UNC Football Embraces Belichick-Style Nutrition in Bid to Improve

Chopping veggies into 'micro' pieces and sneaking in extra nutrients are just some of the tactics the Tar Heels are using to fuel their players.

Apr. 18, 2026 at 8:50pm

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A fragmented, cubist-style painting depicting a college football game, with sharp geometric shapes in the team's colors overlapping to create a dynamic, multi-angled visual representation of the action on the field.UNC's innovative nutrition strategy aims to fuel its players with precision and creativity, breaking down traditional barriers between taste and health.Kansas City Today

Under the guidance of Bill Belichick's staff, the University of North Carolina football team has implemented an NFL-style nutrition strategy to fuel its players. This includes precisely chopping vegetables into 'micro' pieces, sneaking extra grains and vitamins into dishes, and strategically using fried foods to keep players happy. The team has also found ways to manipulate meals from local fast-casual chains to maximize nutrition. As UNC looks to improve on its 4-8 record from 2025, this creative and disciplined approach to fueling its players could give the team a competitive edge.

Why it matters

UNC's innovative nutrition strategy, modeled after Bill Belichick's approach in the NFL, highlights the growing importance of sports science and player development at the college level. As the stakes get higher and the competition gets fiercer, teams are looking for every possible edge - including in the cafeteria. This story showcases how a forward-thinking nutrition program can be a key part of a team's overall plan for success.

The details

UNC's nutrition, hydration and training strategy is tailored to each individual player, with the team's chefs and nutritionists going to great lengths to ensure the players are properly fueled. This includes micro-dicing vegetables to make them less noticeable, sneaking in extra grains and vitamins, and strategically using fried foods as a 'morale' boost. The team has also found ways to manipulate meals from local fast-casual chains to maximize nutrition, while avoiding traditional fast-food staples. This NFL-style approach, brought in by Belichick's staff, is aimed at giving UNC a competitive edge as the team looks to improve on its 4-8 record from 2025.

  • UNC football head chef Josh Grimes was the New England Patriots executive chef under Belichick from 2018-24.
  • Belichick and his staff joined UNC last year and recalibrated the nutrition strategy.
  • UNC spent $129,644.38 at fast food or fast casual vendors during the 2025 season.

The players

Bill Belichick

The head coach who brought his NFL-style nutrition approach to UNC's football program.

Amber Rhinestine-Ressa

UNC's director of nutrition, who works to make healthy food that players actually want to eat.

Josh Grimes

UNC's head football chef, who previously worked as the New England Patriots executive chef under Belichick.

Leslie Bonci

Famed former head dietitian for the Kansas City Chiefs, who employed similar strategies to keep players healthy.

Tom Brady

The NFL quarterback whose nutrition approach has influenced Belichick's philosophy.

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What they’re saying

“In New England, we had a lot of components and certainly some of Tom's things were important. In the NFL we trained a lot of players who were significantly older than our players are here, and so some of the things that Tom did have more application than players who are older. But still fundamentally, good nutrition, good hydrations, pliability in the muscle tissues and so forth are are fundamentally good things that Tom worked with and that we embrace as well.”

— Bill Belichick, UNC Football Head Coach

“If they're not going to change for me, I have to change my approach for each one of them. We don't live in a perfect world, and to create buy-in, I have to have a little leniency... 80% of our diet, we are eating great food for us.”

— Amber Rhinestine-Ressa, UNC Director of Nutrition

“Anywhere we can manipulate an ingredient to where it tastes good, but they don't know, we do.”

— Josh Grimes, UNC Football Head Chef

“Hide the health. Start with familiar and then amplify the nutrition for the intuition in the kitchen.”

— Leslie Bonci, Former Kansas City Chiefs Head Dietitian

What’s next

As UNC looks to improve on its 4-8 record from 2025, the team will continue to lean on the creativity and discipline of its chefs and nutritionists to ensure the players are properly fueled for the upcoming season.

The takeaway

UNC's innovative nutrition strategy, modeled after Bill Belichick's approach in the NFL, highlights the growing importance of sports science and player development at the college level. By precisely tailoring meals to each player's needs, sneaking in extra nutrients, and strategically using fried foods as a morale boost, the Tar Heels are leaving no stone unturned in their quest to gain a competitive edge.