreesport.com

Medline Plus                                                                  www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/

Eating Well Recipes                                                       www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus

Consumer Lab                                                              www.consumerlab.com

FitDay Free Online Weight-Loss Journal                           www.fitday.com