Patrick T. Fallon / AFP
- The Kansas City Chiefs are playing the Philadelphia Eagles at the Super Bowl today.
- The Chiefs’ executive chef, Erin Wishon, said that a popular breakfast item among players is steak and rice.
- Recent studies suggest that consuming 0.7 grams of protein per pound of body weight is ideal for maximizing strength gains.
The Kansas City Chiefs are playing in the Super Bowl today, and their food and nutrition team has been working to fuel them for success.
In an interview with Us Weekly, the Chiefs’ executive chef Erin Wishon spoke about the type of meals that the players are eating in the lead-up to the big game.
“I think something that people might find surprising is there’s a lot of steak and rice for breakfast,” Wishon — who works for the Chiefs through Aramark Sports + Entertainment at Arrowhead Stadium — told Us Weekly. “We have a couple players that eat two steaks — 12-ounce filets — and rice at breakfast. And then sometimes also at lunch.”
The meal is nutritious and highly satiating, Wishon told Business Insider in a statement.
“The steak, particularly a lean beef tenderloin filet, provides high levels of protein, iron, vitamin B12, and healthy fats. Paired with rice, which offers quick carbohydrates, this combination makes for a highly satiating meal, especially for those with lean dietary preferences,” Wishon said.
In addition to steak and rice, other dishes regularly prepared for the team include seared salmon, halibut, broccoli, and teriyaki chicken thighs, she said.
“Of course, homestyle comfort foods such as fried chicken, mac and cheese, chicken Alfredo, meatloaf, and lasagna remain popular choices as well,” Wishon said.
After working with the players for so long, Wishon says that her team has become familiar with their tastebuds.
“We’re with them three or four meals a day, six or seven days a week for six-plus months of the year. We know what they want. Whether it’s a special condiment or a brand of vegan patty, whatever it might be. We try to match everything as close to home as we can,” she said.
The Chiefs will face off against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
The teams will be fighting for the title for the second time in three years — they last met at Super Bowl LVII in 2023, which the Chiefs won 38-35.
Leslie Bonci, a dietician who has worked with the Chiefs, previously told Business Insider that the players love eating breakfast.
“Breakfast is always a big hit, their favorite meal of the day,” Bonci said, adding that some players even eat breakfast foods before a game.
She also shared that they eat different meals depending on their goals: “gaining plates” for those trying to build muscle, “trimming plates” for those trying to lose weight, and “healing plates” meant to boost recovery. Regardless of their goals, protein is a huge component of each meal.
The Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce eats about 4,000 calories a day, and his personal chef, Kumar Ferguson, describes the player’s protein-heavy diet as “healthy steakhouse cuisine” featuring “steaks, chops, chicken, and stuff like that.”
What’s a good breakfast?
What many people think of as a “traditional breakfast” may not look the same for everyone, Yasi Ansari, a sports dietician based in LA, told BI.
“It is important to put together a meal that helps meet someone’s needs for protein, carbohydrates, fats, fluids, and overall energy goals and helps them start their day off strong and alert — ideally through a food-first approach,” she said.
For instance, eating a full breakfast — like steak and rice, in the case of the Chiefs players — will help athletes meet higher needs for protein, carbohydrates, and overall energy, she said.
“Generally speaking, beef can offer a good source of protein, zinc, iron, and vitamins B-12 and B-6, which can help support red blood cell formation, energy production, oxygen transport, and nervous system functioning,” Ansari said, adding that beef can also contribute to the body’s supply of creatine, which supplies energy to muscles.
Ultimately, factors such as genetics, gut health, body composition goals, and physical activity level will affect the amount of protein a person needs to eat each day, dietitian Kylene Bogden told BI previously.
That said, recent studies suggest that consuming 0.7 grams of protein per pound of body weight is the ideal amount for those who want to maximize strength gains.
Chicken and beef contain similar amounts of protein, although the amount of protein per ounce will depend on the cut of meat, Ansari said.
“If someone prefers beef, I encourage looking for leaner cuts of beef. The leanest cuts of beef have the word ’round’ or ‘loin’ in the name,” Ansari said.
Generally, for breakfast, she recommends a combination of lean protein, carbohydrates — from starches such as potatoes, grains, or nutritionally dense breads — and a side of fruits or vegetables.
February 10, 2025: This story has been updated to include comments from Wishon.
