How to Eat in a Dining Hall as an Athlete
For prep school and college athletes, the dining hall is where most meals happen. It’s convenient, social, and all-you-can-eat, but it’s also a common source of frustration. I see athletes struggle with three main challenges when it comes to dining halls:
Not knowing what to eat. Dining halls love to make meals look “fancy,” diverse ethnic cuisines, saucy pastas, and heavily seasoned dishes. It looks appealing, but it can make it hard to spot simple, clean fuel.
Stomach discomfort. The oils, marinades, and processed ingredients that dining halls often use can upset your stomach, which is the last thing you want before practice or a game.
Overloading on comfort foods. With pizza, fries, cereals, and desserts always available, it’s just as easy to fill your plate with poor choices as it is to fuel properly. And those choices can leave you sluggish, bloated, or drained of energy. With that said, I enjoy a cup of ice cream most nights.
The good news? You don’t have to feel stuck. With these small strategies, the dining hall can be one of your most effective tools for athletic performance and recovery.
1. Keep It Simple
Your body doesn’t need “fancy.” Stick to basics you know and can recognize. If it runs, swims, flies, or grows out of the ground, it’s a safe bet:
Protein: Grilled chicken, steak, eggs, fish, beans, tofu
Carbs: Rice, pasta, potatoes, oats, fruit
Color: Vegetables and fruit for recovery and overall health
Pro Tip: If the hot food options aren’t offering a clean protein, most salad bars will have a good choice like grilled chicken, eggs, or chickpeas.
Pro Tip: Bring your own add-ins (if allowed): Some dining halls don’t allow outside food because of allergies, but if you can get away with it, bring a few small items to boost your meals. Things like protein powders, avocados, nut butters, or seeds can help fill gaps in dining hall options and make your meals more athlete-friendly.
2. Balance Your Plate
Generally, use the ⅓ rule:
⅓ Carbohydrates for energy
⅓ Protein for muscle repair
⅓ Color from fruits and vegetables
This keeps meals consistent and avoids the overload that often leads to “dining hall stomach.”
Pro Tip: Don’t feel pressured to take an entire “meal” from just one station. Instead, treat the dining hall like a buffet where you can customize your meal. Create a balanced bowl by mixing and matching lean protein, carbs, and color from wherever you find them. This approach frees you from the “fancy” pre-built meals and gives you control over what fuels your body.
Example: Grab grilled chicken from the grill station, rice from the global bar, and veggies from the salad bar.
3. Fuel Around Training
Before practice/game: Prioritize carbs + lean protein, limit greasy or creamy foods that could upset your stomach.
Example: chicken with rice and fruit
After training, rebuild with protein and carbs within 30–60 minutes.
Example: eggs and toast, or a rice bowl with grilled protein and veggies
Pro Tip: Take advantage of to-go containers. Athlete schedules are hectic; sometimes you don’t have time to sit down for a complete meal. Use a to-go container to:
Pack snacks for later (fruit, hard-boiled eggs, yogurt cups, wraps).
Save part of your meal for after practice.
Make a “second plate” for when you know your dining hall will be closed but you’ll need fuel.
This hack helps you avoid hunger and junk food when healthy options aren’t available.
4. Be Mindful of the Extras
It’s more than okay to enjoy pizza or dessert now and then, but if they become your everyday go-to, your performance will suffer. Think of them as “sometimes foods,” not your baseline fuel.
5. Hydrate the Right Way
Skip the soda machine most of the time. Stick to water or milk to stay hydrated and support recovery. Soda should fall under the “sometimes foods” category, and fruit juices should come in the form of the fruit itself or be used after a high-intensity training to replace carbohydrate loss. Coconut water or electrolyte supplements are also great options.
Final Takeaway
Dining halls can feel like a trap; fancy meals, heavy oils, and endless comfort foods all compete for your attention. But as an athlete, the best strategy is often the simplest one: choose clean basics, balance your plate, and fuel with purpose. When you treat the dining hall as a tool for performance, rather than just a place to eat, your energy, recovery, and game-day performance will all improve.For prep school and college athletes, the dining hall is where most meals happen. It’s convenient, social, and all-you-can-eat, but it’s also a common source of frustration. I see athletes struggle with three main challenges when it comes to dining halls.
