The best athletes in the world have converged in Italy for the 2026 Winter Olympicsand the various towns are doing their best to make sure they have all the fuel and food they need to go panning for gold.
The Olympians for the 2026 Winter Games are spread across six towns in total, with the main centers of Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo hosting around 1,500 and 1,400 people respectively.
Each day, up to 4,500 breakfasts, lunches and dinners will be prepared in the Milà Village, head of food and drinks for the Olympic Games. Elisabetta Salvadori he said Reuters in a story published on Tuesday, February 3. The village of Cortina will serve up to 4,000 meals a day.
Salvadori said Olympic Village athletes are given a wide range of options, but typically opt for plain pasta, basic sauce and protein.
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“Then, of course, they have other dining options like lasagna, gnocchi and desserts,” Salvadori said.
The main Olympic villas have food halls with chefs behind six stations. There is also fruit, bread and a salad bar at other stalls.
The food at the 2026 games has an Italian twist, with photos of the interior of the food halls showing various pastas and pizzas, as well as items such as smoked grilled cheese scamorza, turkey breast and salmon steak.
An athlete from Team Japan is served food at a canteen in the Olympic Village ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan on February 3, 2026.
PIERO CRUCIATTI / AFPFood is available 24 hours a day, with breakfast, lunch and dinner all served on a rotating basis.
“It’s not a Michelin star restaurant, but I find it quite adequate,” said the Dutch speed skater Boo’s Jennings he said Reuters. “I had pasta, a salad and some chicken. So everything an athlete needs is there.”
Team USA figure skating superstar Ilya Malinin he said, “I like it. It’s comfortable for me.”
Jess Perlmuttera Team USA snowboarder, spoke about her first experience eating inside the Village.
“I’ve had the best pasta I’ve ever had here, and I had ice cream last night. So it’s been really fun,” he said during a press conference Tuesday.
Latvian speed skater Reinis Berzins he said Reuters“There’s carbs, protein, lots of snacks throughout the day. It looks like food won’t be a problem these Olympics.”
“We haven’t had any major issues so far,” Salvadori said, “just some minor things that you expect at the beginning. Someone asked for oatmeal in the morning. It was already there.”
The Olympics in Italy are off to a much better start than the 2024 Summer Games in Paris, where the food drew negative reviews from many of the participating athletes.
“I think there are misconceptions about what athletes eat,” said the Team USA rugby player Ilona Maher said the TikTok.
After Team USA’s women’s gymnastics team won gold in the team event in Paris, they were asked about the food at the Village.
“Okay, here’s the thing,” Simone Biles he told reporters. “I don’t think we have proper French cuisine in the village, like you might be eating because you’re out of town. For the athletes, it’s a little bit healthier.”
Company of Biles Hezly Rivera added: “I don’t think it’s very good, at least what we’re doing in the dining room. I definitely think French food is good, but what we have in there, I don’t think it’s the best. But it does the job.”