Is Tom Brady vegan? His diet suggests otherwise 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady is in his 22nd year in the NFL at age 44 and playing at a high level. The Buccaneers are leading the NFC South with a 10-3 record and are trying to be the number one seed in the NFC playoffs. Brady leads the league in passing yards and passing touchdowns and is looking for his fourth NFL MVP and his second at age 40 or over. One of the possible secrets to his longevity and success is his diet.

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He is not 100 percent vegan. The quarterback follows the 80/20 rule that 80 percent of his meals are plant-based, and the remaining 20 percent is meat. The 80 percent of his dish consists of vegetables or rice and grains, and 20 percent consists of lean protein, such as fish or chicken. Many nutritionists say that Brady and those who adhere to the 80/20 rule might be even healthier than being 100 percent vegan.

According to registered dietitian Alix Turoff, the seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback and his plan to place 20 percent meat and fish into his diet is one constructive move to solve several risks. These risks include depriving the body of nutrients, such as calcium and iron.

A study in 2019 uncovered that vegans might have a greater likelihood of having a stroke.

Turoff says it fosters a healthy trade-off that will lead to many of the positives that veganism provides with lesser downsides, and it makes meal planning less difficult.

Why Brady’s diet plan is the best plan to follow

Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Tom Brady

Turoff mentions the method the three-time All-Pro quarterback is utilizing is a good one since it is a simpler path to include the positives of some animal-based protein while maintaining a priority on vegetables and plant-based carbs as the key source of calories and nutrients.

Turoff states that:

"I think we can all agree that adding more plants to our diet is always a good idea, but that doesn't mean being full plant based is necessary. Especially for someone like Tom Brady whose protein needs are going to be very high with his activity level!"

Dr. Kris Sollid is a registered dietitian who is also the senior director of nutrition communications at the International Food Information Council. He labels Brady's diet as a "flexitarian diet," a semi-vegetarian, plant-forward diet that integrates dairy and eggs and gives space for meat on occasion.

Sollid explains:

"The emphasis on plant foods is thought to contribute to the health benefits associated with a vegetarian diet without requiring compliance to a 100% vegetarian or vegan diet, A flexitarian diet, as its name implies, allows for flexibility while striving to slowly increase fruit and vegetable intake over time without eliminating animal foods."

Brady proves that his diet is a big winner and his true secret weapon.

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