What UNC feeds its football players in the Bill Belichick era

UNC football head coach Bill Belichick and hed chef Joshua Grimes spoke to Fox News Digital about how they get a competitive advantage in the team lunch room.

Not all college football players are excited to eat their vegetables. But Bill Belichick's staff at North Carolina has found ways to make sure their players are.

Through a precise food science that requires chopping vegetables into "micro" pieces, or even sneaking extra grains and vitamins into the batter used to fry chicken, the staff is taking every liberty to gain a competitive advantage in the lunch room. UNC's nutrition, hydration and training strategy has become more critical than ever as the team looks to make a second-year jump, as each player has a specific strategy curated to them and their biology.

The strategy even includes a contingency plan, when the team is on the road, sometimes in locations where access to anything but fast food is limited. Public records show the team spent $129,644.38 at vendors that classify as fast food or fast casual during the 2025 season, but head nutritionist Amber Rinestine-Ressa claimed there was a scientific method behind those transactions.

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Head coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels watches from the sideline during the first half against the TCU Horned Frogs at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C., on Sept. 1, 2025. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

UNC football head chef Josh Grimes was the New England Patriots executive chef under Belichick from 2018-24. When they came to UNC last year, they recalibrated the nutrition strategy, an NFL-style approach, and Belichick says it is aligned with the fundamental purposes of Tom Brady's approach to nutrition.

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