HEY EVERYONE !
I am Ashley Steinberger, MS, RD, Founder of The Cheer Nutritionist. I am a former cheerleader, recent Masters graduate from Columbia University and a Board Certified Registered Dietitian, whose mission is to give back to the sport that gave me so much- CHEERLEADING!
I started my cheer career at the age of 6 & fell in love with the sport immediately. My life revolved around this sport, as so many cheerleaders I am sure can relate to. I started at a local gym in my hometown in New Jersey & then transitioned to World Cup All Stars, where I was a base, basket flyer & tumbler on Odyssey from 2010-2014. I also cheered for the Varsity team at my High School. & loved cheering on the sidelines- so I learned how to CoEd fly & cheered at the University of South Carolina from 2014-2018.
That said, I know first hand what it’s like to be an elite cheerleader, with all the traveling, intense practices and crazy schedules. I loved every second of it, but I always felt like there was a piece of the puzzle missing for me, and that was NUTRITION. I didn’t know….
What & when to eat around my training
How to prepare for competitions & games
How to cook for myself & plan my meals
What to order at restaurants, in the dining hall, or while traveling
… and I do not want ANY cheerleaders or former cheerleaders to struggle like I did! While I still had an amazing cheerleading career, I always felt like my nutrition habits were holding me back.
Since graduating, I have worked with sports nutrition programs at the USOPC, University of South Carolina, Princeton University & Columbia University as well as learning SO much from numerous leading Sports Dietitians across the country during my Dietetic Internship.
From these experiences, I know the NEED for sports nutrition education in the cheerleading community and now that I am a Board Certified Registered Dietitian, I want to be the go-to nutritionist for cheerleaders, coaches, and parents to look to when they are feeling as lost as I did when it comes to fueling for this sport.
And thats what brings me here today, to share my knowledge with current athletes, coaches and parents so they can excel in their sport and feel their BEST!
