THE nutrition and dietary needs of athletes competing in the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games are being well taken care of in the New Clark City (NCC) Athletes' Village, said 2019 SEA Games executive chef Bruce Lim.
"In New Clark City, we pretty much made a kitchen and a hotel from the ground up. This is a totally different monster because here, athletes can't leave the [sports] complex. So we tried to make sure that they can eat 24 hours a day, they have enough food and variety throughout. We wanted to make sure that they're comfortable with what they have; with the amenities we have here in the Athletes' Village and with whatever they have to eat," Lim said.
He said the main dining hall in the Athletes' Village is 100 percent halal: serving a soup station with bread, fresh fruits, desserts, and about seven choices of viands.
"We're fully halal here. We're taking into consideration [the food requirements of] our Muslim brothers and sisters. So we wanted to make sure that they feel at home and comfortable in our country because siyempre, Pinoy hospitality is the best," Lim said.
Lim, who partnered with Kapampangan chef Sau del Rosario in leading a group Culinarya Pampanga for this year's SEA Games, said they are working with nutritionists from other countries, especially in hitting the athletes' calorie and protein consumption.
Lim added the test games became a great opportunity for the culinarians to identify which type of food to be served for the athletes.
"We encountered a few things during the test events. We noticed that some wanted a lot of salt, sugary drinks to give a bit of a boost, so we made that adjustment during the actual games. Every time we run the test, is the best opportunity to learn. There's no way we can get that right the first go. Talagang we need to learn it, test it, see what they need, and address the situation," he said.
"Food is important for the athletes, that's their fuel. They burn out because they're giving their 110 percent, so we need to give our 110 percent [too], to make sure that we feed them correctly. Even our water source, all our water in the kitchen is potable. We thought a lot, and we partnered with the right people just to make sure this event will go without a hitch," Lim added.
About 1,800 athletes and coaches will stay in the New Clark City Athletes' Village during the SEA Games. (PR)