Rio de Janeiro - Usain Bolt ate 1 000 chicken nuggets during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, and Michael Phelps used to gorge himself on pasta, pizzas and fried-egg sandwiches (three for breakfast, alongside a five-egg omelette).
But at Rio 2016, the world's best athletes will be encouraged to get their full dosage of vitamins and minerals, as Games organisers plan to offer the widest range of exotic fruits the event has ever seen.
The Olympic and Paralympic Village's main dining hall, which will be the largest temporary restaurant in the world and the second largest tent in Latin America, will offer 40 different tropical fruits, many of which will be unfamiliar to non-Brazilians. “We have been able to put together a very rich menu,” said Flavia Albuquerque, the village's food and beverage manager.
“We will offer 40 tropical fruits... what other country in the world could offer that?”
Some of the fruits that Olympic and Paralympic athletes will be offered at the Rio 2016 Village include Acerola, which is hugely popular in the juice bars of Rio, where it is often mixed with fresh orange juice to produce an atomic vitamin C hit.
The cupuacu fruit comes from a tropical rain forest tree in the Amazon and is very rich in proteins, calcium, phosphorous, vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2 and vitamin C. Carambola (star fruit) looks like a star when sliced horizontally and has vitamin C, vitamin A and vitamins of the B group like thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, vitamin B and folic acid.
That adds up to a bunch of essential minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, copper, phosphorous and iron. Due to its antioxidant capabilities it helps against ageing and lowers cholesterol, while its high potassium levels are good for the heart. Siriguela is in the cashew family and is a very popular fruit in the north-east of Brazil.
It has antioxidant qualities and is very rich in fibres and carbohydrates, as well as important nutrients like calcium, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin B1 and vitamin C. Another natural detox food is Jabuticaba.
It is recommended for asthma sufferers and has anti-inflammatory proprieties due to being rich in antioxidants, which also increases its anti-carcinogenic and anti-aging properties.
The Olympic and Paralympic Village will welcome its first guests on July 24, ahead of the opening ceremony on August 5. A complex of 31 apartment buildings with 3 604 apartments, it will be home to more than 17 000 athletes and team officials from more than 200 nations during the Olympic Games and 6 000 people during the Paralympic Games.
Every day during the Olympic Games, between 45 000 and 60 000 meals will be served. The food will be served at differently themed 'islands', such as world flavours, Asian, Italian, halal, kosher and a special section that will offer the best of Brazilian food.
African News Agency