The Tom Brady diet: What does the 7-time Super Bowl champion eat to stay fit

Tom Brady shocked the world when he announced that he was ending his retirement after just 40 days. Now he will be going into his 23rd season chasing his 8th Super Bowl ring and there are few doubting him despite the fact that he will turn 45 before the start of the season.

Brady has credited his unbelievable longevity to his ridiculous work ethic and commitment to recovery, as well as his tailored diet. In 2017, Brady released a book about the diet, and since, many people have been interested in it especially when learning that it’s mainly plant-based.

So, we’ll take a deep dive into the diet and reveal what Tom Brady feels he needs to consume to perform at the extremely high level that he does.

These past two months I’ve realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands. That time will come. But it’s not now. I love my teammates, and I love my supportive family. They make it all possible. I’m coming back for my 23rd season in Tampa. Unfinished business LFG pic.twitter.com/U0yhRKVKVm

— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) March 13, 2022

Related: “It’s all about the ring again” – Bruce Arians says Tom Brady returning means all energy will be focused to get another Super Bowl

What is the Tom Brady diet?

In his book, The TB12 Method, Tom Brady wrote “The regimen I follow is a mix of Eastern and Western philosophies. My nutritional regimen may seem restrictive to some people but to me, it feels unnatural to eat any other way.” The diet itself is meant to be a high protein one that is plant-based for the most part but has numerous exclusions like gluten, dairy, corn, alcohol, overly processed foods, and more. Certainly more restrictive than what most people would commit to.

The strict nature of the diet is because Brady himself believes that it boosts energy, prevents bone injuries, and enhances recovery. If all of that is true, it’s not too hard to see why he’s managed to stick around in the NFL for so long and keep up such a high level of play.

A normal day of eating for Brady would look like this:

• Breakfast: Smoothie consisting of almond milk, almond butter, brazil nuts, banana, hemp and chia seeds, blueberries and organic yogurt
• Snack: Protein bar
• Lunch: An option of a mainly plant-based meal along with fish, an example would be salmon with cauliflower
• Dinner: Similar to lunch, mainly plant-based and high in protein that may include either fish or red meat
• Dessert: Numerous options like dark chocolate, chia seed pudding, or the infamous avocado ice cream

So, while Brady keeps his diet strict, it’s not entirely all work and no play as he revealed that he does add in some foods that he just wants to eat but focuses on portion control so as to not go overboard.

How Tom Brady adds in cheat meals to his diet

Tom Brady spoke to ‘Men’s Health’ and told them “If I’m craving bacon, I have a piece. Same with pizza. You should never restrict what you really want. We’re humans, here for one life. What’s changed as I’ve gotten older is now if I want pizza, I want the best pizza. I don’t eat a slice that tastes like s**t and then wonder, ‘Why am I eating s**t pizza?”

It’s nice to know that even one of the most highly tuned athletes in the world can’t resist pizza every now and then, even if it is pizza that’s for the most part healthy and won’t affect him too much.

So, now we know the food he consumes for most days, but how does he handle the fluid intake?

What fluids does the Tom Brady diet include?

In short, a lot, and I truly mean a lot of fluids. As mentioned earlier, Tom Brady usually starts his day with a smoothie but before that, he has a 20-ounce glass of water. Then during his workouts, he obviously drinks more water along with each meal.

In total, he aims to have anywhere between 12-25 glasses of water. For reference, most normal humans go through the day with around 8. This is the one part of the diet that is so finely tuned to Brady himself.

The amount of work that he puts into his workouts is what justifies the need for hydration and he himself stresses how important it is to remain hydrated. As such, it’s not so surprising to hear that he consumes this much fluid in a day but it certainly is something specific to him and would be difficult to do if you’re not working like him.

Seeing this diet, it’s not too hard to see why Tom Brady is still playing at such a high level. Heading into season #23, expect Brady to be on the same diet and to be performing at an extremely high level once again.

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