Novak Djokovic credits his extremely healthy plant-based diet as the reason behind his tennis success. The seven-time Wimbledon champion has made extreme sacrifices in order to better his physical excellence, including avoiding dairy, sugar and gluten.
The Serbian tennis champion is so dedicated to his diet, he even published his meal plan in his book Serve to Win: The 14-Day Gluten-Free Plan for Physical and Mental Excellence. The 36-year-old athlete claims his diet helped take him from the "brink of failure to the champion of the world".
Speaking of his previous approach to food, Novak says: "Physically, I couldn't compete. Mentally I didn't feel like I belonged on the same court as the best players in the game. "But then, lo and behold, I made some changes and that transformed everything."
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So, what does Novak Djokovic eat in a day? Discover the No. 1 seed's extremely disciplined daily diet below.
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What does Novak Djokovic eat for breakfast?
Novak always starts his day with a glass of warm water and lemon, so he can "help his body detoxify". Kick starting his morning routine, Novak follows his water with a glass of celery juice and then a green smoothie - packed with antioxidant-rich ingredients like algae and spinach.
"I don't like to eat any food that requires a lot of energy for digestion, especially for the first part of the day - that's when I need the most energy for my training," he explains.
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What does Novak Djokovic eat for lunch?
The tennis champion needs to fuel his body for training, but prefers to source his energy from vegetable, fruits and proteins rather than from meat or dairy products. Since his book was published in 2014, Novak has tweaked his diet further, saying that he now stays entirely plant-based.
A typical lunch would include a mixed-greens salad, gluten-free pasta primavera (including rice pasta, summer squash, courgettes, asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes and optional vegan cheese). The player then follows a training session with a dairy-free protein shake to help aid muscle recovery.
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What does Novak Djokovic eat for dinner?
Before he went plant-based, Novak's dinners in his meal plan involved lots of easily digestible ingredients, full of antioxidants, white meat or fish and leafy greens.
Dinner on day three of his plan in Serve to Win detailed: "Fresh mixed-greens salad with avocado and homemade dressing; carrot and ginger soup; whole lemon-roasted chicken," though we imagine the player now substitutes the chicken for plant-based proteins.
Novak has also said he enjoys eating quinoa, wild rice, and sweet potato.
What does Novak Djokovic eat for dessert?
Normally, we'd always promote that balance is key to a healthy, happy lifestyle, but in Novak's case, discipline is what keeps him motivated. The tennis player is so dedicated to his diet that when he craved chocolate after his US Open win in 2016, he ate only one square and left the rest. Now that's commitment…
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