How to Eat Like an MLB Superstar

MLB players are human after all, and just like us, they have some not-so-healthy favorites that they love ordering or whipping up in the kitchen. But since baseball season is so demanding, most players keep a similar healthy diet even when on break so that they’re ready to go at a moment’s notice.

But of course, now that Major League Baseball season has begun, these superstars need to keep themselves in tip-top shape, so they can make it all the way to the World Series.

So, outside the indulgent fast food burgers, pizzas, and doughnuts, what kind of pro athlete diet do these big leaguers follow?

Sample Pro Athlete Daily Diet Plan

An MLB player diet doesn’t focus on weight loss, so calorie restrictions are pretty much out of the question. On the contrary, most of them eat up to five or six times a day in season to compensate for the work their bodies do.

These big leaguers need to optimize their bodies to have maximum energy for games and practices, so they need to maintain their energy level throughout the day. Here’s a rundown of what a typical day’s menu consists of for a baseball player.

Breakfast of Champions: Healthy Breakfast Options

Players need fuel for their muscles to be efficient on the field. This means their breakfasts (and pretty much all other meals) is packed with a lot of protein and a good portion of carbohydrates. Increasing muscle mass is also ideal for the players, so a hefty serving of protein is necessary.

New York Yankee’s Mark Teixiera begins his day with a smoothie made of mixed berries, yogurt, and spinach. Jake Odorizzi of the Tampa Bay Rays goes medieval on the protein with 8 whole eggs for breakfast.

If you’re watching your cholesterol, scrambled egg (whole) with bits of turkey sausage is an excellent alternative. Other great options for this meal are:

Avocado toast using whole wheat bread
Whole grain bagels or muffins with a dollop of peanut butter
Orange juice
Skim or soy milk over whole grain cereal

While carbohydrates can give an instant boost of energy, these athletes also train hard and utilize the carbohydrate load. To balance this out your bread type carbs, try to pair them with vegetables – fresh, steamed, or lightly stir-fried add cheddar cheese if you want since there are little to no carbs in cheddar. Or season to your liking but eat those veggies daily.

Athlete Lunch Box: Healthy Lunch for an Athlete

Lunch is usually the biggest meal of the MLB player diet. It’s to help them get through the rest of the day’s practices. There are a number of players that have gone gluten-free when it comes to their healthy diet, one of which is Arizona Diamondback’s Eric Chavez, due to his food allergies.

Other players claim that this gluten-free diet helped them shed unwanted weight and gain muscle mass, which really helped them improve their field performance.

Lunch for MLB players usually involve even more protein, a bit of carbohydrates ideally whole grain. Salads are also common, as long as they include protein like tofu, hard-boiled eggs, and skinless chicken breast.

For something quick and filling, you can opt for whole grain bread and lean meats to make a sandwich. Non-fast food hamburgers made of low-fat beef and hold the bun as another good option. Keeping hydrated is equally as important, so make sure to drink lots of water or no fruit juice or sugar drink unless you’re going to use all of those calories in an intense long-duration bout of exercise.

Dinner for an Athlete: Healthy Athlete Dinner Ideas

Unless they’re celebrating a win, the MLB player diet calls for a relatively light dinner. This is usually composed of salads, vegetable stir-fry, and baked or steamed fish or other protein-rich food like tofu or seafood like shrimp.

There are also some players who aren’t that fond of vegetables like L.A. Dodger’s Dee Gordon. He prefers rice with beans for his evening meal.

If you’re a fan of rice, try steamed long grain rice with sauteed vegetables for a healthier alternative to fried rice. This way, you can get all the flavors of the various veggies. You can’t forget the protein though. Lean chicken is a given, but you can also go for baked salmon or steak. Need more flavor? Throw in a bit of low-sodium soy sauce to taste.

MLB Player Snacks

Because of very demanding practices, players need to refresh their energy stores every few hours. However, snacking on just anything can do more harm than good when it comes to their fitness. High calorie and high (unhealthy) fat snacks like oily potato chips will only make them gain weight without doing anything to enhance performance.

Healthy snack choices include fresh fruit topped with Greek yogurt, omega-3 rich nuts like almonds and walnuts, hummus and fresh vegetables, and low carb protein bars.

There are times when they don’t even have time for a proper meal, so they turn to green shakes and supplements to get their daily nutrition needs. The professional-grade supplements and shakes that we use in our 21-day organic full body cleanse program is perfect for this.

Supplement a Healthy Diet with Detox

Just because these pros need to pack on energy doesn’t mean they can simply eat whatever they want and get the energy they need without some supplemental help. MLB players try to stick to clean eating as much as possible, and that means sticking to fresh or whole foods.

Their goal for sticking to a healthy diet is primarily performance enhancement. However, just eating right isn’t going to cut it. Their bodies need more help to keep up with the demands of their job.

According to Dr. Jeffery Morrison, a renowned doctor specializing in detoxification, going on a detox cleanse can really help an athlete up their game. Not only does detoxing get rid of toxins, it also helps muscles recover faster, injuries heal quicker and gives clarity of mind that’s very important when making quick decisions during gameplay.

Non-Athletes Detox

For non-athletes, going on a detox diet means feeling less tired, having sustained energy throughout the day, sore muscles brought on by hours of hunching over a desk will heal faster, and a clearer mind for work.

Unlike the majority of detox systems out there that are simply either a liver cleanse or a colon cleanse, our 21-day organic full body detox cleanse program is a holistic approach to better health. Along with the 30 days’ worth of supplements, we’re also including healthy Amazing meal recipes in written and video format, 2 fitness ebooks, 10 easy-to-follow exercise videos, and access to expert support 7 days a week.

If you’re really determined to have better focus, and performance eating like an MLB superstar, then the best way to start is to reset your system using our full body detox cleanse program. This way, your body will be ready to absorb all the good stuff from your healthy diet. Jumpstart your fitness journey by going on our program today!