Last week, the Boston Globe published an article detailing an “Average Day” in the life of New England Patriots Quarterback, Tom Brady. While we were all excited to read about his training regimen and pre-game rituals, what actually stood out was his diet.
To maintain his peak athletic performance even into what’s normally considered the twilight years of one’s football career (some would argue he’s actually getting better with age), Tom follows a strict set of culinary rules that’s come to be known as the GOAT diet.
But you don’t need to subscribe to the official TB12 Diet to eat like a 5-time Super Bowl champion. You can just follow our guide and grab some of these more accessible foods (manufactured by some of our favorite brand partners) off your local grocery shelf.
First thing’s first -- you exactly won’t be eating like a goat, since eating tin cans and grass is probably unsafe and will cause a severe nutrient deficiency. No, you’ll be eating like The GOAT (Greatest Of All Time). So, without further ado, welcome to Tom Brady’s TB12 Diet.
Breakfast:
According to Tom, every day must start (and end) with 20 oz of electrolyte water and a fruit, nut, seed, and almond dairy smoothie. Feeling like that’s a lot to handle after just waking up? Don’t have a blender because you decided to spend that money on a larger TV to watch football? Fear not, we’re here to help.
Electrolyte Water
Waikea Springs Natural Electrolyte Water - Ideal because not only does it contain electrolytes, but it is also has an Alkaline PH, something Tom highly recommends as a way to boost the body’s alkalinity and reduce muscle inflammation.
Smoothie
Why make your own smoothie when Forager Project already took care of that for you? Grab a bottle of their mango & chia seed infused, cashew nut yogurt smoothie. This smoothie contains no dairy, very little sugar, and helps boost your immune system while providing natural energy to start your day, even if you aren’t headed over to a Bill Belichick practice.
Protein Powder
If you’re looking to kick up your smoothie with some protein, something Brady says is essential, add a scoop of Power Crunch Vanilla Flavored protein powder and truly start your day like the GOAT.
Alright, you’re off to a good start, no more coffee and Lucky Charms - you’re a lean, mean, football-slinging machine and you’re ready to crush that 45-minute commute.
You might not be lifting weights all morning or throwing slant routes to Rob Gronkowski, but hey, you just got that standing desk and you’re burning calories like it’s nobody’s business. I think it’s time for a snack.
Mid-Morning Snack
The greatest quarterback of all time encourages snacking, who are you to say no? The official TB12 kit includes a variety of healthy superfood bars, made mainly from fruits, nuts, and seeds, but you can also find plenty of similar snacks at your local Whole Foods.
Dried Fruit Bar
Dried fruit can be kind of messy to eat, but not when they’re conveniently squished together with nuts and neatly wrapped in foil. You can thank Wella Bar for that as you pick from a variety of flavors of conveniently packaged dried fruit and nut bars.
Superfood Bar
Feeling even more ambitious today? Grab a R.e.d.d Bar and snack on one of six flavors, all containing 11 types of superfoods, and nine grams of lean protein. They even have a mint chocolate chip option, so you can pretend you’re eating Thinmints while pretending to be an NFL superstar.
The clock is about to strike 12:00, and you’re about to eat lunch like #12. You’re feeling good. Sure, your coworker had some potato chips earlier, and yeah, your friend wants to meet you at that pizza place for lunch but no, you will not be deterred, you’re on a mission and nothing can stop you now. Let’s go!
Lunch
Finally, a meal full of things you don’t have to google to find out how to pronounce. Brady’s lunch is fairly simple and common, consisting of mainly vegetables and a piece of fish. This lunch is pretty self explanatory, so go to your local market, stock up on some farm fresh veggies, and make yourself a nice piece of tilapia or salmon to bring to work. So what if your desk-mate put a sign on the microwave saying not to heat up fish? Is he eating like a 3x Super Bowl MVP? We didn’t think so.
You’re in the home stretch now - you’ve got energy, you’re efficiently crushing your work for the day, and most importantly, you’re beginning to feel like Tom. Stay focused though, HR is starting to get confused after you signed off on that last email with “We’re on to Cincinnati”. Maybe you need a snack.
Afternoon Snack
Believe it or not, Tom’s day is actually taking a turn toward the familiar. According to the Boston Globe, the quarterback’s afternoon snacks consist of a handful of chips and some hummus.
Chips
With a name like “The Better Chip” you know you’re in the right spot. Tons of different flavors to pick from, including spinach, sweet corn, or jalapeno make this our go-to chip brand.
Hummus
Alright, this is a tough choice, but this category belongs to Blue Moose of Boulder. Even though they are located in Broncos territory, one of the least favorable environments for the GOAT, Blue Moose has a variety of hummus and dips to help keep those cravings in check.
It’s official, you made it home and are a mere three hours from finishing day one of your new diet. Time for a healthy dinner and some sleep, you’ve got a big game meeting tomorrow and you need some food before bed.
Dinner
The Brady household has one of the more wholesome dinners we’ve ever read about. Lean protein, plenty of vegetables, and even some pasta! Well, the vegetable-based kind, but hey, who are you to judge? Accompanying dinner is a warm glass of nutrient rich bone broth, a soup-like drink containing essential vitamins, oils, and more protein.
Vegetable-Based Pasta
Chickpea pasta doesn’t sound too bad, and Banza actually makes it pretty darn good. They have a variety of shapes and sizes, so if one day Tom approves a mac and cheese recipe, you’ll be ready.
Bone Broth
What’s bone broth, you ask? Well, it’s really not too different from a cup of soup, but these bottled broths tend to be more nutrient and protein dense, making a great substitute for coffee or tea, which are off-limits for Tom. Bru Broth offers you a variety of flavors and blends, and you can ease your way in with vegetable based broths first.
Dishes are done, the evening is winding down, and you’re getting ready to watch Tom go for another dominant performance on Monday Night Football. Your sweet tooth is starting to hurt for a nice bowl of ice cream. But don’t give in, you’re so close!
Dessert
Avocado ice cream is a huge part of the TB12 diet. He doesn’t indulge every day, but it’s his go-to dessert and has become a mainstay at several New England-based creameries, so get ready to indulge.
Avocado Ice Cream
Believe it or not, there aren’t many options for pre-packaged avocado ice cream. A quick Google search mainly yields results for home-made varieties. So, let’s make our own. Take some of that Forager Project Dairy Free Vanilla Cashew Milk (that’s a mouthful), and combine with their avocado and greens juice, then freeze for a few hours. We can’t promise this one will taste great, but we can promise you’ll be well on your way to being the greatest football player of all time*.
You did it. You conquered something that many people will never even attempt. You just ate like Tom Brady for a whole day. So what if you got some weird stares at work? Who cares if you were a few minutes late because you had to make sure that your vegetable bar didn’t contain any nightshades?
It’s time to put on those TB12 pajamas, get cozy, and get some beauty rest, champ.
*We absolutely cannot promise that you will become the greatest football player of all time. In fact, it is highly unlikely.
Editor's Note: Feature Photo By Keith Allison from Baltimore, USA (Tom Brady) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
