What Utah State basketball players eat in a day
Despite the cancellation of the Myrtle Beach Invitational, Utah State University’s basketball players aren’t relaxing. The men’s team is busy preparing for their first non-conference game less than a month away. The women’s team kicked off their non-conference season with a win against Arizona Christian University last Saturday. So, what do these Aggie athletes eat to keep themselves in mint condition?
Keeping breakfast and lunch pretty light is important for senior forward Alphonso Anderson (No. 10). Oatmeal with some fruit is his go-to, while senior guard Marco Anthony (No. 44) prefers pancakes and eggs to keep him satiated through practice. Both prefer to have their breakfast relatively soon after waking up or around mid-morning.
Freshman guard Kinley Falslev (No. 5) also drinks 16 oz. of water in the morning before practice.
“I try to drink a gallon of water a day,” she said. “It just helps with everything.”
Since their practice is usually around lunchtime, Anderson and Anthony both stick to a light snack, such as beef jerky, a small piece of fruit or a handful of almonds to make sure they have energy through the afternoon.
“Usually I just eat a snack for lunch. Something fairly healthy,” Anthony said. “During the day I’m the busiest with practice and lift, so I don’t really have time.”
Freshman forward Emily Jarrell (No. 44) prefers to have her lunch after weightlifting. Her usual lunch consists of cottage cheese, pineapple, carrots, chocolate milk and sometimes avocado toast.
For dinner, the players usually eat from one of the local restaurants, such as Angie’s or Old Chicago. Falslev said chicken or fish with vegetables are staples in creating a balanced meal of protein and carbs. Eating earlier in the evening is also key to making sure their meal has time to settle.
To prepare for a big game or a tough workout, Falslev tends to favor carbs the day before.
“It’ll just help you with your energy levels,” she said. “If I know we’re going to have a hard practice or weights, I usually try to eat pasta or bread.”
Anthony avoids eating anything too heavy the night before. “I’d never eat a big meal before a game, just because it’ll be sitting in my stomach and that would be bad news.”
Jarell also prefers something a little easier.
“Protein bars help me stay full, light and ready to go,” she said. “If I have time, I’ll make a smoothie.” She also likes to fuel her recovery with protein shakes after practice.
The players’ go-to cheat meals mostly featured something sweet, from Crumbl cookies to powdered donuts to Angie’s stuffed french toast, but their favorite meals were largely based on home-cooked family recipes.
Mom-made macaroni and cheese, fried chicken and sweet potatoes was Anderson’s first choice, while Anthony prefers a good goulash. Barbecue and pot roast were Jarrell’s and Falslev’s favorites, respectively.
For a night out, each player’s favorite restaurant in Logan ranged from Mo’Bettahs to Takara Sushi to Morty’s. And, of course, Herm’s and Angie’s are always classic favorites.
Sage Souza is a junior studying political science and Spanish. In her free time, she enjoys long walks on the beach, making too many playlists on Spotify, and retweeting Karl Marx fancams.
@sageksouza