It includes his favorite meal that he had in Italy.
Key Points
- Freestyle skier Alex Hall prioritizes simple, satisfying meals, often featuring pantry staples.
- His favorite meal during the Olympics was pizzoccheri, a local dish made with buckwheat noodles.
- The silver medalist emphasizes balance in eating, and he never skips dessert.
The 2026 Winter Olympics have officially come to a close, and Team USA earned the second-most medals—winning a total of 33 medals across various sports. One of Team USA’s medalists was freestyle skier Alex Hall, who won silver in the slopestyle event.
Fittingly, after his impressive showing in Milano Cortina, Hall partnered with Rao’s to embrace his Italian heritage and showcase his love for Italian food. We chatted with the skier about his go-to pantry staples, including the pasta shapes and sauces that he swears by. Plus, learn more about what he ate during the Olympic Games, including what he ate the day he scored a medal, in the below exclusive.
What does your typical breakfast and lunch look like?
I keep it pretty consistent, whether I’m competing, training or just having a normal day, I’m always having pretty similar meals. For breakfast, it’s usually something simple like scrambled eggs with some cooked veggies—peppers, onions, whatever it might be—and then a bowl of cereal or a bowl of granola and yogurt. That’s my go-to in the mornings.
For lunch, it depends on the situation. If I’m up skiing on the mountain all day, I usually try not to sit down for a super long lunch because it’s hard to get motivated after. So I’ll just make a sandwich in the morning, pack that and then have a sandwich and a granola bar and some water. That’s a normal meal when I’m on the hill skiing and training all day. On a normal day when I’m not on the hill, it varies a lot. I have almost zero foods that I’m not down to eat, I’m very not picky when it comes to that. So I’m always down to try different cuisines wherever I am in the world. I’m always down to try new stuff, which is pretty fun when you’re traveling a lot.
Are you a coffee drinker?
I’m actually not. I don’t drink coffee or any caffeine. I’ll have tea in the evening sometimes, but I don’t drink any caffeine in the morning. I just like to wake up and be tired for a half hour, and then I figure it out. I’ve never had coffee, really.
Do you remember what you ate the day that you won silver?
Ooh, that day, let’s see, I’m trying to think back. In the morning, [the Olympic Village] always had either scrambled or fried eggs with some bacon, which is really good, so I had that. And then I had some pineapple and kiwi with breakfast. I also had some little pancakes with a little honey on top, and I think then I had some orange juice. That was my breakfast, and then our event was mid-morning, so between my runs I may have had a granola bar and some water. Even if I don’t feel hungry, I usually try to always have a little bit of a power bar or something. I didn’t really have lunch because I had to do a bunch of media stuff right after, so I skipped lunch and then went straight to dinner.
Dinner was super fun. I had dinner with my whole family and all my friends who came in to watch and we just had a big dinner at this Italian restaurant nearby. I remember I ordered the local dish: pizzoccheri. It’s a buckwheat noodle with some potatoes in there, cheese and a couple of veggies mixed in. It’s a super good, super local dish that’s made just in the valley that we were in. It almost looks like mac and cheese, like a really crazy mac and cheese in a way, but I had that a couple of times throughout the Olympics, I’d always try and have some pizzoccheri every now and then. It was really good.
Was that dinner the best meal you had in Italy during the Olympics?
That was probably my favorite, just given the moment and having all my friends there. The food was fantastic too, but food aside, it was so cool having everyone there. That was probably the most memorable and the most fun meal, but honestly, the athlete village had such good food. Every meal I had was awesome there.
Why partner with Rao’s?
I love Italian food. I love pasta. I’ve always used Rao’s, so it just felt super natural. I feel like that’s always what you’re looking for in a partnership is that it is natural and your values align with the brand’s values. It’s pretty hard to come by that, but I love how simple their stuff is; it’s the cooking I grew up on, that’s what my mom makes, she makes simple dishes, but she makes them well. The stars aligned with the Olympics being in Italy, that really tied the whole thing together.
What are some of your go-to meals during training that prioritize pantry staples?
Obviously pasta. I’m a decent cook, not a great cook, so I like to make some pasta with some marinara or pesto, just something simple. Put some olive oil in there, then the sauce, and then putting some good Parmesan cheese to top it off is kind of my go-to. I’ll try and add some cooked veggies or have a salad on the side, but usually it’s something quick.
Favorite pasta shape?
I love a simple rigatoni or penne, but tortellini are so nice because they’re really quick. They cook in two minutes, and they’re filled with something, so you know it’s gonna taste good. With some sauce on top and some cheese, it’ll take me five minutes to make.
What does “eating well” mean to you?
For me, eating well is enjoying my meal but feeling good after I eat it. And that doesn’t necessarily mean it has to be the healthiest thing in the world, but just feeling satisfied with what I ate and the fact that I enjoyed it. It doesn’t always have to be the craziest, healthiest thing or the most outside-the-box thing. As long as it filled my stomach and I enjoyed it, that’s the main thing to me—and then top it off with a little dessert.
Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
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