Food for White Winters: Testing More Resilient Meals at the FIS Alpine World Cup Åre 2026
Mar 16, 2026·Inside FIS:format(webp))
Great performance starts with great food. Guided by this ethos, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) is testing new nutritious meals designed to improve athletic performance and protect the future of winter sports. Insights from the initiative will help shape FIS sustainability guidelines.
Food for White Winters brings together leading researchers, chefs, sustainability experts, and athletes to rethink what’s on the plate for winter sports. Among those involved are Olympic gold medalists Charlotte Kalla and Andre Myhrer, who have joined the Swedish alpine ski team, working alongside experts to help shape the initiative. Created in collaboration with the Stockholm Resilience Centre, PLATE, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Eldrimner, and local culinary innovators, the project is grounded in the latest food science, including the EAT-Lancet Planetary Health Diet and the PLATE principles.
Food for White Winters – Key Priorities
Cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions linked to food
Fuel health and athletic performance through smarter food choices
Let flavor lead the way
More plant-based - less meat, better meat
Fill plates with fiber-rich foods and vegetables
Use ingredients that are easy to cook and store
Celebrate local products, food culture, and artisanal craftsmanship
Every meal is designed to bring these priorities to life, combining great taste, high nutritional quality, sustainability, and support for local small-scale food producers.
“Anchoring diets in the best available science is essential if we are to nourish both people and the planet.” - Elin Röös, Science Director for PLATE and researcher at SLU
Why Food Choices Matter for the Future of Winter Sports
Food production accounts for over one-quarter of global GHGs. These emissions accelerate climate change. As the climate warms, snowfall declines and snow melts faster, threatening the future of winter sports.
“With Food for White Winters, we get the chance to test and show that sustainable food choices can deliver energy, strength, and great flavor while also reducing the climate impact that threatens our winters.” - Andre Myhrer, former alpine skier and Olympic gold and bronze medalist
The First Step: From Ideas to Action at the FIS Alpine World Cup in Åre
The first test meals of the project will be presented during the FIS Alpine World Cup in Åre from March 13 to 15, 2026, as part of the Nordic Sustainability Arena. At selected restaurants, athletes, coaches, conference guests, and volunteers will be served meals designed to meet high-performance nutritional needs while reducing environmental impact.
At Åre, FIS will join experts from the Stockholm Resilience Centre to advance the Food for White Winters initiative and explore the next steps for sustainable food in snow sports. This meeting will include roundtable discussions that will cover:
How EAT-Lancet research and PLATE principles can support athlete performance while reducing the environmental impact of food in winter sports
How science-based guidelines can respect local food cultures and athlete preferences
The key challenges and opportunities in advancing the Food for White Winters initiative
How the initiative could be scaled from regional pilot projects to other sports and international sporting events
The recipes were developed by chefs working closely with nutrition experts, leading researchers, and the athletes and guests who will eat them. They represent a first step toward winter-friendly dishes designed for winter sports events and the specific nutritional needs of athletes and staff. The chefs and restaurants involved in the project’s first stage include Victor Wildhuss Helmersson of Årelagat, Patrick Fjällstedt of Holiday Club, and Jonny Fredriksson of Bergstugan.
“My priority is to lower the climate emissions from the food we serve. Cooking sustainable food is just like cooking any other food, season it well, and combine flavors that people enjoy.” - Victor Wildhuss Helmersson
Food for White Winters recipes are designed with a clear goal: to cut GHGs from food while fueling better health and peak athletic performance. To achieve this goal, the recipes prioritize local and seasonal ingredients and a lower intake of meat. When meat is served, it is carefully selected and sustainably sourced - such as elk - and paired with dishes inspired by local food culture and the mountain environment.
“Good or bad nutrition is not defined by the presence or absence of meat. It is entirely possible to feel full and perform at an elite level without meat.” - Linda Bakkman
Insights and Preliminary Results
Researchers will collect data and analyze the results during the FIS Alpine World Cup in Åre. This includes information on the environmental impact of the food served as well as the nutritional content of the meals provided.
Researchers will also interview people involved in the event to understand both the challenges and the factors that have helped make progress possible. The results will be published later this year in a report on www.plateresearch.org. Early results from the ongoing research show the following improvements compared with the previous year:
Food for volunteers: A larger share of organic ingredients is being used. Meals now include less animal-based food and more vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, as well as more locally produced products. Early analysis indicates a 10% reduction in climate impact.
Food for athletes: Portions now contain about 50 grams less meat than in previous guidelines, following recommendations agreed upon with FIS and a nutrition expert. This change corresponds to around a 20% lower climate impact.
Food for White Winters: A New Standard for Food in Sport
What begins in Åre aims to shape the future of food in sport. By bringing together science, culinary innovation, and the needs of elite athletes, Food for White Winters demonstrates that meals can fuel performance while also reducing the climate impact that threatens the very environments where winter sports take place.
The results will inform future FIS sustainability guidelines and inspire the wider sports ecosystem to serve meals packed with both flavor and purpose.