Tom Brady’s diet: How TB12 has prolonged Buccaneers quarterback’s career

The history of the NFL has suggested that a quarterback isn’t supposed to lead his team to the Super Bowl at 43 years old.

History of the NFL, meet TB12.

Tom Brady has proven people wrong for years, dating back to the days he was a sixth-round pick out of Michigan just trying to earn a job with the Patriots. And even as he’s won six Super Bowl rings, there have been the questions — he can’t keep doing this, can he? The decline is coming, isn’t it?

Brady isn’t necessarily the same player he was two or five or 10 or 20 years ago, but he’s still highly successful and a Super Bowl finalist once again, this time with the Buccaneers in February 2021. His TB12 diet has made waves in recent years, with Brady taking time at various junctures to explain how he’s lasted this long.

“The regimen I follow is a mix of Eastern and Western philosophies,” Brady told Men’s Health. “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.”

TB12 isn’t just a diet, of course. For Brady, it’s a way of life, and he’s attempted to market it to the public. Whether it produces any other six-time Super Bowl champion quarterbacks remains to be seen, but it’s obviously worked for Brady.

MORE: How Tom Brady after 40 compares to other great athletes

What is TB12?

TB12 is a lifestyle co-founded by Tom Brady. According to its website, it was founded “on the belief that everyone can benefit from a smarter, more holistic approach to health and wellness. Tom’s functional strength & conditioning principles, innovative recovery practices, and commitment to preventing and addressing injuries are the basis for everything TB12 does.”

The name comes from Tom Brady’s initials and his uniform number in the NFL, No. 12.

TB12 sells all sorts of workout equipment and diet supplements to help others follow the lifestyle. The title of the book about it might say it all: “The TB12 Method: How to Achieve a Lifetime of Sustained Peak Performance.”

What is Tom Brady’s diet? Lots of liquid

The first thing Brady does after getting out of bed at 6 a.m., according to Men’s Health, is drink a 20-ounce glass of water infused with electrolytes. Then he has a smoothie that usually contains blueberries, bananas, nuts and seeds.

Brady has more electrolyte-infused water during his 8 a.m. workout before following up the exercise with another smoothie.

Throughout the course of a day, Brady drinks between 12 and 25 glasses of water, he said in 2017. 

Typical Tom Brady meals

Brady used to focus on “alkalizing,” meaning eating foods that decrease inflammation in the body. That led to a diet filled very heavily with vegetables and fish.

Lately, though, Brady has loosened his views on his diet (if only slightly). Men’s Health recently laid out a typical Brady food day:

Tom Brady gameday meal

Brady’s gameday meal is very simple, according to Men’s Health. He’ll have one of his usual pre-workout smoothies, and then he’ll follow it up with an almond butter and jelly sandwich. 

Tom Brady does have cheat meals

Here’s how Brady summed up cheating his diet, per Men’s Health:

“If I’m craving bacon, I have a piece. Same with pizza. You should never restrict what you really want. We’re humans, here for one life. What’s changed as I’ve gotten older is now if I want pizza, I want the best pizza. I don’t eat a slice that tastes like s— and then wonder, ‘Why am I eating s— pizza?'”

Brady has also been a promoter for UnReal Candy. It’s candy that fits Brady’s healthy lifestyle, though, as Business Insider writes that UnReal Candy has all natural ingredients and 40 percent less sugar than candy from major brands.

TB12 quotes

In Tom Brady’s book, “The TB12 Method: How to Achieve a Lifetime of Sustained Peak Performance,” a variety of topics are discussed. If you’re looking for a quick pick-me-up or inspiration from Brady’s lifestyle, here’s a sampling of the best from the book.

Brady, according to his website, is also a fan of one quote by legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden: “Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.”