Tom Brady Diet Routine and its Constituents

Tom Brady used to be really strict about the foods he eats.

In his 2017 book, Brady explained that he was 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.

Compliant

The following foods are can be eaten on the Tom Brady diet

Most Vegetables

The bulk of Tom Brady’s lunches and dinners are composed of vegetables. His private chef, who does all of the grocery shopping, only uses the freshest product that’s usually organic and locally sourced. Nightshade vegetables and fungi are off-limits, however.

Fruits, Especially Banana

Tom Brady is a big proponent of protein shakes and smoothies. His breakfast almost always consists of a fruit smoothie with nuts and seeds. His go-to fruit is banana. Until recently, Tom Brady had never even tried a strawberry. Aside from his morning smoothie, he doesn’t consume a large quantity or variety of fruit.

Whole Grains

Complex carbohydrates are a staple for many professional athletes. Tom Brady’s diet includes plenty of brown rice, quinoa, and millet because they provide greater nutrition than their counterparts that are more heavily processed.

Beans

Since Tom Brady’s diet is predominantly plant-based, he gets some of his protein from beans.

Lean Proteins

Some sources claim that Tom Brady is vegan, but his private chef says otherwise. With lunch or dinner, the Brady family often has animal protein. Depending on the season, this may be steak, salmon, duck or chicken

Protein Powders and Protein Bars

Tom Brady doesn’t shy away from protein powders. In fact, he sometimes has several scoops of protein powder per day. His post-workout meal is usually a protein shake. If he wants a snack, he might go for a protein bar. Tom Brady is such a big proponent of protein powders that he recently launched his own sports nutrition line, which includes a whey protein powder and a plant-based protein powder.

TB12 Performance Meals from Purple Carrot

Though he’s not fully vegan himself, Tom Brady eats mostly plant-based. Because of this, he partnered with Purple Carrot to create TB12 Performance Meals. If you want to try the Tom Brady diet, this meal delivery service is the next best thing to a private chef.

Non-Compliant

The below foods are banned on this eating plan:

Dairy

Tom Brady frequently describes his diet as an anti-inflammatory. He completely eliminated all dairy products because they don’t fit this description. It should be noted however, that this assumption isn’t necessarily supported by scientific evidence. In 2017 a review of 52 clinical studies reported that cow’s milk has anti-inflammatory effects unless there is an allergy.1 Brady drinks almond milk instead of cow’s milk, and his private chef makes creamy dishes with a cashew base.

Gluten

Another allergen that’s eliminated on the Tom Brady diet is gluten. His diet is free of white flour and even soy sauce because they contain gluten. Refined carbs containing gluten aren’t compliant on the Tom Brady diet because of his belief that they have an inflammatory effect on the body.

Eliminating whole grains from the diet, however, further limits another avenue of obtaining nutrients such as fiber, B vitamins, antioxidants, iron, zinc, copper, and magnesium. Also, there is no evidence that gluten causes inflammation unless you have a gluten sensitivity or have celiac disease.

GMOs and MSG

Eliminating GMOs and MSG from his diet was partially inspired by his private chef. Tom Brady’s chef had already been cooking professionally without these ingredients. Since then, Tom Brady has publicly spoken against food companies that use GMOs.

However, GMOs are safe to consume and highly regulated. MSG is also safe to consume and may even decrease overall sodium intake up to 40% when added to meals and recipes, while maintaining desirable flavor.2

Corn and Soy

Tom Brady doesn’t consume corn and soy because they’re allergens, but because they don’t meet his strict dietary requirements. He believes that soy is acidic, which goes against his alkalizing principles. Corn is typically a GMO food, which explains why he avoids it.