“He’s on another planet with this stuff,” said Mr. Goldenberg, who still trains NHL players out of the Athletic Conditioning Centre in Ottawa. “It is a high-performance diet more than anything, but many of the principles we use at the training centre involve nutrition that everyone should be following.
“People need to eat the right fruits and vegetables, the right balance of protein. It’s very easy during the day to just grab a granola bar, which is just packed with sugar and additives. … A more optimal snack might be some raw almonds with organic cranberries, for example.”
For Mr. Roberts, passing along what he learned about nutrition to a new generation of players has become his personal passion, one he will continue during the season by beginning to work with minor hockey teams in addition to the 16 junior players he already has under his wing.
So many pros are now turning to him, meanwhile, that Mr. Roberts has had to turn players away. A considerable portion of the league’s young players will be on the diet this season, with potentially as many as 10 per cent of NHL regulars 25 and under eating the Gary way.
In addition to Mr. Schenn and Mr. Stamkos, Jeff Skinner, James Neal, Jordan Staal and Cody Hodgson are among the more high-profile players who have bought in.
“I’ve learned a lot from him,” Mr. Schenn said. “I’ve always tried to pay attention to nutrition the past three or four years, but this is another level.
“I thought if it was working for the other guys, I would try it out as well. You see what they do and you push yourself to their level. That’s what I wanted.”
THE DIET
In conjunction with Nature’s Emporium health-food store, NHLer-turned-fitness-guru Gary Roberts has come up with a menu plan and shopping list for young players . Here’s what he tells followers of his plan to incorporate into their diet:
- Full-fat yogurt, pressed cottage cheese, goat’s milk (3.5% MF), organic cream cheese, raw or cured parmigiano
- Organic steak, natural sausage, organic chicken, wild-caught canned tuna, wild salmon
- Kale, baby greens (Asian mix, root mix, mache), sprouts (sunflower, pea, arugula), avocado, chickpeas, mung beans, lentils
- Quinoa, brown rice, brown-rice pasta, salba, chia, hemp, sunflower seeds
- Brazil nuts, walnuts, almonds, coconut
- Extra-virgin olive oil (and coconut oil)
- Variety of other fresh fruits (including goji berries) and vegetables
- Stay away from processed and unhealthy packaged foods
Below are four of his many recipes, as well as what he tells players to buy at the grocery store:
SAMPLE RECIPE (MEAL)
Chicken cacciatore
Place naturally raised chicken breast and thigh in baking dish. Add fresh oregano or basil, two chopped tomatoes, a chopped onion, a chopped garlic clove and 1/4 cup black or green olives.
Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until done.
Serve with spelt pasta or brown rice or roasted Italian vegetables (zucchini, pepper, onion, garlic).
SAMPLE RECIPE (CONDIMENT)
Roasted red pepper mayonnaise
4 red, yellow or orange peppers, a garlic clove, 4 tablespoons olive oil, sea salt
Bake peppers in half the olive oil at 400F until soft. Remove burnt skin. Place all ingredients in blender or food processor and blend until chunky or smooth (depending on preference).
Use to marinate meats, as a vegetable dip, with pasta or as mayonnaise for sandwiches and wraps.
SAMPLE RECIPE (SHAKES)
Gary Roberts’s Molten Chocolate Mousse
1/4 cup of cacao powder, four bananas and a little water. Blend until extremely well mixed.
Steve Stamkos’s Mango Mousse
1 large mango, 1 tablespoon salba or chia seeds, 1 tablespoon agave nectar or maple syrup, 1 tablespoon coconut oil (optional).
Blend until extremely well mixed
