Headed to Greensboro? If you live anywhere in the states, especially east of the Mississippi, you’re bound to end up at the GAC some point in your swimming career.
Traveling can be stressful when it comes to eating out, we got you covered on the where and what to eat when you’re fueling or re-fueling during the meet.
PRO TIP: Order food before you leave the pool and swing by for pickup on your way back to the hotel to get as much rest as possible! Avoid sitting in a restaurant, waiting for your food when you could be resting and recovering.
First Watch
Open 7:00am to 2:30pm
Menu Link: https://firstwatch.com/menu/
Online Ordering: YES!
Address
5.5 Miles (13minutes) Away from the Pool
4520 W Wendover Ave, Ste 101
Greensboro, NC 27409
Menu Wins:
Sunrise Granola Bowl (breakfast)
With 29g of Protein, 123g of Carbs, and 35g of Fat, this is a great bowl before prelims to fuel you up for a morning session of fast swimming. If you prefer less carbs and more protein, leave off the blueberry muffin as a side and go with a side of turkey sausage instead.
Multigrain Pancakes (breakfast)
Containing 20g of Protein, 144g of Carbs, and 50g of Fat, this is a breakfast full of carbs to fuel you through a grueling prelims session. Leave of the whipped butter to reduce the fat content if desired. You can also ask for syrup on the side and add a small amount to reduce the carbs if needed. Pair this with a side of turkey sausage for additional protein if desired.
Power Breakfast Quinoa Bowl (lunch)
Containing 33g of Protein, 42g of Carbs, and 63g of Fat, this is a great option between prelims and finals to refuel before some rest and recovery at the hotel. It’s a little light on the carbs so feel free to add a side of seasonal fruit if you want extra carbs for recovery.
Pesto Chicken Quinoa Bowl (lunch)
With 31g of Protein, 52g of Carbs, and 38g of Fat, this is another great option between prelims and finals to satisfy the need for a good sized meal at lunch. If you desire more food, pair it with one of their amazing sides like tomato soup, fresh seasoned potatoes, or seasonal fruit.
**PRO Tip: First Watch is a fantastic spot to go for breakfast on a late start day and also order your lunch at the same time. Save the lunch in the hotel fridge and heat it up after prelims. Also, it’s very conscious for GF & DF swimmers.
Cava
Open 10:45am to 10:00pm
Menu Link: https://cava.com/menu
Online Ordering: YES!
Address
3.8 Miles (10minutes) Away from the Pool
3352 W Friendly Ave, Ste 115
Greensboro, NC 27410
or
5.5 Miles (13minutes) Away from the Pool
4524 W Wendover Ave #101
Greensboro, NC 27409
Menu Wins:
Build Your Own Grains Bowl
This is a great option for the selective eaters so you can still get the carbs, protein, and fats you need but with the ability to select your own ingredients. Here’s an example of a great bowl between prelims and finals:
Brown Rice or Black Lentils or Rice
Honey Chicken or Grilled Chicken
Sweet Potato
Avocado
Tomato + Cucumber
Crumbled Feta (just a little for flavor)
Small Amount of a Dressing of Choice
Avoid: spicy options, lots of fiber filled veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage – a little of these is ok, too many gives you a LOT of gas)
Chicken & Rice Bowl
Filled with protein from the chicken and the rice. Also contains hummus (a great source of Vitamin B6 and Folate), greens (for that recovery you need), tomato, feta, and tzatziki sauce. Get the sauce on the side so you can add just a small amount. Many sauces are filled with dairy and/or seed oils that can disrupt your digestive system in high amounts. Add a little bit from the side so you can still enjoy the flavor of the sauce. If you desire a little more food, add a side of pita bread from their selection of sides.
**PRO Tip: Cava is open late so you can order online and pickup on your way back to the hotel after finals for a quick refuel so you can get to bed on time!
Olive Garden
Open 11:00am to 10:00pm
Menu Link: https://www.olivegarden.com/menu
Online Ordering: YES!
Address
1 Mile (3minutes) Away from the Pool
3000 W Gate City Blvd
Greensboro, NC 27403
Menu Wins:
Shrimp Scampi
With 29g of Protein, 52g of Carbs, and 18g of Fat, this is a great option for either lunch or dinner at the meet. Go easy on the breadsticks and salad, packed with fat, which is hard to digest and not recommended to consume in large amounts at a meet.
Grilled Chicken Margherita
Containing 65g of Protein, 15g of Carbs, and 39g of Fat, this is a great option for either lunch or dinner. It’s pretty low on carbs, so add on a side of GF pasta or soup to make this more of a complete recovery meal. Go easy on the breadsticks and salad, packed with fat, which is hard to digest and not recommended to consume in large amounts at a meet.
Herb Grilled Salmon
Containing 45g of Protein, 9g of Carbs, and 45g of Fat, this is an unknown secret that the Olive Garden actually has salmon. Just like the previous option, it’s light on carbs so add on a side of GF pasta or soup to complete this recovery meal for lunch or dinner. Go easy on the breadsticks and salad, packed with fat, which is hard to digest and not recommended to consume in large amounts at a meet.
GF Rotini Pasta with Marinara
With 13g of Protein, 94g of Carbs, and 12g of Fat, this is another great option between prelims and finals to satisfy the need for a good sized meal at lunch. The protein content is a little light so swap the marinara sauce with the meat sauce or add grilled chicken to the pasta.
**PRO Tip: Olive Garden is on the drive back to the hotel from the pool. Order online and pick up to eat in the car or back at the hotel so you can prioritize rest and recovery.
CoreLife Eatery
Open 11:00am to 8:00pm
Menu Link: https://order.corelifeeatery.com/menu/corelife-greensboro
Online Ordering: YES!
Address
3 Miles (8minutes) Away from the Pool
1430 Westover Terrace
Greensboro, NC 27408
Menu Wins:
Greek Chicken & Quinoa
Go with the large bowl here as it contains over 600 calories compared to the regular bowl at only 200+ calories. CoreLife does not have easy to find macro count on the website. If you feel this wouldn’t be enough food, they have amazing sides like GF mac & cheese, sweet potatoes, and roasted rosemary potatoes you can add to make it a full meal for lunch or dinner.
Southwest Grilled Chicken & Purple Rice (personal favorite)
The large bowl contains nearly 800 calories and the regular bowl has just over 500. The large may feel too big and the regular may feel too small. You can save some of your large bowl to have before finals or you can go with the regular and add on one of their amazing sides like GF mac & cheese, sweet potatoes, and roasted rosemary potatoes.
Build Your Own Bowl
With this choice, you can add any items you desire to make a complete lunch or dinner. Make sure to add protein, carbs, and some healthy fat to hit all of the essentials for recovery & fuel.
Greek Chicken Wrap
Just shy of 500 calories, this will be certain to give you a good balance of carbs, protein, and fat. Add on one of the amazing sides like GF mac & cheese, sweet potatoes, and roasted rosemary potatoes for extra calories if needed
**PRO Tip: CoreLife does a great job for GF or DF swimmers. With so many options to select from, you could eat at CoreLife for every lunch and dinner and never get the same thing twice.
The Acropolis
Open 11:00am to 2:00pm & 5:30pm to 8:30pm (closed Sunday and Monday)
Menu Link:
https://www.acropolisrestaurantgreensboro.com/menu
Online Ordering: No
Address
3 .4 Miles (10minutes) Away from the Pool
416 N Eugene Street
Greensboro, NC 27401
Menu Wins:
Gyros
Go with chicken as the leaner protein option and get the Tzatziki sauce on the side to add your own amount. For the side included, go with a side salad or cup of soup.
Athenian Baked Chicken
Deliciously seasoned and paired with a side salad or cup of soup and house vegetables, this is a complete meal for dinner!
Chicken Souvlaki (appetizer)
You can make this into a full meal by adding a side salad and soup.
**FAN PICK**
If you are visiting the Acropolis after you are completely done swimming, go with the Saganaki (flaming cheese) as an appetizer! You won’t be disappointed!
**PRO Tip: The Acropolis has a number of different items on the menu that are fantastic for lunch or dinner. If you are not used to Mediterranean food, you may want to select other options until the meet is complete.