How can food help skiers
perform at their best
while also taking better care of the planet?
FIS is partnering with athletes, scientists, and chefs to develop “Food for White Winters”, a pilot program hitting the slopes of the FIS Alpine World Cup in Åre, from 13 to 15 March 2026. One third of global greenhouse gas emissions can be traced back to food production.
Andre Myhrer Skiier, former alpine skier and Olympic Gold Medalist, says:
“For me, food and performance have always been connected. I still train a lot, and I enjoy eating more greens and I choose local produced whenever I can. 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. Small changes can add up to a big difference.”
Charlotte Kalla, former cross-country skiier and Olympic Gold Medalist, says:
“Food for White Winters is something I truly care about. As a skier, I’ve always depended on snow – and on food that gives me the energy to perform. When we choose more locally and sustainably produced food, we’re not only doing something good for our bodies, we’re also reducing the emissions that threaten our white winters. If we in sports lead the way and highlight these smart, local choices, we can help protect the snow of the future together.”
As part of the Nordic Sustainability Arena, an annual event to accelerate sustainability within the winter sports community, the ”Food for White Winters” project aims to transform the Alpine World Cup in Sweden into a living laboratory for sustainable nutrition, testing how food can power peak athletic performance while reducing environmental impact.
The outcome from Åre is set to inform future FIS sustainability guidelines and inspire adoption across sports, municipalities, schools, and the wider food ecosystem.
Susanna Sieff – FIS Sustainability Director, said:
“Food for White Winters is a pilot with the potential to scale across the FIS ecosystem and beyond. By testing solutions with athletes, teams, and fans, we show that sustainable nutrition is not a niche idea but a practical path for sports organizations. Food fuels athletes, shapes culture, and inspires communities. A single event can demonstrate this integration and spark system-wide change, showing how sport can lead toward healthier, more resilient futures.”
PLATE Research Centre runs hands-on innovation labs where science meets the real world. In these labs, researchers, chefs, and food businesses collaborate to design and serve resilient meals—meals that stay within planetary boundaries while being healthy, practical, and delicious.
Each PLATE Lab works with high ambitions, turning research into action and carefully balancing taste, cost, logistics, and sustainability to achieve the best possible solutions. The labs not only demonstrate that future-proof food can thrive in high-pressure, commercial settings, but also uncover critical barriers that must be addressed for broader scaling
Food for White Winters shows how knowledge can become influence, and influence can become impact. By turning the science of the EAT-Lancet Commission into meals that fuel athletes and delight fans, the project proves food can do more than improve performance. It can shape culture, shift systems, and help protect the winters we love. When evidence is made visible, tasty, and shared on a global stage, it creates ripples far beyond sport: driving conversations, building partnerships, and setting new standards for what winning on and off the slopes can mean.
For the first time, athletes, coaches, volunteers, media, and spectators will all be served meals designed to meet both high-performance nutritional needs and staying within planetary boundaries. Researchers will track and compare the environmental footprint of these meals against conventional alternatives.
“Anchoring diets in the best available science is essential if we are to nourish both people and planet. What excites me about Food for White Winters is that it brings this knowledge to life in a joyful, tangible way – working side by side with athletes and winter sports to show how food can fuel performance while staying within the Planetary Boundaries.” says Elin Röös, science director for PLATE and researcher at SLU.
“Food is never just nutrients—it is culture, joy, and identity. By applying rigorous science to the meals served at the World Cup of skiing, we demonstrate that athletes and winter sports can lead the way towards delicious, resilient meals that inspire far beyond the ski slopes.” says Line Gordon, director for Stockholm Resilience Centre at Stockholm University.
“Knowledge about how our food is produced can help us all to make wiser choices. I strongly believe that artisan and locally produced food can make the athletes thrive and we are proud to be a part of this initiative.” says Ulrika Brydling, head of Eldrimner, Sweden’s national centre for artisan food.Within Food for White Winters, my top priority is to ensure that the meals served are not only nutritious, sustainable, and delicious, but also performance-adapted—enabling athletes to compete at the highest level.
When elite athletes realise that they can eat in a more environmentally sustainable way without compromising their performance, it has the potential to inspire the vast fan base. Their choices can demonstrate that sustainability and sporting excellence are not opposing goals, but powerful allies.
My hope is to highlight how food can become a true success factor in sport, while at the same time reducing environmental impact and helping to safeguard the environment, the white winters and the alpine sport we love.” says Linda Bakkman, nutrition advisor to the Swedish Olympic Committee and doctor of medical science
“It’s exciting to see Åre and Sweden take the lead in testing this concept. As a national team, we need to feel confident that the food supports performance and at the same time, we all want to protect the white winters our sport depends on”, says Per Jonsson, Alpine Team Manager, Swedish Ski Association
“This is about raising the bar — for performance, for sustainability, and for the future of winter sports. It’s encouraging that our World Cup event serves as a testbed where local solutions can inspire global change.” Olle Danielsson, CEO, Åre World Cup
