SO, WHAT DOES TOM BRADY EAT? INTRODUCING THE TB12 DIET
With seven Super Bowl wins under his belt, there's no doubt Tom Brady doing something right. But what exactly is he doing, and why? What does Tom Brady eat and drink? With his focus on a plant-based diet, where does he get his protein?
And does Tom's way work for everyone? Keep reading to learn more about:
- The myths surrounding Tom Brady's nutrition
- Tom Brady's plant-based lifestyle
- What Tom Brady doesn't eat (usually)
- How to fuel your body like Tom Brady
Is Tom Brady a vegan? (And other myths.)
Although he puts a lot of greens on his plate, Tom's not a vegan. He has a more flexible diet—though it is heavily plant-based.
"When people ask if I'm a vegan or a vegetarian," Tom says, "I tell them no, decidedly not."
However, Tom's meals consist of roughly 80% plant-based foods and 20% animal-based foods.
What does Tom Brady eat?
First things first—Tom follows a predominantly plant-based diet, which he calls "commonsensical."
The reason he follows a plant-based diet is simple: fruits and vegetables are high in nutrients, fiber, and enzymes. In a nutshell, athletes need nutrients to fuel their bodies, and fruits and vegetables provide those nutrients without many of the negative side-effects of ultra-processed foods.
Despite his enthusiasm for a plant-based lifestyle, Tom Brady also eats meat. "Just not that much," he notes. "If anything, I subscribe to balance." A balanced lifestyle for Tom means limiting meat to a small portion of his meals and maximizing vegetables and grains.
A typical day in the life of Tom Brady
Brady's day typically starts at 6:00 a.m. His immediate focus is loading up on electrolytes and nutrients. "I wake up and drink 20 ounces of water with electrolytes," he says. After that, a high-calorie, high-fat, high-protein smoothie follows. The usual fare is bananas, blueberries, nuts, and seeds.
After about two hours, Tom starts his daily training session. At roughly 20-minute intervals throughout his workout, he'll drink more water with electrolytes, but he won't eat again until he's done exercising—around 11:00 a.m. At that time, he wraps up his session with a quick and easy recovery drink: one scoop of plant-based protein powder in almond milk.
Around noon, Tom assembles his lunch according to his core principle of "mostly plants." About 20% of his plate is a healthy protein (like a piece of fish), and the rest is vegetables—"lots of vegetables," he notes—whole grains, and dark leafy greens.
For the rest of the day, it's nuts and seeds as a snack, two or three more protein shakes, a plant-packed dinner, and—not infrequently—a steaming cup of bone broth.
How to fuel your body like Tom Brady
Following Tom's nutritional footsteps is simple.
Step #1: Optimize your hydration
- First thing in the morning, drink 20 ounces of water with TB12 Electrolytes.
- Hydrate and replenish electrolytes frequently while you work out to replenish fluid lost during exercise.
- Drink at least one-half of your body weight in ounces of water daily.
Step #2: Master your meals
- Stop eating when you feel 75% full. This gives your mind time to catch up with your body, and helps promote better satiety cues.
- At lunch and dinner, follow the 80/20 rule: fill up 80% of your plate with vegetables and greens, and the remaining 20% with lean protein (such as fish or chicken).
- Eat whole foods—foods that were grown, not manufactured.
- Take a multivitamin. Nobody's perfect, and you never know what you may have missed.
Step #3: Integrate food into your workouts (the right way)
- Fuel your body before your workout by drinking a high-calorie, high-protein, high-fat smoothie or shake. (If you really want to fuel like Tom, add walnuts, acai powder, and hemp or chia seeds.)
- Jumpstart your post-workout recovery by having a protein-packed shake after exercise.
If you're looking to eat more like Tom, start with the 80/20 rule. This will help reduce inflammation, giving you the energy to perform better and recover faster.
