In Touch has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services.

When you think of NBA all-star athletes like Blake Griffin, what do you think they eat on the daily? Chicken. Rice. Chicken. More Rice. Maybe some potatoes here and there.

For many athletes, you’re probably correct. Bulking up for the season is a big part of their jobs, and staying fit is a constant effort. While Griffin definitely isn’t a stranger to the bland bulk diet, he’s realized there’s a better way to crush his fitness goals.

Fruits and vegetables are the secret to how Blake Griffin continually functions at the top of his game. Here’s how he supercharges his fitness regimen with ease.

If you’re ready to harness the power of fruits and vegetables, check out Daily Harvest today.

Who Is Blake Griffin?

Blake Griffin is an NBA player for the Boston Celtics. Before his meteoric rise to basketball fame, he was a collegiate superstar. Named the consensus college player of the year his sophomore year, Griffin went on to become the first overall NBA draft pick for the Los Angeles Clippers in 2009.

Since then, he’s been a six-time NBA All-Star and a five-time All-NBA selection during his time on the Clippers, the Detroit Pistons, and the Brooklyn Nets. Today, he lends his many talents to the Celtics, where he continues to strive for greatness.

Moving around this much means Griffin’s had plenty of different trainers, diets, and exercise routines, and it’s taken a lot of trial and error to figure out which methods work best for him. Let’s take a look at how he uses fruits and vegetables to amp up his game.

Variety Is Key

Griffin is no stranger to the chicken and rice diet for putting on muscle and staying lean. In fact, that sort of strict diet is exactly what he stuck with for most of his career. Unfortunately, Griffin realized that he would become sensitive to foods if he kept eating them over and over again.

“I’ve found the body responds better to variety,” says Griffin. “If you eat the same foods over and over again – like grilled chicken, brown rice, and broccoli every day – the body isn’t going to keep breaking it down the same.” 

This realization is what led him to start throwing more fruits and veggies into the mix.

Not only do fruits and veggies have neverending health benefits, but they also create a more sustainable diet filled with delicious, unique foods. Now, Griffin is more excited about his next meal — meaning he’s less likely to indulge in junk food.

Even when less healthy cravings strike, Griffin gives himself grace for cheat meals every now and then. Since he’s giving his body more of what he needs from fruits and veggies, he is able to give himself a little bit more of what he wants, too.

“I was so strict with my diet that I hit a wall,” Griffin said when asked about how his diet has shifted. “Now, on an off day, if I want to go get some pancakes or something, I’ll do it.” 

This all goes to show that giving himself a break prevents Griffin from burning out, so he can be more motivated to work towards his goals every other day of the week.

Griffin Goes Organic

For Griffin, it’s not just about the number of fruits and veggies he’s eating each day. It’s also about the source. 

Griffin is notable for eating clean and organic fruits and vegetables whenever he gets the chance. When asked about the foods Griffin has cut out of his diet entirely, the list was short: he has experimented with gluten-free and dairy-free diets in the past but remains steadfast in keeping anything that’s not “clean” out of his daily regimen.

In other words, Griffin chooses organic produce whenever he can.

Organic foods may have higher levels of antioxidants and flavonoids, which have antioxidant properties. Antioxidants help reduce the speed of cell aging to keep your body and mind in top shape for longer. For athletes like Griffin, this can support enhanced performance for years to come.

When Griffin is buying protein, his commitment to clean eating never wavers. He’ll go for organic free-range chicken and salmon, as well as organic eggs, to ensure that he knows exactly what is going into his body.

Using Daily Harvest to Cross the Finish Line

Even Blake Griffin admits that it can be hard to hit his recommended daily fruit and vegetable intake — and he’s not alone. Only about 12% of adults in the US get the recommended amount of fruit each day, while an even smaller 9% hit the vegetable goal, based on a CDC analysis.

Considering that fruits and vegetables can provide a number of health benefits that proteins and starchy carbs just can’t, it’s important to sneak them into your diet wherever you can. Plus, as we’ve learned from Griffin, adding some variety to your diet can make you more excited about eating healthy so that you don’t risk falling off the wagon.

Daily Harvest is a meal delivery service that brings delicious, hearty meals straight to your door, all while helping you eat your fruits and veggies. Most of their products are made with a fruit or vegetable as the centerpiece, so you can easily hit your goals without overthinking them.

All of Daily Harvest’s meals come frozen, so all you need to do is blend them, heat them up or just pop them in your mouth (some require no prep). Ready in minutes, built on organic and nourishing ingredients, and frozen to be better for you — that sounds pretty great to us. 

These meals can help you add variety to your diet while providing the benefits of a well-rounded diet. Oh, and did we mention that Daily Harvest is Blake Griffin-approved?

“Throughout my career, I’ve continued to evolve how best to take care of my body,” said Griffin. “Discovering Daily Harvest was a game changer for me.” 

Now, he can easily amp up his organic fruit and vegetable intake pregame and postgame for elite performance no matter where the league takes him.

From smoothies to flatbreads, Harvest Bowls, and lattes, there’s something here to help everyone supercharge their own diets, just like Griffin. 

Get started today to see the difference a little extra nourishment can make.

The Benefits of Eating More Fruit and Vegetables

If Griffin isn’t able to convince you to try to add some berries to your yogurt or some spinach to your soup, then maybe science can. There are many reasons why athletes like Griffin are turning to Daily Harvest to get more fruits and veggies with ease.

A diet high in fruits and vegetables can help lower your blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease. Not to mention, it might be able to lower the risk of digestive problems while having a positive effect on blood sugar to make you feel fuller for longer. As if that’s not enough, many fruits and vegetables are high in fiber to aid gut health, too.

But you can’t get all of the necessary nutrients from just a single fruit or vegetable: You need variety. That’s why it’s important to try to make each meal as colorful as possible by loading it with different fruits and vegetables to give yourself a greater opportunity to hit your nutrient intake goals.

Unless you have your own private chef like Griffin, it can be hard to think about exactly which fruits and vegetables will taste great with each meal. Thankfully, Daily Harvest can do the hard work for you. 

Each meal is delicious on its own, but they’re also awesome opportunities to customize your meals for your specific nutritional needs. Try adding some protein powder to a smoothie, some chicken to a flatbread, or your favorite tofu to a Harvest Bowl in order to amp up the macros while also getting your nutrient intake with ease.

Supercharge Your Life

You may not be a world-class athlete, but you can definitely eat like one. By not following a strict, repetitive diet, Griffin is able to focus on the quality of his food to help build more sustainable habits. And he does this by adding some variety with fruits and vegetables.

Fruits and vegetables are loaded with nutrients, but they also make each meal feel fresh and unique. Still, when you’re an NBA athlete (or even just an Average Joe) , you might not have time to cook your own meals all the time. That’s why Griffin uses Daily Harvest to get all of the fruits and veggies that he needs — and you can do it, too.

Frozen meals are delivered straight to your door, which means that freshness and flavor are locked in until you heat them up and eat them yourself. 

Visit Daily Harvest’s website today, so you can amp up your nutrient intake and feel like an athlete.

Have a tip? Send it to us! Email In Touch at contact@intouchweekly.com.