Olympian Mikaela Shiffrin Shares Her Superfood

Shiffrin added that one of her go-to dinners before races is “pasta with chicken and maybe like a little bit of salad or something,” noting that the rest of her diet consists of “carbs, protein and vegetables.” Sometimes, she would also have pasta with “bolognese sauce or maybe just simple, with basil and garlic and olive oil.”

With pasta as her superfood, it’s no surprise she partnered with Italian brand Barilla and wears its logo on her ski gear during competitions.

Another pre-race rule the Olympic gold medalist always follows is to never take coffee. “It sometimes makes me jittery,” she explained. “Especially on race day, when there's just a little higher tension anyway, it can make my stomach feel really out of whack.”

For her daily breakfast, she has “eggs and toast and a glass of water with a little juice in it,” adding, “I almost never drink coffee.” She admitted that she’d sometimes have half a cup on non-race days, but generally prefers to get her caffeine from tea.

Like coffee, Shiffrin generally forgoes alcohol, saying, “It makes sense with what I do.” She does have a go-to non-alcoholic cocktail, though.

“My favorite thing to drink is cranberry juice with a seltzer water. That's just my favorite and I feel like that's the most refreshing thing.”

She admitted that she allows herself the occasional booze, saying, “[E]very now and then I'll have a glass of wine, or a beer, or a cocktail or something.”

As for sleep, the ski superstar aims to get at least nine hours each night, more often nine and a half. She said it helps with her performance and that if she’s “exceptionally tired, it's so much more difficult to deal with nerves.”

She also told SI, “Sleeping is my meditation. It’s the only time you can recover, physically and emotionally, at the same time.”