Why Does Tom Brady Not Eat Tomatoes? The NFL Player's Strict Diet, Explained

The Kansas City Chiefs play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Super Bowl, and it's a pretty big deal for not only Buccaneers fans, but Patriots fans as well. Tom Brady, who famously played for the Patriots from 2001 to 2019, most recently switched over to the Buccaneers. Brady is arguably one of the most talented quarterbacks in history, helping the Patriots score nine Super Bowl appearances. It's no surprise that he's led the Buccaneers to the Super Bowl during his first-ever season with them. 

While many fans have been googling everything there is to know about Brady's techniques and what he'll possibly try to pull off today, some of us are more curious about his personal life — especially his well-documented, strict diet. The fact that Brady, for instance, does not eat tomatoes, has been boggling our minds for a while now.

Tom Brady doesn't eat tomatoes because they fall in the nightshade category — among other produce. Some people (including Brady) believe that fruits and vegetables in the nightshade group cause inflammation (specifically arthritis) but there is no medical evidence that supports that. Brady has also eliminated potatoes, eggplant, peppers, and tomatillos from his diet due to the same reason. The NFL champ also detests strawberries, even though he's never tried one.

Tom Brady has a pretty strict diet. Considering the size of most football players, you'd think they'd all chow down on fatty proteins and piles of carbs, but that's very much not the case with Brady. The 43-year-old (and his Brazilian model wife, Gisele Bündchen) are notorious health nuts. In 2017, Brady talked about his diet in his book, The TB12 Method, and we learned that he mostly eats fruits and veggies, and a lot of water infused with electrolytes. 

Brady's diet is heavily focused on “alkalizing” foods, which are foods that prevent inflammation (which makes sense since he regularly puts his body through so much trauma). Per Men's Health, his personal chef shared that Brady consumes 80 percent veggies. He also drinks a lot of water. Like 12-25 glasses of water per day.

Here's what Brady's diet looks like on a daily basis: He wakes up and drinks a 20-ounce glass of water with electrolytes, and he'll have a smoothie with blueberries, bananas, nuts, and seeds in it. After he works out, he drinks more water and has a protein shake. For lunch, he generally has fish and veggies, and for dinner, he likes roasted veggies with chicken. With that said, apparently Brady has loosened up a little over the years. 

"I have a friend who freaks out if it’s not the most organic this or that, and I’m like, 'That stress is going to harm you way more than eating that chip is,'" Brady said, According to Men's Health. He will also allow himself to eat "cheat meals" like bacon and pizza, but they also have to be really high quality, because otherwise, it's not worth it for him. 

"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 sh*t and then wonder, 'Why am I eating sh*t pizza?'" he told Men's Health.

Well, whatever he's doing is certainly working for him. And with an insane career like Brady's, he deserves a slice of pizza every now and then.