Overly Processed Foods
You won’t find Tom Brady eating Frosted Flakes or Coca Cola. In fact, he’s publicly scrutinized both of these foods. Overly processed foods typically go against several of Tom Brady’s strict criteria. They may contain extra sugar, GMOs, trans fat, gluten, dairy, etc. Instead, Tom Brady prefers to stick to whole, unprocessed foods.
Sugar and Artificial Sweeteners
Tom Brady’s private chef doesn’t cook with any added sugar or artificial sweeteners. He believes that sugar is the root of most people’s health problems. Tom Brady shares this belief as he cut out all sugar as part of his anti-inflammatory protocol.
However, artificial sweeteners sold in the U.S are considered safe to consume by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration3 and may be beneficial to people who have pre-diabetes or diabetes.4
Nightshade Vegetables and Fungi
While Tom Brady’s diet consists heavily of fresh vegetables, some veggies don’t make the cut. Particularly, he doesn’t consume nightshade vegetables and fungi. This means no tomatoes, bell peppers, eggplants, potatoes or mushrooms. The reasoning is that they’re not anti-inflammatory. The reality, however, is that these vegetables and fungis all contain antioxidants, so they are anti-inflammatory.5
Coffee and Alcohol
Tom Brady’s diet is caffeine-free. He claims to have never even tried coffee. Occasionally he will have a cup of tea, but he doesn’t have coffee because of its acidity. Tom Brady will have alcohol on special occasions, but he tries to avoid it because it can lead to inflammation. It should be noted, however, that the kidneys and lungs help keep the body from being either too alkaline and acidic as both conditions are detrimental to the body long-term.
Trans Fat and Saturated Fat
While olive oil and coconut oil are approved by Tom Brady, they must be free of trans fat. For this reason, Tom Brady’s chef never cooks with canola oil. He also only serves olive oil raw and uses coconut oil for cooking. Tom Brady avoids both trans fat and saturated fat as part of his anti-inflammatory regimen.
Recommended Timing
Like the Standard American Diet, the Tom Brady diet includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Snacks are also allowed.
Tom Brady begins his day with electrolyte-infused water. Breakfast is a fruit smoothie with nuts and seeds. After his workout, Tom Brady will have a protein shake with almond milk.
Snacks on the Tom Brady diet are usually dehydrated fruits, raw veggies with hummus or guacamole, a protein bar, or bone broth.
Tom Brady’s lunch and dinner are heavy on vegetables. His private chef will select fresh vegetables based on seasonality. These meals are typically served with a protein source like fish. Some of his plant-based meals consist of whole grains like quinoa with wilted greens and herbs.
The Tom Brady diet also encourages people to drink plenty of water, but the timing is important. You should drink water 30 minutes before meals, but don’t drink water until one hour after meals.