'I'm An Olympic Figure Skater—Here's What I Eat In A Day' (2024)

When world-champion figure skater Ashley Wagner first moved to California six years ago, her go-to meal was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Not exactly what first comes to mind when you think of a meal fit for an Olympic-level athlete. But paying for coaches, ice time, and rent out of pocket was no easy feat.

So Ashley learned to value simple foods that guaranteed a burst of energy for her gruelling training sessions—three to four hours on the ice and two hours in the gym doingcardioor resistance a day, to be exact. “Right off the bat, I felt like I really needed to be efficient with my nutrition,” Ashley tellsWomen’s Health. “I learned to enjoy the basics like grilled chicken breast, wild rice, and veggies. That’s a well-balanced meal that can fuel me throughout the day.”

Now, the 26-year-oldfigure skater has aWorld Silver Medal, Olympic Bronze Medal, and five Grand Prix medals under her belt, along with two back-to-backU.S. Championshipwins—andthe luxury of choice and variety when it comes to her meals.

Ashley is also a spokesperson for the Dick's Sporting Goods Contenders Program, which gives flexible jobs to Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls so they can support themselves while training for the Olympics.

Food has always had a difficult role in the figure skating community. Eating disorders have long been an issue, in part due to the sport's emphasis on aesthetics (like in ballet) and because a lighter frame may make performing easier. "At a certain point, a smaller, lighter body is just easier to jump up in the air. That’s science," Ashley says. Combine this reality with the high-stakes pressure of elite athletic competition, and you often get athletes facing immense pressure to weigh a certain amount. "I’ve had super old-school coaches who would weigh me once a week," Ashley says.

And it's still a problem—American skater Gracie Gold was forced to withdraw from competition before the 2018 Olympics this year due to ongoing treatment for mental health issues and her eating disorder, according to People.

However, Ashley thinks the sport is changing. “You can’t just be thin now, you have to be so strong. In order to get that strength, you have to keep fueling your body properly,” she says. Ashley says her own eating attitudes have changed as a result. "If I feel sluggish one day, I say to myself, ‘Girl, you need to go home and have some pasta.’”

So what does this Olympian eat to perform incredible feats on the ice? Without further ado, here’s Ashley's daily meal plan:

Breakfast

Ashley starts the day with a cup of green tea and a frozenKashi wafflewith peanut butter and honey. “I’m not a morning person," Ashley says, "but my favorite thing about this meal is that you’re getting the carbohydrates for quick energy, a bit of protein from the peanut butter, and honey helps give you a boost. I have the green tea to zest me up, wake me up, and get me going,” she says. “Convenience is always key for me. You can make this in two minutes and then you’re out the door.”

The caffeine addicts among us might notice a certain essential beverage missing from the equation. What gives? “Oh, I’m a coffee fiend, but I give myself coffee as a treat,” she says.

Related:‘I Drank Matcha Tea Instead of Coffee Every Morning for a Week—Here’s What Happened'

Morning snack

Despite the cold temps in the skating rink, Wagner sweats a ton throughout her several hours of training a day. She sips a smoothie filled with original flavorZico Coconut Waterto replenishelectrolytes, and adds spinach, kale, mixed berries, and half a frozen banana. “I really despise drinking water, and I’ve been obsessed with Zico coconut water for quite some time," Ashley says. "Having something like that is really great when I’m working hard. It gives me a boost of energy without tasting sugary orprocessed."

Looking for easy snack options? Check out these 13 delicious ways to spice up a tub of hummus:

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Lunch

Lunch is a grilled chicken breast seasoned with salt and pepper on a big bed of mixed greens with cucumbers, tomatoes, light feta cheese, and balsamic vinegar dressing. “I’m training throughout the day so lunch needs to be pretty light. Jumping is really hard on a full stomach," Ashley says. "Having thatproteinfuels me a little bit, and then I’ll add a vinaigrette for some flavor."

Afternoon snack

To tide her over until dinner, she’ll have either a handful of baby carrots and quarter bell pepper in any color with hummus and a squeeze of lemon, two clementine oranges, or a whole Asian pear.

Related:'I'm A Vegan Bodybuilder—Here's What I Eat In A Day'

Dinner

Ashley isn’t always a chicken-twice-a-day kind of gal. “I mix up my meat because I also eat red meat or I’ll make myself some salmon,” she says. “Most of the time it’s a mixed greens bowl. I get some different colors in there to vary the nutrition." Her usual dinner isa chicken broccoli bowl prepared the night before, so reheating is easy after training. It’s made with grilled chicken breast with fresh garlic, salt and pepper, steamed broccoli with dijonnaise, andsweet potatocakes made with a quinoa, chickpea, and almond flour mixture.

Related:The 7 WORST Foods To Eat At Night

In many ways, she’s all of us: “I have acheat dayonce a week so that way I can kind of hold out until Saturday,” Ashley says. “Thai food is my favorite thing in the entire world. I can actually go to town on chicken pad Thai.”