Tom Brady's Diet

Tom Brady is an athlete par excellence. While it was not astounding that Tom Brady was still a dominant force even in his last season in the NFL in 2022-23, a lot of it is credited to his curated diet regimen. Brady credited his ability to keep playing football into his 40s to his strict diet and lifestyle. Even at the time of retirement, Tom Brady was as fit as he had ever been and his body would have even allowed him to continue playing. However, he finally hung up his football boots to spend quality time with his family.

Brady's health regimen includes transcendental meditation, yoga, an 80/20 diet (meaning 80% alkaline and 20% acidic) consisting of plenty of all-natural and whole foods, early bedtime, resistance training, and neuroplasticity training. He doesn't drink alcohol and drinks a ton of water. Rob Gronkowski, Brady's teammate and friend, quarterback Kirk Cousins, and hockey player Mark Scheifele are some other athletes known to follow Brady’s diet plan.

Image source - TB12 Sports

What does Tom Brady eat on a typical day?

Tom Brady is quite transparent about how he maintains his level of high performance, unlike other elite athletes. The former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback has detailed his diet in his 2017 book, The 'TB12 Method' by explaining, “The regimen I follow is a mix of Eastern and Western philosophies. Some of these principles have been around for thousands of years. My nutritional regimen may seem restrictive to some people, but to me, it feels unnatural to eat any other way.” In an exclusive interview with Men's Health, Brady mentioned that his diet isn't as strict as it may seem to others. He explained that it was definitely not restrictive to the point where he can’t have anything.

Foremost, Tom Brady's diet includes him consuming an astounding amount of liquid. The first thing Brady does after getting out of bed is reach for his 20-ounce glass of water infused with electrolytes. He then makes himself a smoothie, which typically consists of blueberries, bananas, nuts, and seeds. He drinks more electrolyte-infused water during his morning workout, followed by a post-workout protein shake. Given that Brady trains a lot harder than an average human being, his 12 to 25 glasses of water is aptly justified. Brady stresses the importance of hydration and drinks even for the general population.

Based on his TB12 diet, Brady is focused on eating “alkalizing” foods, or foods meant to decrease inflammation in your body. For lunch, Brady would eat fish and vegetables, and his personal chef revealed that 80 percent of what the Brady household eats is vegetables. However, he also keeps in mind to take it easy and not stress about maintaining a hardcore strict diet.

An example of his routine diet would be:

Pre-workout: Berry-and-banana smoothies

Breakfast: Avocado and eggs

Lunch: Salads with nuts and fish

Snacks: Hummus, guacamole, or mixed nuts

Dinner: Roasted vegetables and chicken

Brady’s fridge is full of fruits like grapes, blueberries, apples, pears, bananas, and veggies like cucumbers, kale, and spinach. He likes to add TB12 electrolytes to his water and is a huge fan of recovery fluids. On game days, he liked to keep his meals simple, preferably a smoothie and almond butter and jelly sandwich.

Brady’s cheat meals have to be worth it. According to him, if he’s craving bacon for example, he treats himself to a piece, and the same goes with pizza as well, but he wants it to be of the best quality. He explains one must never restrict what one really wants. After all, we’re only humans and have one life. So what Brady eats in a day is pretty simple - a lot of fruit, a lot of recovery fluids, and just the right amount of pizza.

Does Tom Brady follow a plant-based diet?

Tom Brady's meals consist of roughly 80 percent plant-based foods and 20 percent animal-based foods. He puts a lot of greens on his plate but has adopted a more flexible diet. In an interview, Brady mentioned, “When people ask if I'm a vegan or a vegetarian,” Tom says, “I tell them no, decidedly not.”

Does Tom Brady take supplements?

Tom Brady has taken supplements since 2000. Inspired by that TB12 has selected five supplements to support athletes' performance and quality of life. These supplements specifically increase performance and enhance muscle recovery. They are - TB12 Multivitamin, TB12 Focus, TB12 Omega, TB12 Probiotic, and TB12 Vitamin D.

What foods does Tom Brady avoid?

The Tom Brady diet restricts the intake of the following foods:

Gluten-containing foods: This includes bread, pasta, breakfast cereals, pastries, and wheat-flour-based foods of any kind.

Caffeinated foods and drinks: Drinks like coffee, tea, energy drinks, soft drinks, and chocolate.

Nightshade fruits and vegetables: They include eggplants, potatoes, peppers, and tomatoes.

Dairy-containing foods: These include milk, cheese, and yogurt. TB12 whey protein supplements are allowed.

Processed grains: This category features white pasta, white bread, and white rice.

Non-organic, non-local, or non-seasonal produce: This includes conventionally grown vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes, as well as those that are imported or bought out of season.

Factory-farmed meat and seafood: Avoiding non-organic, hormone- or antibiotic-containing meat, fish, or seafood.

Cooking oils: Nearly all cooking oils are discouraged, except for coconut oil, which may be used for cooking, and olive oil, which can be used for salad dressings.

Soybeans: Avoiding soybeans and all foods derived from this legume, such as edamame, tofu, tempeh, soy milk, soy sauce, and many processed foods containing soy-derived ingredients like soy lecithin.

Processed foods: Candy, soft drinks, store-bought sauces, and foods containing added sugars, artificial sweeteners, MSG, or trans fats should be avoided.

GMOs: Dieters should not eat foods that come from a genetically modified organism (GMO).

Iodized salt: The diet discourages using this type of salt and suggests using Himalayan pink salt instead.

Alcohol: All types of alcoholic drinks should be avoided.

What does Tom Brady add to his smoothie?

The two fruits Brady adds are blueberries and bananas, both high in antioxidants (the berries) and potassium, which also get depleted during your workouts.

Does Tom Brady drink Gatorade?

Tom Brady doesn't drink Gatorade. On the sideline during a game, what one can see Brady drinking from a cup is a concoction that was specially made for him. The concoction is a lemon drink with a ton of electrolytes that doesn't have any sugar but is just loaded up with electrolytes.

Is Tom Brady's diet healthy?

The Tom Brady Diet which promotes eating nutrient-rich, minimally processed foods and limiting processed ones is indeed quite healthy. It may aid weight loss, protect against various diseases, and boost your sports performance and recovery. But many sources state that it’s unnecessarily restrictive, not based on sound science, and likely difficult to maintain for the long term.