Tom Brady has pushed back against the narrative that he lives by a strict set of dietary rules, insisting he’s much more flexible than people give him credit for and admitting he makes Nutella pancakes for his kids.
Talk to CNBC In an interview shared Tuesday to mark his partnership with chocolate brand Ferrero, the seven-time Super Bowl champion, 48, opened up about the scrutiny his diet has attracted over the years.
“I think there has to be moderation in all things,” he said. “People have gone a little too far because of how rigid my lifestyle or diet was.”
He wanted to paint a picture of a fairly normal family life.
“I have kids, I have Halloweens and birthday parties and we’re just like a normal family, so I try to make really healthy choices as often as possible. But when you’re watching football and you’re going to games and you’re traveling and you’re in airports, I also understand the reality of life.”
He also revealed that a trip to Milan for the Olympics involved eating Nutella pizza, which probably wasn’t in his cutting-edge NFL nutrition plan.
In his playing days, Brady was famous for avoiding white sugar, white flour, dairy, iodized salt, caffeine and a long list of other foods, including nightshade vegetables and popular fruits like strawberries.
The TB12 method, as it became known, was widely covered and attracted both admiration and ridicule.
Since retiring from the NFL in 2022, he has relaxed, although he is quick to point out that he compensates for the change with plenty of exercise and water.
His workout routine, which he shared in detail on Instagram in 2024, involves a demanding mix of swimming and weight training.
He attributes his more relaxed physical state in part to getting rid of the stress of professional sports.
“I’ve lost about 10 pounds, but I’m actually really fit right now,” he told the show Let’s go podcast in 2023. “I didn’t have the stress that I had while playing so it allowed me to focus a little more on my physical health.”
Brady shares children Jack, 18, Benjamin, 16, and Vivian, 13.
