ONLINE SPORTS NUTRITIONIST
If you want to Reach your full potential on the ice, I can help.
I’m Melissa Boufounos, a hockey player and Certified Holistic Nutritionist who helps teen and adolescent hockey players fuel smarter, perform stronger, and recover better.
Even with hard work and dedication, many players still don’t perform how they expect to on game day. Low energy, recurring injuries, and poor recovery can hold them back — and the missing piece is often nutrition.
I know this firsthand. As an athlete, I once under-fuelled and pushed my body to the limit. I compared myself to others and ignored what my body needed, and it cost me the results I was capable of achieving. Everything changed when I started fuelling properly — my energy, focus, and confidence improved, and so did my performance.
If you want to get more out of your training and perform your best on the ice, it’s time to make nutrition part of your game plan.
Why Should You Take My Advice?
I’m a Certified Holistic Nutritionist specializing in sports nutrition, with a lifelong background as a competitive athlete. I was named one of OptiMYz Magazine’s Top 100 Health Leaders in Canada four years in a row (2018–2021) and served as the Official Nutritionist for the Obstacle Course Racing World Championships in 2018 and NORAM Championships in 2019.
I’ve been an athlete for as long as I can remember. I played hockey for 17 years before stepping away in 2015 to recover from post-concussion syndrome. I also competed in obstacle course racing from 2013 to 2020 and continue to play tennis in the summer.
My personal experience as an athlete — through injury, recovery, and returning to sport — shapes the way I coach today. I understand the pressures young athletes face and how easy it is to push too hard without the right fuel or recovery. That’s why I’m passionate about helping hockey players perform their best while protecting their long-term health.
Most hockey players think they have a training problem when what they really have is a fuelling problem.
Nutrition plays a key role in performance, yet many young hockey players are misinformed about what to eat and when. Too often, they pick up habits from unreliable online sources or from well-meaning coaches and trainers who share outdated advice.
Parents, coaches, and personal trainers can unintentionally shape an athlete’s relationship with food in ways that limit performance and long-term health. When players start to label foods as “good” or “bad,” they often end up eating less than their bodies need to support growth, development, and recovery.
My goal is to help athletes, parents, and coaches replace confusion and restriction with confidence and practical fuelling strategies that help players stay healthy, strong, and focused—on and off the ice.
If you want your players to perform at their best and stay healthy, fuelling has to be part of the plan.
My sports nutrition coaching programs and team workshops focus on performance over aesthetics. I help teen hockey players build fuelling habits that support energy, recovery, and development—so they can perform at their best in a sustainable, health-supporting way.
About Melissa
Education and Credentials:
CHN: Melissa has been a Certified Holistic Nutritionist since 2015. This designation from the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition requires over 280 hours of in-class instruction, 250 clinical hours, and 50 practicum hours.
Precision Nutrition Level 2 Masterclass
Precision Nutrition Level 1 Nutrition Coaching Certification
Sports Journalism diploma from Centennial College
Broadcast Journalism diploma from Seneca College
Athletic Accomplishments:
Drafted to the Canadian Women’s Hockey League in 2011
Represented Greece at ISBHF World Ball Hockey Championships in 2013
Member of gold-medal-winning Canadian National Ball Hockey Championships team in 2014
2nd place age group podium finish at Spartan Race Super 2018
3rd place age group podium finish at Savage Race Pro 2018
6th place elite finish (1st in age group) at DeadEnd Race Sub Zero 2018
Keeping mandatory completion band at NORAMs 2019 (3K course)
Two Spartan Trifectas (2014, 2015)
What About When I’m Not Talking Nutrition?
I love what I do, and I’m honoured that my clients, family, and friends describe me as approachable, relatable, and someone who truly walks the talk.
I love a good documentary or historical film based on real events. You’ll usually find me listening to podcasts, watching Jeopardy, or diving into true crime.
Outside of work, I’m happiest being outdoors. I love camping, hiking, and exploring new places with my family. In the summer, you’ll find me playing tennis or spending time near the water.
If you hit shuffle on my playlist, you’ll get everything from country and classic rock to post-hardcore and 90s pop — I promise it makes sense in my head.
And yes — I’ll always be a proud chocoholic and self-proclaimed Carb Queen. Ain’t nobody got time for Keto.
One of my favourite personal achievements was participating in the Sears Great Canadian Relay Run to End Kids Cancer for three years. As part of The Canadian Mudd Queens, I helped raise more than $70,000 for the cause.