Olympian Suni Lee Is A College Athlete Now—And Her Diet Reflects That
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below."
Despite being an Olympic gold medalist and recently competing on Dancing With The Stars (where she placed fifth, no big deal!), Sunisa "Suni" Lee is just a regular college student.
In August 2021, she moved to Alabama to begin her studies at Auburn University, and naturally, yep, she's on the gymnastics team there. For many, arriving at a college campus might mean indulging at local eateries and scarfing down dining hall food (worth it!), but not for Suni.
Since joining the Auburn gymnastics team, her diet has actually gotten a lot cleaner compared to her down time following the Olympics, she tells Women's Health. "We are working out so much and then we're competing every week,” she says. “[So] it's important to keep my body fueled and strong and healthy because it's easier to get injured now that I'm just competing every single weekend."
That doesn't mean she doesn't have her go-to comfort foods, though. "Yeah, I always have a pizza after every meet," Suni admits.
Somehow in between getting her homework done and her gymnastics training, Suni has also found time to collaborate with clothing retailer PrettyLittleThing. The 18-year-old just released her first collection—and she says it’s inclusive of all body types. The athleisure line also pulls double duty as workout and "going out" clothing.
“It was really important to design a collection that made everybody feel strong and confident and beautiful,” Suni tells Women’s Health at her launch event. “That's what's important to me because I struggle a lot with body dysmorphia, and I know that a lot of other people do, too. So to have something that a lot of people could wear and ... and feel confident in was something that was really important to me.”
With all that running around, you can bet Suni needs the right meals to keep her fueled and energized for her long days.
So what does the plate of an Olympic gymnast actually look like? Well, here’s a rundown of what Suni Lee's daily diet look like.
Breakfast
Suni usually starts her day off with eggs and sausage or eggs and bacon, but she doesn’t keep to a tight menu. “It usually ranges because I can't eat the same thing every single day,” she admits.
Sometimes she’ll mix it up and add in a smoothie. Her blend of choice is a strawberry banana smoothie with vanilla protein powder.
Lunch
For lunch, Suni will have a salad. Lately, she’s been into protein and quinoa bowls. “I pretty much eat anything,” she adds. “I'm not a really picky eater.”
Still, due to her training, Suni tries to be conscious of what she eats. Though she's never followed a specific diet, per se, she tries to stay away from carbs, fried foods, and sweets, and consumes plenty of protein to aid muscle recovery, she says.
Snacks
When it comes to snacks, Suni admits she's definitely a snacker, especially when she's training. “When I'm in practice, we have like a really big snack bar,” she says. And the snack bar has the works.
She often reaches for pita chips and hummus, cheesesticks (Colby Jack is her favorite), banana chips, and almonds. To keep up with the protein intake, Suni likes to snack on protein wafers.
She adds that good cheese with salami, and crackers is her “favorite snack all day, every day.”
Dinner
After going hard all day, Suni is all about replenishing after working out, so she'll likely turn to something like a steak at the end of the day. She typically pairs it with a side of greens, whether that’s Brussels sprouts or green beans.
Dessert
Finally, when it comes to dessert, Suni keeps it sweet and simple. “I love ice cream. That's my go-to. Or like a milkshake,” she says. “I don't really like chocolate, so I won't eat a chocolate cake or anything like that.”
Her favorite flavor? That’s easy: It’s strawberry. “I like to think that it's healthier because it's strawberry, right?” Now that is a golden mentality.
You Might Also Like