Just like many kids, NFL players are picky about their food. Yet, they must consume the right amount of nutrients irrespective of their meal choices.
NFL dietician, Leslie Bonci, has solved this puzzle by devising a means of introducing the needed nutrients in their food. The technique works for her kids back at home too.
She Sneaks in the Nutrients
For more than three decades, Bonci has worked at the NFL, promoting the well-being of players through healthy meals. She has been entrusted with this responsibility by the Kansas City Chiefs since 2015.
Source: Quora
Now, the team has even more younger players who want to eat what they love. Fortunately, Bonci’s new strategy of sneaking nutrients into their food while keeping them as delicious as ever has helped the team stay at the top of their health game. She shares some of her secrets with us.
Blended Beans Plus Sauces
Not everyone loves the texture of beans. But for every dietician, their rich protein and fiber content is hard to dismiss. Luckily, Bonci found a smooth way to get them into the team’s meals.
Source: Quora
She blends them into pasta sauces and a number of dishes such as the cioppino, a certain kind of fish stew that’s popular in San Francisco. Your kids will never know.
You Need to Get the Right Flavor
Equally as interesting, she blends canned white kidney beans into the sauce for Mac and cheese. But you must get the flavor right, she warns. “The bottom line is you have to have the familiar flavor, otherwise it doesn’t get eaten,” Bonci said.
Source: Quora
“We use a lot of beans at home too because they’re so easy, and I do canned — I don’t do them from dry, I don’t have time, but they’re such a beautifully easy thing to sneak into dishes.”
Meatballs, Lentils, and Vegetables
Bonci adds shredded vegetables and lentils to her meatballs. Of course, she makes them herself and assures us that these additives shoot up the nutritional value.
Source: Quora
“You can do half lentil and half beef, and now you’ve added more fiber, but you’re not tasting the lentil, you’re tasting the meat. That to me is a win-win. I’ve made it better for you, but you’re eating it because you like it,” she continued.
Make Some Concessions
For athletes who were concerned that eating healthy could mean forfeiting some of their favorite meals, Bonci had some calming reassurance for them.
Source: Quora
She doesn’t believe in disregarding people’s food preferences, so she makes some concessions by combining foods instead of replacing them. For example, rather than overindulging in chicken wings, they could reduce the portions to make room for some nutrient-rich additives.
People Know Which Food Is Healthy
According to Bonci, many people already know what meals are healthy. However, a knowledge of healthy meals isn’t enough to combat the cravings for their preferred food.
Source: Quora
“They all know that vegetables are healthy,” Bonci remarked. “That’s not a surprise, but it’s just in the moment when you want to eat something, what are you going to go with? You’re usually going to go with the thing that you know and like.”
Popcorn Plus Roasted Chickpeas
While popcorns are great for concealing vital nutrients, Bonci suggests adding some roasted chickpeas. Chickpeas will add a good amount of protein and fiber while leaving the crunchiness intact.
Source: Quora
Similarly, you can add chickpeas to salads. In that case, you’ll have the liberty of adding any seasonings or spices of your choice in your preferred ratios.
Oatmeal and Pumpkin Puree
Believe it or not, Bonci makes her meals with canned pumpkins all year round and not just on Thanksgiving. She particularly loves to mix it with oatmeal and a little pumpkin pie spice.
Source: Quora
“You can get it all year long and it’s a more affordable vegetable compared to others,” Bonci disclosed. “Significant nutritional value, minimal calories, and no prep.” Sounds exciting, doesn’t it?
An Ice Cube Tray Will Help
Frozen canned pumpkin is yet another idea Bonci uses for her pumpkin and oatmeal mix. She uses an ice cube tray and enjoys the freedom of taking as many cubes of the frozen stuff as she wants.
Source: Quora
Whether canned, frozen, or pre-chopped Bonci uses squash and pumpkin for her sauces and even smoothies.
She Uses Lots of Pre-Prepared Ingredients
You can imagine the enormous responsibility in Bonci’s hands every day. Consequently, time isn’t going to be on her side. But she still has to make those meals as healthy as possible.
Source: Quora
What she does is utilize lots of pre-prepared ingredients and canned food. For example, she mixed canned soup with canned beans and some plain full-fat Greek yogurt.
Make It Attractive
Despite using pre-prepared ingredients, the canned soup, beans, and Greek yogurt still end up with an enviable amount of nutrients, chief among which are fiber and protein.
Source: Quora
Afterward, she makes sure to adequately adorn the food so it pleases the eyes as well as it does the stomach. According to her, she adds a “little oil on the top or some sunflower seeds to make it pretty.”
