The Real-Life Diet of Jeff Green, Who Tries to Drink a Gallon of Water Before Noon

Jeff Green has come quite a way since being picked 5th overall by Oklahoma City in the 2007 draft. For his 13th season in the league, the veteran is suiting up for the Brooklyn Nets—which is, with a healthy Kevin Durant and a newly-arrived James Harden, suddenly one of the best and most-fun teams in the NBA.

GQ recently caught up with the Maryland native and father of two to get the ins and outs of his diet and how he's fueled for the long game. He’s big on hydration, light on red meat, and going to need your New York pizza slice recommendations ASAP.

For Real-Life Diet, GQ talks to athletes, celebrities, and everyone in between about their diet, exercise routines, and pursuit of wellness. Keep in mind that what works for them might not necessarily be healthy for you.

GQ: What time are you up in the morning and what’s the first thing you eat?

Jeff Green: Normally during the season I’m up by 7:30, not by choice. I have two kids, so when they are up, I am up and so is my wife. That’s when the day starts. I’m at the gym by 9:00 or 9:15, and obviously now there are a lot of COVID testing and precautions we have to take. I’ll get upstairs and get a good breakfast, which is usually some eggs, and I’m also a pancake lover so those are always in the mix too.

Do you take any supplements?

You know what? No. It’s kind of like how I feel about coffee. I love the smell, but I’ve never been the kind of guy to have any issues with my energy, so I’ve never been someone to drink it. With supplements, I don’t like to rely on things. I’d rather be drinking a lot of water and just putting the right stuff in my body so that I don’t need any.

Is it then straight to practice?

Well, I always try to get in a good 30-minute lift before practice. I’m also big on doing corrective work for my hips using resistance bands. That’s a routine for me, at least three to five times per week. Then, with about 25 minutes left before practice, I’ll do some on-court work, like shooting, ball handling, making sure I’m in a good rhythm for practice. Then, practice lasts about an hour and a half. Afterward, I’ll do some more on-court work like shooting, and then it’s time to slow down a bit.

What’s for lunch?

Lunch is a good amount of protein to recuperate from the lifting, running, and drills. Also a lot of carbs. It’s a mixture of both. I’m big on vegetables. I used to eat a lot of red meat when I was younger. But my wife’s a super healthy eater and you know: happy wife, happy life. So, I’ll have red meat maybe once a week, but otherwise I’m more on salmon and chicken—that stuff.

After lunch, is there more work?

Usually it’s treatment and recovery stuff, and then back home where the kids await my arrival—I run around with them and release whatever energy I have left. When they go to bed at 8:00, that’s when my wife and I have some time to unwind and relax, get or cook dinner, and then watch a show and unwind. Dinner’s the same kind of thing as lunch, protein and carbohydrates with a focus on vegetables.

Are you a big water guy?

Oh yeah. I drink at least a gallon a day, and to be honest that’s usually down by noon at the latest. Since I’m an early bird, I get up early, get my workouts in, drink a lot of water. After the water’s done, sometimes I’ll have a couple Gatorades.

Have you always been this good at hydrating?

I’ve never been bad at it, butt when I was younger I didn’t think about this much. Now, I understand what it can do and how it can help—I notice when I don’t hydrate.

Do you snack?

I usually have a protein shake after practice with chocolate protein, banana, peanut butter, and almond milk. Other than that, other snacks would be mainly fruits. I like blueberries, I freeze them. Watermelon, depending on the time of the year, is a must-have in my house. Grapes, strawberries, banana, blackberries, all of that. Eating these sweet fruits takes the craving away for other kinds of snacks that aren’t as good for you.

So, you like sweet?

I do. I have a sweet tooth. Like today—we had the kids out and we went to Magnolia Bakery.

You got the banana pudding, right?

Oh—then you know. That banana pudding is amazing. The girls wanted cookies after the museums, and while I’m not a big chocolate lover, that banana pudding—it just makes me think of my childhood.

Any other indulgences?

I get pizza here and there, and now that we’re in New York there’s so many options. I gotta find the best wood fired pizza spot, but right now with COVID, it’s been tough.

The OG biohacker combines a formidable supplement lineup with vegetables and meat from his own farm.

Originally Appeared on GQ