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Football is traditionally a young man’s game, but Tom Brady has defied the odds. Currently, the oldest NFL quarterback to appear in a Super Bowl, Brady insists he owes his continued athletic prowess to a strict diet. Aside from avoiding all processed foods, the Brady clan, which includes his wife, Gisele Bundchen, and his three children, avoid some seemingly healthy options, too. The Brady family does not eat tomatoes, and the reason why is more complicated than a taste preference.

Why won’t Tom Brady eat tomatoes?

Tom Brady’s guacamole recipe has been making the rounds for a couple of years. The footballer is a huge fan of avocados, but guacamole connoisseurs quickly noticed that Brady leaves tomatoes out of his recipe. There are all different ways to make guac, but many fans believe traditional guac must have tomatoes. So, why does Brady leave them out?

Tomatoes sit on display on a market stall in Norwich, U.K
Tomatoes sit on display | Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Brady and his famous family will not eat fruits and vegetables that fall into the nightshade category. Brady argues that his diet is focused on keeping inflammation in the body low. He believes that plants in the nightshade category cause inflammation. Tomatoes are in the nightshade family. They aren’t the only item off the table, though. Potatoes, peppers, eggplant, and tomatillos have all been banished from Brady’s died for the same reason.

The NFL superstar also refuses to eat strawberries

Brady’s diet includes the avoidance of tomatoes and other nightshade vegetables for inflammation reasons, but some foods he avoids just because he doesn’t like them. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ signal-caller has spoken openly about his disdain for strawberries. The innocuous fruit was a staple in his childhood home during the summer, but he never actually tried one.

Tom Brady #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tom Brady | Rey Del Rio/Getty Images

Brady told Peter Segal of Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me that the smell of strawberries turned his stomach and that he hadn’t ever actually tried one. In 2018 that all changed. Stephen Colbert pressured the NFL quarterback to at least give the berry a bite. He complied but wasn’t a fan.

So, what is included in Tom Brady’s diet?

The superstar’s diet is pretty restrictive, especially during the NFL season when he needs to stay in tiptop shape. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t chow down, though. Brady, on any given day, eats a lot of food. They are just foods that have a specific purpose. So, what exactly does he eat?

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Why Does Tom Brady Refuse to Eat Strawberries?

According to Men’s Health, Brady’s diet consists of mostly plant-based proteins, with some lean meats mixed in. He enjoys berry and banana smoothies in the morning and lean protein at lunchtime. His day is also dotted with snacks, like nuts, hummus, and guacamole. To keep everything moving along, he also ingests a ton of water.