People love to imagine that professional athletes eat in a way that feels exciting or extreme. Exotic superfoods. Constant variety. Perfectly photogenic plates. The reality is far less glamorous, and far more disciplined.
Fueling a professional hockey team is not about novelty. It is about reliability. At the highest level of sport, food is not entertainment. It is a tool. It supports recovery. It supports performance. It reduces decision fatigue. And most importantly, it removes variables.
Meals need to taste good, but they also need to show up the same way every time. Portions must be consistent. Ingredients must be traceable. Timing must be predictable.
Repetition is not a flaw. It is a feature.
What does change is the standard. Food safety protocols are tighter. Production schedules are precise. Every step is documented.
What makes this interesting is how closely it mirrors what actually works for everyday people. Predictable meals. Simple ingredients. Fewer daily decisions. Less friction.
The biggest myth in nutrition is that success comes from perfection. In reality, it comes from removing obstacles.
Fueling a pro team is not about doing something radically different. It is about doing the fundamentals at a higher standard, over and over again, without cutting corners.
By Denis Analytis, CEO, Meal Prep Ottawa