FSU nutrition team fuels Seminoles behind the scenes for practices and games
Wed, August 12, 2026 at 10:25 PM
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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida State football fans see what happens on Saturdays, but behind every practice and every game is another kind of team making sure the Seminoles are fueled to perform
Jaden Hamil, director of performance nutrition for Florida State University, said her job goes far beyond simply telling players what to eat. “A lot of people just assume that we just tell the guys what to eat, which we do a lot of that, of course. However, it’s all day, every day, so we wake up, make sure stuff is ready for breakfast, make sure they’re hydrating for practice. We have snacks at practice, we even have a break where we feed them things like pickles and stuff to prevent cramping,” Hamil said.
From breakfast before workouts to recovery after practice, the nutrition staff makes constant adjustments aimed at helping players perform and recover. Hamil said the work also extends outside the kitchen, with efforts to teach players life skills through cooking classes and grocery store tours. Those lessons are designed to help players learn how to read labels and shop on a budget as they adjust to living on their own
“We show them how to pick out meat, pick out eggs, things like that. We also show them how to keep on, because now they make their own money, and with NIL money, you want to save your money, right?” Hamil said
Hamil said football nutrition also isn’t limited to a narrow menu. “What I tell my guys is that nutrition shouldn’t be hard. So that’s the biggest thing for me is let it be hard for me. So I want nutrition to be easy and I want food to be fun,” she said
For FSU football, the program’s approach to success is built not only in the weight room or on the practice field, but also through daily meal planning and preparation. Hamil said nutrition needs can vary by position, meaning what works for an offensive lineman may look very different from what a wide receiver needs to perform
An exclusive FSU football special is scheduled to air Aug. 29 on FOX49, taking viewers inside the “Nole Nation” experience, including fans, stadiums, traditions and tips to know before the season kicks off. It will air at noon on FOX49 and again at 6 p.m. on The CW, right before the big game
