Surprisingly, Simone Biles’ diet doesn’t look too different from ours. She loves vegetables—but saves room for dessert!
If there’s one thing we’re curious about, it’s what Olympic athletes typically eat in a day. After all, these are some of the most fit people in the world, and they’re using tons of energy all day, every day. Many athletes have a favorite food or two (and they’re not all necessarily the healthiest) and diets vary according to the sport.
For example, what a pro football player eats would vary widely from what a gymnast eats. And if you’ve ever wondered what foods fuel an elite gymnast, Simone Biles’ diet offers some clues.
This Is What Simone Biles’ Diet Looks Like
She’s considered the greatest gymnast in the world, but her diet doesn’t look that different from some of ours—even when she’s training for the Olympics!
Breakfast is a matter of “if I have time” for her, but when she can grab some, she usually reaches for fruit or oatmeal. She doesn’t need a morning cup of joe like many of us—luckily for her, she’s naturally an early riser—but she does get in plenty of water during morning practice and a protein shake after.
She eats the bulk of her food during the next two meals of the day. Her lunch ranges from pepperoni pizza to salmon, which she usually orders through Uber Eats because it’s “more manageable,” according to Women’s Health. If she cooks, it’s usually pasta, chicken or salmon in the air fryer, oven or on the grill.
While she’s a firm supporter of veggies—asparagus, broccoli, carrots, corn, green beans, peas and potatoes feature among her favorites—she doesn’t shy away from pizza and pasta for dinner, which serve as her fuel after hours at the gym. Simone even makes space for dessert when the craving strikes, and her favorite is one we can definitely get behind: s’mores cookies!
Her Food Philosophy Is Pretty Great
Pro athletes may find that they face more pressure to watch their diet, and gymnasts are especially prone to this. For that reason, Simone refuses to track her food, preferring to eat what feels good and avoiding overeating. She acknowledges that tracking “can lead to health problems and eating issues,” and is a proud intuitive eater, checking in with her body about what sounds good that day.
Mindful eating can benefit all of us—even nutritionists agree—so that’s definitely something we can get behind!