Ronaldo’s six mini-meals a day, and Brady’s tomato boycott: Sports stars’ weird and wonderful diets

Will Levis’ dropout from the first round of the NFL Draft was surprising, but not as surprising as some of his dietary habits.

After Levis was selected at number 33 by the Titans, a 2021 TikTok surfaced showing him eating unpeeled and overripe bananas.

Some defended the banana decision online, saying that fruit has the highest antioxidant levels once its expiration date has passed.

But it was harder to justify his decision to put mayo in his coffee last year, a curious move that some fans labeled a publicity stunt.

Nevertheless, the muscular quarterback seems to be on to something right in terms of his food choices, and he’s far from the only professional athlete to keep a close eye on their diet.

Here, DailyMail. com looks at some of the weird and notable food choices in the sports world.

The 23-year-old once added mayonnaise to his coffee, but many think it’s a publicity stunt

Cristiano Ronaldo

At 38 years old, the Portuguese striker is still in top condition, largely due to his extremely strict diet.

He is said to eat six smaller, protein-rich meals throughout the day instead of the typical main meals of breakfast, lunch and dinner.

And the former Manchester United and Real Madrid player has a particular fondness for fresh fish, according to Portuguese national team chef Luis Lavrador.

His favorite seafood options include swordfish, sea bass, sea bream, and cod.

For breakfast, Ronaldo often opts for cheese, ham and low-fat yogurt, while he also likes to eat avocado toast as a snack.

The star has also praised chicken as “magical” for its blend of high protein but low fat, while salad, whole grains like quinoa, and fresh fruit are also part of his daily intake.

The health-conscious Portuguese star eats six small meals a day as a footballer

From ‘magic’ chicken, a strict sleep schedule and home cryotherapy, Ronaldo leaves no stone unturned

Erling Haland

Haaland shattered the Premier League single-season scoring record in his first year at Manchester City, and there could be a ‘magic potion’ behind it.

The Norwegian striker revealed last month that his special drink consists of milk, kale and spinach.

But the hulking striker consumes much more than just smoothies, taking in nearly 6,000 calories a day — which is two and a half times more than the average man should.

The 22-year-old has said he gets protein from somewhat unconventional sources and eats cow hearts and livers for fuel.

But while the spitz is clearly a carnivore, it is aware of where its protein comes from.

“People say meat is bad for you, but which one?” he said in the documentary “Haaland: The Big Decision.” “The meat you get at McDonald’s?”

Erling Haaland has revealed his secret potion that led to this season’s goals

The Manchester City forward has scored 51 goals in 45 appearances in a record-breaking season

Josh Hart

While Ronaldo and Haaland are extremely meticulous about what they put in their bodies, Hart doesn’t seem to be so picky.

The New York Knicks guard has been seen munching on pizza and chicken wings after playoff games this postseason.

And a previous social media post of his messages shows that what we’ve seen recently isn’t an anomaly.

Hart shared a photo on his Instagram story in 2018 – when he was with the Lakers – of a shopping cart filled with pretzels, goldfish, ramen noodles, and “Zebra Cakes,” among other things.

The player’s loot also included Totino’s pizza buns, tortilla chips, and frosted mini wheat cereal.

“Why I can’t go shopping alone,” he captioned the image.

Josh Hart has been seen eating chicken wings this postseason while starring for the Knicks

Hart showed off his groceries earlier in 2018, showing off his love for snacks

Tom Brady

Unlike Hart, you won’t see Brady eating pizza — or caffeine, or mushrooms.

The recently retired seven-time Super Bowl champion avoided those foods (particularly tomatoes, in terms of pizza), as well as peppers and eggplants during his wildly successful career because of their links to inflammation.

The quarterback followed an organic, gluten-free, and largely plant-based meal plan, making sure 80 percent of his diet came from vegetables and the other 20 percent from meat.

In particular, over the years, Brady has touted the benefits of alkaline foods, citing blueberries, avocados, kale, and spinach in his book as foods that help lower his body’s PH and keep him healthy.

The former Patriots and Bucs passer has also said many times in the past that he drinks up to three liters of water every day.

On the other hand, Brady avoids white sugar and all white flour, while consuming alcohol very rarely.

Tom Brady eats an ’80-20′ diet where the majority of his diet consists of vegetables

Brady is seen eating a bar from his health and wellness brand TB12

Chris Paul

Another plant-based athlete — even more so than Brady — is Phoenix Suns guard Paul, who has been avoiding meat and dairy since 2019.

While the 12-time All-Star loved fried chicken and processed snacks, Per The BeetPaul made the move four years ago and was the NBA’s chief assistant last season at age 36.

“I still don’t believe I would be playing at the level I’m playing now if I didn’t go plant-based,” he told the website.

In an interview with GK last year he outlined some of his favorite dishes, citing plant-based pancakes, JUST Egg (vegan) scrambles with fruits and vegetables as breakfast staples.

He often has sautéed vegetables, rice, and salad for lunch and dinner, along with protein drinks.

For dessert, cookies are his “favorite,” he told The Beet, while the soon-to-be Hall of Famer also launched a brand of plant-based snacks, including “Hot Hot Puffs” and “Cookies n Creme Popcorn.”

Chris Paul launched Good Eat’N to provide plant-based alternatives for snacking

Paul adopted a plant-based diet in 2019 after previously being a fried chicken lover

LeBron James

James is still one of the NBA’s top players at 38 years old, and he’s previously credited his frequent wine consumption with maintaining his level of play.

He told ESPN in 2018 that he drank wine “almost every day” after not trying until he was 30.

“I’ve heard it’s good for the heart,” he said. “Listen, I’m playing the best basketball of my life… Whatever it is, I’m going for it.”

James is also a financier of the Lobos 1707 tequila brand, and has spoken of tequila as another drink he needs to relax after playing.

“I go home and drink wine or tequila every night and when I’m home in Los Angeles I watch some movies with the kids or play Madden,” he told reporters last year.

He’s averaged just over 22 points and 11 rebounds per game this postseason, and it’s hard to argue with his methods as the Lakers lead 1-0 over the Warriors in the second round.

LeBron James arrives at a game in 2018 with a glass of red wine in hand

James, seen here with Diego Osorio, is a financier of Lobos Tequila and loves a drink before bed

Mate tea

Mate (pronounced ma-tay) is a mixture of near-boiling water with dried leaves of the yerba mate plant – and many football players swear by it for its various benefits.

Perhaps most importantly, maté provides the same energy boost as coffee without the caffeine kicking in, with South American stars like Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez favoring the drink.

Mate tea is extremely popular in Argentina and even PSG superstar Lionel Messi drinks it

Mate is a South American drink that has an array of health benefits and contains 24 vitamins

Players drink the drink through a straw – to filter out the leaves – from a wooden mug, and Antoine Griezmann, Sergio Agüero, Paul Pogba and more have been seen holding their hands in moderation.

The drink even became popular in the England camp ahead of the 2018 World Cup, with Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Eric Dier being influenced by their South American teammates and then-manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Mate tea contains 24 different vitamins, while it is believed to improve mental focus in addition to the energy boost from caffeine.

Plus, it’s also packed with antioxidants, some of which fight muscle fatigue, and is said to help you sleep deeply.