When David Ellis, performance nutrition coordinator for UNL's athletic department, talked to Scheideler about her Omega eggs, he decided to add them to Training Table fare. More than 450 UNL student athletes eat lunch and dinner at the Training Table daily during the school term and about 50 eat breakfast there. The Training Table will spend money for fresh fruits and vegetables out of season, skinless chicken, lean red meat and other foods that often aren't available from the university's food service. The nutritional objectives of student athletes are vastly different than what the student population is willing to pay for, or what the food service can economically provide, Ellis said. Time is also a factor with athletes, he said.
Athletes often train late into the evening, beyond food service hours.
The Training Table can extend its hours to be available to athletes. Ellis thinks Omega eggs are a valuable addition to the Training Table. We really keep track of the latest developments in food technology, and I think it's great when we can get the eggs that include the omega complex. Scheideler began selling Omega eggs to the Training Table in September. She had to rustle up 100 more hens to produce the 50 to 60 dozen eggs monthly that the Training Table needs.