15 Famous Pro Athletes And Their Favorite Foods

Professional athletes are fascinating for many reasons. Michael Jordan defied the laws of gravity, Tom Brady pinpointed the pocket with precision, and when Serena Williams served, it sent a shockwave through the crowd. As fans, we live vicariously through our favorite sporting stars, watching the impossible become possible. Is it hereditary? An obscenely strict training regimen? Or a particular diet? One thing's for sure — pro athletes are known to eat surprising things.

The four-time Olympic gold medalist Ryan Lochte ate McDonald's throughout his entire history-making performance at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. MLB pitching legend Justin Verlander admitted to previously eating Taco Bell before every game, and in 2024, The Athletic determined that NFL players consume over 80,000 peanut butter and jelly Uncrustables in a single season. From their feats on the field to their everyday diet, expect the unexpected. From all-time NCAA Division leading scorer Caitlin Clark to LeBron 'King' James, here are 15 famous pro athletes and their favorite foods.

When Olympic gold medalist Sha'Carri Richardson isn't breaking records, her favorite comfort food is a juicy, perfectly cooked brisket. She's a Texas native and self-professed lover of Texas-style barbecue who prefers brisket marinated for at least a day or two. According to Richardson, hole-in-the-wall spots have the best barbecue. In her hometown of Dallas, pitmasters slow-smoke brisket for hours until it has a tender, fall-apart texture, then serve it atop buns dripping with savory sauce.

Richardson hasn't revealed her go-to barbecue spot in Dallas, but she has named a few of her other favorite restaurants in the city. Despite its name, Blackjack Pizza is apparently her favorite place to grab a burger. When it comes to actual pizza, Big T Plaza is superior in Richardson's eyes. If we're talking tacos, a small cash-only stand called Fuel City is her top pick. The Olympic gold medalist has shared her favorite spot for a post-workout treat, too: Golden Chick, a Texas chain comparable to Chick-fil-A or Raising Cane's.

LeBron James has made no secret of his love for Italian cuisine. Italian foods provide exactly what James needs for muscle fuel — loads of carbohydrates. After all, carbs are the human body's primary source of natural energy, which is important when your job entails running up and down a basketball court.

James' love for Italian may have inspired his foray into the restaurant business. In 2012, James, his business partner, and his financial adviser invested $1 million in the fast-casual chain Blaze Pizza. By 2017, that investment was worth more than $35 million, including endorsement payments. He once shared a screenshot of his go-to Blaze Pizza order — a build-your-own pizza featuring toppings such as spicy red sauce, shredded mozzarella, grilled chicken, and turkey meatballs. In total, the pizza contained a whopping 17 toppings. Clearly, pro athletes of his caliber need all the fuel they can get.

During an appearance on the "New Heights" podcast, co-hosted by brothers Jason and Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was asked to settle the great burger debate once and for all. When asked to pick between In-N-Out, Five Guys, or Whataburger, Mahomes nearly cut Jason Kelce off to give his top pick: Whataburger. "I had to go [to] Whataburger, like, every other day, and I fell in love with it," the Texas native said, admitting that he's even tried converting Travis Kelce to the chain. One of his favorites is the Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit. The ketchup-obsessed athlete also says its ketchup is the best he's ever tasted.

Andy Reid, head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, has a notorious obsession with legendary Los Angeles chain Original Tommy's. In fact, Coach Reid's love runs so deep that he's had Original Tommy's burgers flown into Kansas City. He apparently uses hamburgers to build team morale. Based on how the three football superstars reacted, the rumors must be true.

After back-to-back Super Bowls, a high-profile romance with pop star Taylor Swift, and a forthcoming steakhouse with teammate Patrick Mahomes, it seems like Travis Kelce is everywhere. In an episode of his podcast "New Heights" with brother Jason, Kelce crowned Burger King the best fast food burger. Specifically, the Double Whopper with cheese, and without mayo and onions. "Don't get me fired up!" the Kansas City Chiefs tight end said enthusiastically, likely recalling the mouthwatering, flame-grilled taste.

Kelce isn't alone in his love of the Whopper. Burger King sells over 2 billion Whoppers every year. The Double Whopper with cheese was seemingly designed for gameday readiness, delivering 980 calories, 50 grams of carbohydrates, and 52 grams of protein. For his second pick, Kelce chose the Baconator at Wendy's and gave In-N-Out the third spot. Kelce may prefer the Whopper, but at least the others use fresh meat instead of frozen burger patties.

Deion Sanders has a daily routine that is so demanding that it would challenge even those half his age. The NFL Hall of Famer, also known as Coach Prime, maintains an impressive physique despite doing a complete overhaul of the foods he consumed during his youth. In an interview with GQ, Sanders admitted to cutting down on KFC and soul food, something he used to eat every day. As his all-time favorite, KFC was the hardest to stop eating. "I love me some KFC," he said. "God, I love KFC, but I try not to do the fried stuff, tremendously." He added that he considers KFC a lifestyle rather than a cheat meal but now tries to keep it as an occasional treat.

Today, Sanders' diet consists of almonds, parfait, chicken, turkey, fish, and sometimes steak. In 2023, he partnered with California Almonds to launch a campaign highlighting the benefits of almonds and the nutrients they contain that aid muscle recovery following exercise. 

It's no secret that former St. Louis Cardinals player Albert Pujols loves a classic Dominican stewed chicken dish known as pollo guisado. His wife Deidre used to cook it for him before every home game, with the dish since nicknamed Dee Dee's Home Run Chicken. It was her idea of a lucky charm, and considering that Albert is the MLB's fourth-highest home run hitter of all time, that notion isn't far-fetched.

Home Run Chicken is a pretty easy dish to make and one of the most popular in Dominican cuisine. It's typically served with white rice or in a bowl as a stew, and can be customized depending on the ingredients you have on hand. If it could help Albert Pujols hit 703 home runs, it must be a winning recipe. He and his wife even received Paula Deen's stamp of approval for the dish. Maybe Home Run Chicken can be your succulent secret to success, too.

Before Caitlin Clark was a rising WNBA star, she was a stellar point guard for the Iowa Hawkeyes. During college, Clark's favorite post-game meal was an unexpectedly sweet and savory pairing: chicken Parmesan and pasta washed down with a big glass of chocolate milk.

Odd flavor combos aside, it has everything she needs to replenish her energy after an intense game. Chicken Parmesan is loaded with calories, pasta is carbohydrate-rich, and chocolate milk — a large glass, at that — provides nutrients beneficial for strenuous activity, such as calcium and vitamin D. Clark has also been known to start the day with bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwiches and iced coffees, usually a macchiato with vanilla sweet cream cold foam. When it comes to actual game days, she eats Honey Stinger Energy Chews and GoGo SqueeZ Applesauce to ensure she's on point.

Agile, nimble, quick, and skilled are all words to describe Lionel Messi, one of the world's most famous soccer players. Often praised as one of the greatest in the game, it's reassuring to learn that Messi's favorite food is a humble Argentine classic. The football legend loves Milanesa Napolitana, a classic breaded steak dish made with melted mozzarella and layered with tomato sauce, fresh herbs, and sometimes prosciutto. It's quite similar to chicken Parmesan.

Recipes vary in Argentina, incorporating different beef cuts, meats, and breadcrumb seasoning blends. However, Messi's absolute favorite version is his mother's recipe, which uses chicken. She puts her own spin on it, mixing parsley with the eggs, blending breadcrumbs with garlic and Parmesan cheese, and topping it with ham, cheese, and Messi's favorite part, a flavorful tomato sauce. The soccer legend's other tasty go-to is an Argentine style of barbecued meat known as asado.

The word "best" gets tossed around a lot in sports, but when it comes to MLB pitcher extraordinaire Clayton Kershaw, it's a fitting label. As a strike-out savant known to deliver fastballs over 90 mph, it may surprise you to know that Kershaw follows a fairly tame dietary regime. The one thing he consumes consistently is a post-workout protein shake. The food he can't live without, though, is Mexican cuisine.

While the Dodgers alumnus has never revealed his go-to dishes, playing in Los Angeles — a hotspot for Mexican cuisine — must have been a match made in heaven. Beyond tacos and burritos, there are plenty of delicious dishes to order at the city's many Mexican restaurants. Funnily enough, in 2018, Kershaw unintentionally played a role in giving free tacos to thousands of people. Taco Bell held its annual Steal a Base, Steal a Taco campaign at the time, which offered customers nationwide a free Doritos Locos Taco for any stolen bases during the World Series. Fortunately for Taco Bell fans, former Red Sox player Mookie Betts successfully stole a base from Kershaw in the first inning.

Four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka has opened up about her favorite foods multiple times over the years. While sharing facts about herself with Us Weekly in 2021, Osaka revealed that she loves two cuisines in particular. "My favorite meal is any type of soul food, [and also] sushi," she said. Soul food classics include the likes of Hoppin' John, fried chicken, collard greens, macaroni and cheese, sweet potato pie, cornbread, and more.

Unlike sushi, soul food isn't known for being overly nutritious. Both are undeniably delicious, though — as is Osaka's favorite sweet treat, plain old vanilla ice cream. When soul food, sushi, and a frosty dessert aren't on the menu, she maintains a healthy routine. Osaka previously told Harper's Bazaar, "I also believe what you eat and staying hydrated helps maintain stamina and immunity." With that in mind, her day typically starts with a bagel or toast, smoked salmon, and a homemade smoothie.

It didn't take long for Angel Reese to settle in with her current team, the Chicago Sky. Weeks after leaving the LSU Tigers, she had already scoured the Windy City's food scene. Chicago is known for many foods, particularly deep-dish pizza, Italian beef sandwiches, and amazing fried chicken establishments, with Reese singling out the latter as a highlight. "I always try to find new food," Reese told WGN-TV. "I already had the pizza. The pizza is good. Harold's Chicken is bussin'. I ain't going to lie to you." (For the record, "bussin'" means it is delicious.)

If you've ever tried Harold's Chicken Shack's crispy chicken drizzled with the chain's tangy sauce, you'll know Reese isn't exaggerating. While she still thinks the fried chicken from her hometown, Baltimore, she did prove that she was willing to be proven wrong by later asking for foodie recommendations in Chicago. Lucky for her, you can explore plenty of Chicago's tastiest food spots in just 24 hours.

Some folks say Kylian Mbappé is the natural successor to soccer legends Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The Real Madrid forward has impressive speed and agility and has even managed to overtake icon Ronaldo Nazário to claim fourth in the most goals in a player's debut season with the team. Mbappé is known to maintain a healthy diet to support his journey to greatness, with a daily routine of six meals that include the likes of nutritious protein shakes, fresh fruit, tuna or chicken wraps, brown rice, and more.

That said, it isn't a secret that his favorite food is pasta – spaghetti carbonara, to be exact. Combining spaghetti, eggs, butter, garlic, Parmesan or Pecorino cheese, and pancetta, the dish is one of the tastiest ways to fill up on carbohydrates, protein, and calories. As per Mbappé himself, he's loved pasta since childhood. While his diet consisted primarily of pasta and fries for years, he eventually became more open-minded.

Team USA Olympic gold medalist Suni Lee keeps it classic when it comes to her favorite food. Lee reportedly likes to eat pizza after every meet and has expressed her passion for the dish on more than one occasion. Talking to NBC after her win in Tokyo 2020, Lee even remarked, "I'm gonna go eat a pizza. Like, that's all I've been craving this whole time."

A Bleacher Report interview solidified Lee's pizza love with a great question: "If you could be an ambassador for any kind of food, what would it be?" To which Lee, of course, answered, "I can go for pizza anytime." Her favorite style is a basic cheese and pepperoni pizza. However, she's no stranger to eating unique styles, as proven by the time she filmed herself tucking into a pickle-topped pizza at the state fair.

Back in 2018, New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter talked about baseball, his training regime, and his career with Men's Journal. The conversation covered his diet, too, delving into what he really ate before and after games. Jeter revealed that he liked to keep it light before hitting the field, eating an hour before each game and sticking to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Post-game was a different story altogether. Due to a busy schedule, Jeter claimed that he usually ate dinner late in the evening. "I actually have to make sure I eat a lot because I lose so much weight during the season," Jeter explained. While dinners varied while on the road, he cited chicken Parmesan as his favorite post-game meal. Jeter also noted that when it comes to food, he's generally a creature of habit. "I have my favorite restaurants that I go to and know exactly what I want," he said.

Claressa Shields is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and the first undisputed heavyweight champion in women's boxing, so it should come as no surprise that she follows a strict fitness regime and works out for hours every day. During an interview with "Mythical Kitchen," Shields broke down her favorite comfort meal: soul food, with each meal equaling as many as 14,000 calories. Shouting out her grandmother, who she declared "the best cook in the world," Claressa explained that she grew up as a big fan of soul food classics such as fried chicken, hot tamales, baked mac and cheese, candied yams, and catfish.

While eating, Shields recounted a moment in her biopic, "The Fire Inside," in which her boxing coach attempts to ensure she maintains a healthy diet. In the film, he keeps her from eating one of her ultimate favorite foods: french fries. As it turns out, this was a pretty accurate anecdote. "Still to this day, when I'm cutting weight, the biggest thing to keep me away from is the french fries," Shields said. Simply put, she loves herself some fries.