Although the Tokyo Olympics ended yesterday, many who watched are still feeling the exultation and pride of watching the U.S. top athletes compete for gold. This year, Olympic gymnast Simone Biles courageously put her mental health above winning, but she still managed to come away with a medal. Many fans are wondering, what diet does such a skilled athlete follow to maintain her physical shape? The answer might surprise you.
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Simone Biles has been a favorite U.S. olympian since her performance on the U.S. gymnastics team in the 2016 olympic games. Many have wondered how the gold medal olympic gymnast maintains such a high level of mental strength and physical shape, of which diet is an important factor. Although she follows a healthy diet like all Olympic athletes, Simone Biles is a strong believer in treating yourself.
Simone Biles Diet
When it comes to Simone Biles' diet, she makes an effort to eat healthy, but isn't overly worried about how many calories or carbs she eats in a day. The athlete also allows herself the occasional cookie or margarita. As she told Women's Health, "I do not track anything. I eat what I feel good with and try not to overeat or stuff myself because I'm always at the gym."
The Olympic gold medalist is aware of how common it is for professional athletes to have an unhealthy relationship with food, and she makes sure to avoid this. "For gymnasts, in particular, [tracking] can lead to health problems and eating issues, so I just eat what I know I can and should."
What Simone Biles Eats in a Day
Simone Biles eats oatmeal or fruit for breakfast if she has time before practice, which is at seven. A self-proclaimed morning person, she doesn't need coffee to get the day started. Biles goes for a post-workout protein shake to refuel. "I love having a Core Power Protein Shake after a workout. Usually I drink half after the first practice and half after the second practice. One of my favorite flavors at the moment is vanilla. It always changes, but it's currently vanilla."
On a weekend, she'll often treat herself with something more decadent, taking advantage of the extra time she has from not being at the gym. "On the weekends, I'll have some protein waffles with chocolate chips, some eggs, or even make cinnamon rolls."
For lunch, Simone Biles eats whatever she feels like that day. She loves Uber Eats, which is a convenient way to fit in meals around her busy schedule. "I feel like it's more manageable because I can get home, shower, and go on the app to order whatever I want with the click of a button," she says. "If I cook, though, it's usually pasta, or chicken or salmon in the air fryer, oven, or on the grill."
The celeb does her best to incorporate some veggies, like broccoli, carrots, peas and potatoes. "I love potatoes in any shape or form," she says. As for snacks, she usually goes for a healthy snack of fruit, but will sometimes splurge on pretzels and Nutella.
Biles also follows her heart (and her stomach) when it comes to dinner. She loves trying new restaurants, and if she's feeling like a slightly less healthy meal, she often gets pizza fettuccine Alfredo. If the sweet tooth cravings hit, Biles will enjoy ice cream or cookies, and she makes a mean s'mores cookie as well!
"I put a graham cracker at the bottom, marshmallows and chocolate on the top, and then I wrap it in cookie dough and bake it. That's my favorite cookie to bake." Count me in on that!
Simone Biles Favorite Post-Meet Food
We love that Simone Biles makes such delicious cookies, but the best part of her diet is her post-meet meal. Although you might picture an athlete drinking gatorade and protein shakes after a meet, Biles goes for pepperoni pizza.
As she explains, it's essential to treat yourself whether you've won a medal or not. "It doesn't even matter if I don't win a self-gold, after every meet I have pizza. Pepperoni pizza."
