Tom Brady has got a craving for meal kits.
The Super Bowl-winning quarterback is joining with meal-kit startup Purple Carrot to develop a line called TB12 Performance Meals that are meant to help “active individuals cook many of the same delicious meals Brady will be eating.” The recipes are to be gluten-free and packed with protein, as well as developed without any dairy, eggs, seafood, meat and processed meats. The recipes also feature limited use of soy and refined sugars.
To eat like Brady, users will pay $13 per plate, or $78 per week for three dinners that serve two people each. Purple Carrot says orders will start shipping in early April. Some sample recipes, which can be seen here, include ramen with gingered greens and broccolini or white lentil risotto with roasted vegetables.
“We believe a mostly plant-based diet—combined with the other elements of our TB12 method—is the best way to achieve and sustain peak performance, for both athletes and non-athletes alike,” said Brady in an e-mailed statement to Coins2Day. TB12 stands for Brady’s initials and the number he wears for the New England Patriots.
Brady added that his personal diet—one famously documented by the Boston Globe—focuses on whole foods and is especially reliant on plants. “My diet, especially as I’m getting older as an NFL quarterback, is built around eating real, whole foods,” Brady said. He added that the high-protein recipes that will be found in TB12 Performance Meals will include a variety of nutrients and touted them as recovery meals after hard workouts.
An increased focus on plant-based proteins has allured consumers and food manufacturers as consumers look to consume more protein in their diets during main meals, as well as in snacking occasions. Meanwhile, the partnership with Brady can help Purple Carrot stand out in a crowded meal kit-delivery category that has well over 100 services vying for business in the U.S. Market alone. That group also includes Blue Apron, Chef’d, and HelloFresh.
“The meal kit industry has grown significantly since I launched Purple Carrot two-and-a-half years ago,” said Andy Levitt, Purple Carrot’s Founder & CEO. “Partnerships with great organizations like Whole Foods Market, and incredible people like Tom Brady, enable us to elevate our brand even further.”
Levitt says plant-based proteins are more on trend today as consumers realize health benefits by adopting such a diet. That’s a common refrain among those trying to persuade consumers to eat more plants. But still, when consumers are asked about what foods are best to eat when they want to add more protein to their diet, meats, seafood, eggs and dairy are often listed ahead of plants. So there’s still some education the industry needs to do to get more consumers on board.
Purple Carrot and Brady came together last summer and jointed worked together to develop TB12 Performance meals. “We worked together over the past several months to develop dozens of recipes that Tom eats at home, or will be eating given the alignment to the TB12 food philosophy,” said Levitt.
Brady’s meal kit plans with Purple Carrot are the latest move by the star quarterback, who won this year’s Super Bowl with the Patriots, to brand out beyond the world of football. Another recent endeavor: athlete-recovery sleepwear with sponsor Under Armour.