Cavs' Matthew Dellavedova takes the lead when it comes to his NBA diet
He’s known as the Outback Assassin, Down Under or, to teammates, simply Delly. No matter the nickname, Cavaliers guard Matthew Dellavedova carries his Australian heritage with him everywhere he goes—which can be a problem when navigating American grocery stores lacking Tim Tams, Vegemite and other Aussie staples. When the point guard joined Cleveland as a rookie free agent in 2013 after four years at St. Mary's, he quickly turned to team nutrition consultant and registered nurse Stacy Goldberg to build a customized eating plan suited for his NBA goals.
"I would always be a little bit hungry, and I wouldn't have the best fuel when we were on the road," says Dellavedova, 24. "It was more about trying to make small improvements to give me that consistent feeling of energy."
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To help Dellavedova understand food and how it affects performance, Goldberg began with the basics, like reading a nutritional label, understanding serving sizes and learning the difference between proteins, carbohydrates and fats. While animal proteins tend to be a huge emphasis for most athletes, Goldberg also stressed the importance of plant-based protein sources such as hemp, chia seeds and peanut butter.
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"Delly was really interested in taking responsibility for his own cooking and shopping," says Goldberg, who works closely with the team's strength and conditioning coach, Derek Millender. "I taught him to prepare simple recipes and put together unique foods, like a portabella mushroom pizza with tomatoes, vegetables and cheese."
In the supermarket, Dellavedova says he learned to find foods packed with extra vitamins and minerals—"My smoothies had a bit too much fruit, so now I put some more veggies in there to keep it balanced"—and sought out high-fiber snacks or more nutritious options. Goldberg uses Pinterest to curate recipes for Dellavedova to cook at home, and she advises him to order foods that aren't on the room-service menu: If he sees chicken fingers and fries, he should ask if they have grilled chicken and sweet potatoes. "Room service is a snapshot of a larger banquet menu," she says, "a larger selection of fresh ingredients in the kitchen."
At the Cavs’ facility, team chef Terry Bell cooks up healthy options for the team—like grilled salmon with veggie quinoa—to make eating the right foods convenient and easy. Dellavedova usually has a cup of coffee before each game and eats a meal after the pre-game workout on the court, and then a bar at halftime. His recent favorite? Honey Stingers organic protein bars. And to refuel after the game, Dellavedova can’t get enough of Chef T’s roasted Brussel sprouts, made with a hint of agave. (You can get the secret recipe below.)
With Goldberg’s coaching and guidance, Dellavedova has gotten the point. "Nutrition and recovery are not things that you change or ramp up because of the playoffs; it's something you need to keep consistent," he says. "At the facility it's convenient, and on the road you have to plan ahead, but it has helped me this season."
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Terry Bell’s Roasted Garlic Brussel Sprouts w/ a Hint of Agave
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp. minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
- 2 Tbsp. Organic Agave Nectar
Directions:
Preheat oven to 365 degrees F.
Cut off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves. Then cut them in half. Mix them in a large bowl with the olive oil, chopped garlic salt and pepper drizzle with Agave. Pour them on a sheet pan and roast for 15 to 18 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly.
