The United States Women’s National Soccer Team brought all their power to the Tokyo pitch this year. And, yep, all that hard work definitely paid off. The squad brought home an impressive bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, of course.
And ICYDK, a lot of thoughtful planning made their win possible. It’s not just the coaches and players who lead a team to victory. There are many other factors that help them perform their best in each game. That’s where Teren Green comes in, the private chef for the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team.
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He’s the man behind all the women’s soccer team’s delicious AF meals that give them the fuel they need to go after an Olympic medal (and beyond).
Chef T played a major role in many of the team’s victories, including their 2019 World Cup Title in France. But the U.S. Women’s National Team aren’t the only athletes he’s catered for. In a previous position, he was also a private chef for the Detroit Pistons.
While that means he gets to travel around the world (which is pretty freakin’ cool), he says the best part is seeing the smiles on the players after he prepares a dish they love.
“My favorite part [is] how appreciative they are for the food and everything that I do for them,” Chef Teren explains. “The girls love every meal that we have, and they love the variety that we provide for them. There’s never any complaints. It’s just all good news,” he says.
If you’re wondering exactly what Chef Teren cooks for each meal that makes the players so darn happy to have him around, keep reading. The following is everything the U.S. Women’s National Team’s private chef cooks for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, pre-game, post-game, and more.
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Breakfast
For breakfast, the USWNT likes to stick to a traditional morning meal. “They’ll typically have scrambled eggs, a variety of diced white or sweet potatoes,” Chef Teren says. Depending on the day, the team will probably have those elements in the form of a breakfast hash or as separate items.
And meat-lovers, don’t fret. The women also typically have turkey bacon and sausage on the menu, too. The USWNT also has an omelet station where they can build their own breakfast sitch. “Overall, we just like to have a lot of variety so they can each have something that they like,” Chef Teren says. And, yep, there’s also a bunch of cereals on deck for b-fast, too, Chef T explains. Btw, the team favorite is Frosted Flakes.
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That said, when it comes to pregame eats specifically, it’s all about the carbs, explains Lindsay Langford, MS, RDN, the team’s sports dietitian who also assists in choosing menu items for the players.
“The team has been provided with many presentations on the need for carbohydrates,” Langford explains. “They each have a custom serving size that tells them how many carbohydrates they’re supposed to be taking in at each meal, and then what they choose to eat, specifically, is their decision,” she notes.
In short, they need a *lot* of carbs to make sure they’re able to work the entire game. “They’re running for 90 minutes straight,” Chef Teren says. “They’re going to burn everything they eat off right away, so we like to add a lot of pancakes, oatmeals, and potatoes for a pregame meal.”
Lunch
When it comes to lunch, the menu gets switched up a little bit. Chef Teren likes to have a build-your-own-meal type spread so that the players can fuel the way that makes them happiest in the moment.
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“We may have beef, pork, or chicken tacos, and then different tortilla types like corn, flour hard shell, or soft shell,” Chef Teren says. “Then we’ll have the toppings, like lettuce, tomato, avocado, sour creams, and salsas.” The team also likes when he serves up a Greek-style lunch, which includes DIY gyros with hummus, chicken, shrimp, and more.
There’s only one person who is a “strict vegan” on the team, Teren says, and that’s Alex Morgan. “I would make all her meals personally,” Chef Teren says. “Her menu was slightly different from the rest. She’d have ideas of what she would want and I would try to make it creative and fun for her,” he explains.
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Snacks
Now that you’ve got some info on the meals Chef Teren preps for all the USWNT players, you’re probably wondering what kinds of snacks they take when they’re on-the-go, too. TBH, they like to keep things simple, Langford says.
They love prepackaged PB&J’s from the brand Kram, as well as roasted fava beans by Bada Bean Bada Boom, and GoMacro energy bars, says Langford. In short, anything that both gives them a quick energy supply that they can also stash in their bag is perfect.
The U.S. Women’s Soccer Team’s Favorite Packaged Snacks
Dinner
As the day winds down and there’s no more training, games, or meetings on the calendar, the team has a heavy meal for dinner.
“Dinner is similar to lunch, but we’ll have heartier options for the players,” Chef Teren says. “We’ll have steak filets, diced chicken breast, and I’ll season it in different ways for them,” he explains. Alongside their meat, the team will have a variety of carbs and mixed vegetables to keep them full and restore their energy.
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For post-game meals, specifically, though, Chef Teren cooks up what he calls the “more exciting foods.” What do those entail, exactly? “Healthy macaroni and cheeses, broccoli with cheese sauce, flatbread pizzas, baked chicken wings, all food that they can look forward to after they’ve played a long game,” he says.
Nutrition-wise, post-game meals are focused on giving the team the protein and omega-3 fatty acids they need to recover, Langford says.
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Now that you know everything about the U.S. National Women’s Team’s menu, you can use their meals (or Chef T’s Instagram page) for a little inspiration when it’s time to meal plan. Happy eating!
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