The Athlete Family

Your fridge is set up. Your pantry is stocked. But what happens when everything falls apart at 5:30pm on a Tuesday? In this episode of the Athlete Family Podcast, we close out the three zones of Pillar 2 with the one that saves you on the worst nights: the Freezer. Sylvie and Izzy break down exactly how to organize your freezer so it actually works as a system — not just a graveyard for mystery Tupperware you shoved in there three months ago. We cover the three categories every freezer needs (proteins, carbs and veggies, and prepared backup meals), why frozen vegetables are just as valuable as fresh when your crisper is empty, the batch-cook-and-freeze strategy that turns one lasagna night into two, Izzy's mom's soup and lasagna containers that keep their whole family covered, and why doing a monthly freezer overhaul might be the most underrated move in your meal prep system. If you've ever shut your freezer and just tried to ignore what's in there, this one's for you. The Hosts Sylvie Vilaca — Performance Nutritionist & High-Performance Coach at GRP Sylvie works directly with youth, junior, and professional athletes inside the GRP high-performance environment. She specializes in fueling development, performance longevity, and building sustainable habits that extend beyond the gym. Isabelle "Izzy" Dimambro — Nutritionist & Athlete Development Associate at GRP Isabelle combines her athletic background with her academic training in nutrition to apply evidence-based strategies that help individuals fuel properly, recover effectively, and build sustainable habits that optimize performance. Gary Roberts Performance hosts this podcast. If you're looking to take your game — and your family's performance — to the next level, GRP offers comprehensive training programs for elite hockey players. Gary Roberts Performance hosts this podcast. If you're looking to take your game — and your family's performance — to the next level, GRP offers comprehensive training programs for elite hockey players 👉 Click the link below to Book a Call with a GRP Coach. IG: @garyrobertshpt

You know that moment when your athlete opens the fridge, stares into it, and says "there's nothing to eat" — and the fridge is full? That's not a food problem. That's a visibility problem. In this episode of the Athlete Family Podcast, we get into the first zone of Pillar 2: the Athlete Fridge. Sylvie and Izzy break down exactly how to organize your fridge so the right choices become the easy choices — what goes at eye level, what gets prepped ahead of time, what to wash the second you walk in from the grocery store, and why the "dreaded push to the back" is sabotaging your family's nutrition every single week. We cover the three fridge zones (fuel base, grab-and-go, and add-ons), how long your cooked proteins actually last, the pasta bake hack that turns leftovers into a second meal, Izzy's university-house trick that made her seven-person household eat their produce in two days, and why washing berries the moment you get home is the single highest ROI move you can make as a sports parent. If your fridge is full but your family still "has nothing to eat," this episode fixes that. In this episode: The three fridge zones: fuel base, grab-and-go, and add-ons Why visibility is everything (and why crispers are the enemy) How to do a weekly 10-minute fridge audit Cooked protein staples — shredded chicken, ground meats, salmon bites, egg bites How long cooked proteins actually last in the fridge Cooked carbs that hold up for the week — and why rice shouldn't The pasta bake hack that turns leftovers into a second dinner Izzy's "wash everything the second you come home" trick from her uni house The berry and produce wash routine (and why it matters) Grab-and-go staples — Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, baby bells, energy balls Prepped salad dressings and marinades that save your weeknight dinners Why "greens in a bowl" is a perfectly valid meal The common mistakes that keep your athlete saying "there's nothing to eat" Sylvie Vilaca — Performance Nutritionist & High-Performance Coach at GRP Sylvie works directly with youth, junior, and professional athletes inside the GRP high-performance environment. She specializes in fueling development, performance longevity, and building sustainable habits that extend beyond the gym. Isabelle "Izzy" Dimambro — Nutritionist & Athlete Development Associate at GRP Isabelle combines her athletic background with her academic training in nutrition to apply evidence-based strategies that help individuals fuel properly, recover effectively, and build sustainable habits that optimize performance. Gary Roberts Performance hosts this podcast. If you're looking to take your game — and your family's performance — to the next level, GRP offers comprehensive training programs for elite hockey players 👉 Click the link below to Book a Call with a GRP Coach. IG: @garyrobertshpt IG: @garyrobertshpt

Nutrition doesn't start at dinnertime — it starts the week before, when you actually have time to plan. In this episode of the Athlete Family Podcast, we break down the first pillar of family performance nutrition: Load Awareness. Before any meal prep happens, you need to understand what you're actually fueling for — your athlete's practices, games, and tournaments, but also your own work schedule, commutes, and the mental load that comes with running a household. We walk through what load awareness actually looks like in practice, how to find small prep windows throughout the week, and why planning on Friday for the following week beats scrambling on Sunday every time. Sylvie shares exactly how she preps for a travel week with two toddlers — what she made, when she made it, and how simple grab-and-go options can keep the whole family fueled without a full day in the kitchen. Whether you're heading into a tournament weekend or just trying to survive a busy school and practice week, this episode gives you the foundation to stop making last-minute food decisions. In this episode: What load awareness means — and why it's the first pillar Athlete stress vs. family stress: understanding the full picture The hidden parent load and why your fuel matters too How to find prep windows that actually fit your schedule Slow cooker, sheet pan, and grab-and-go strategies for busy nights What to order when you're on the road and fast food is the only option Why the Uber Eats math almost never works in your favor A challenge to start with just one prep window this week The Hosts Sylvie Vilaca — Performance Nutritionist & High-Performance Coach at GRP Sylvie works directly with youth, junior, and professional athletes inside the GRP high-performance environment. She specializes in fueling development, performance longevity, and building sustainable habits that extend beyond the gym. Isabelle "Izzy" Dimambro — Nutritionist & Athlete Development Associate at GRP Isabelle combines her athletic background with her academic training in nutrition to apply evidence-based strategies that help individuals fuel properly, recover effectively, and build sustainable habits that optimize performance. Gary Roberts Performance hosts this podcast. If you're looking to take your game — and your family's performance — to the next level, GRP offers comprehensive training programs for elite hockey players. 👉 Click the link below to Book a Call with a GRP Coach. IG: @garyrobertshpt #AthleteFamilyPodcast #FamilyNutrition #HockeyFamily #AthleteFuel #PerformanceNutrition #HockeyMom #HockeyDad #YouthAthlete #GaryRobertsPerformance

In our first episode of the Athlete Family Podcast, hosts Sylvie Vilaca and Isabelle Dimambro introduce the foundation of their Preparation Hierarchy: Load Awareness. Drawing from their experience inside the GRP high-performance environment — and from real life as parents navigating busy schedules — they break down why so many young athletes feel underprepared heading into practices, tournaments, and heavy competition weekends. This episode covers: • What "load awareness" actually means • How to map out a realistic weekly schedule • The difference between practice days, game days, and rest days • Why carbohydrate timing matters on competition days • Why fiber timing can hurt performance if done wrong • How families can label Red, Orange, and Green days • Practical meal prep strategies for busy households More than nutrition advice, this episode is about family leadership — aligning the home environment with the demands of sport so athletes feel confident, fueled, and ready. Because performance doesn't start at the rink. It starts with awareness at home. The Hosts Sylvie Vilaca - Performance Nutritionist & High-Performance Coach at GRP Sylvie works directly with youth, junior, and professional athletes inside the GRP high-performance environment. She specializes in fueling development, performance longevity, and building sustainable habits that extend beyond the gym. Isabelle "Izzy" Dimambro - Nutritionist & Athlete Development Associate at GRP Isabelle combines her athletic background with her academic training in nutrition to apply evidence-based strategies that help individuals fuel properly, recover effectively, and build sustainable habits that optimize performance. Gary Roberts Performance hosts this podcast. If you're looking to take your game to the next level, GRP offers comprehensive training programs for elite hockey players. 👉 Click the link below to Book a Call with a GR Coach. IG: @garyrobertshpt #TheHockeyLabPodcast #HockeyNutrition #PlayerDevelopment #HockeyTraining #AthleteFuel