Australian Football
How I Fuel: Christian Petracca on his training diet & his cooking TikTok
The Australian Rules star reveals how he eats to get the most out of himself and talks about his love of cooking.
Norm Smith Medallist Christian Petracca loves footy and food, and he’s more than happy to share his love of both. The Melbourne Football Club midfielder recently joined TikTok to share his kitchen exploits, whipping up everything from a slow cooked lamb shoulder to an upside down pear cake. As he succinctly writes in his TikTok bio, he’s a “professional athlete who likes to cook”.
While he’s always been an accomplished midfielder, 2021 saw his game go to yet another level. Melbourne defeated Western Bulldogs in the 2021 AFL Grand Final, and Christian was judged best afield, taking home the Norm Smith Medal as part of Melbourne’s first grand final win in 57 years. He set the tone for the day early on, kicking the game’s first goal, and he went on to amass 39 disposals and kick two goals. It’s a game that Melbourne supporters will never forget.
In a season full of challenges (the Grand Final was moved from its spiritual home at the Melbourne Cricket Ground to Perth’s Optus Stadium), Christian’s understanding of his body and how different types of food can help him find an edge held him in good stead. Read on to discover how he uses food to help him get through a big day of training and how his Italian heritage has sparked a lifelong love of cooking. As he puts it, “I find cooking like meditation. I find it very therapeutic.”
Christian Petracca in action.
© Red Bull Content Pool
01
When preparing for a day of training, what do you eat? Talk us through what’s for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as what snacks you have.
On a typical training day, I wake up around 6am. I probably get to the club around 7:30am and we’re probably out of there by about 4:30 to 5pm. For breakfast, because I'm on the run, I usually have a little yoghurt, one of those pouches you can squeeze. I’ll have one of them with a bit of muesli and some fruit and a coffee in a takeaway cup. I like to have a small breakfast so I feel light for training in the morning.
For lunch, our Dietitian/Chef usually provides a selection of DIY sandwiches and salads. I typically like to go for something with a bit of protein and a bit of carbs – something like a grilled chicken, rice and salad. After training wraps up, I'll usually have a recovery shake. I use protein powder mixed with bananas or peanut butter and milk as a smoothie. Alternatively, our Dietitian might make us some muffins that are high in protein. I'm also constantly snacking throughout the day, so I like to have some snacks that are high in salt. I love having some pretzels or popcorn to keep me hydrated.
I'm constantly snacking throughout the day, so I like to have some snacks that are high in salt.
Dinner really depends on what’s on for the next day. I usually have a day off after our main training. I love eating seafood, so I'll probably have a lot of salmon, which is really good for anti-inflammatory benefits, especially dealing with swelling and little niggles. I also like to eat a lot of vegetables!
02
Are you someone that focuses on macros/calories?
I went through a phase for a couple of years where I was using the My Fitness Pal app and counting calories. I reckon I used the app every day for at least 18 months to two years. Ever since then I've had a great understanding of my body and how many calories are in things. For example, I never knew olive oil was 100 calories per tablespoon. It’s little things like that that have helped me when I'm cooking.
For me, it doesn't really matter what I eat as long as it's packed with vegetables and good protein. That's all I really care about. I used to be scared of eating carbohydrates because I've got a big frame and it made me put on weight, but I feel like I've gone the opposite way now. I've turned my mindset towards performance and how I feel rather than what I eat. If I'm feeling a bit sluggish, I know to have something that’s high energy. I’m better at knowing throughout the day what my body feels like.
03
What are you eating before/after a game?
The night before the game I'm usually cooking some sort of carb-heavy meal, whether that's a rice or a pasta. I'm not a big meat eater. I’m more likely to have a sausage pasta, but I'll have a higher percentage of carbs to meat.
I like to have a dessert before the game - something that's got a bit of fruit in it. I like to have apple crumble that I make. The night before the game I like to go a bit heavier, because I’m nervous on game day. I don't like to consume a lot of food just because I don't want to feel heavy going to the game. I feel like it's the worst feeling when you feel sluggish and a bit fatigued because you've overeaten/overhydrated.
I’ll have a bowl of cereal on the morning of the game. I have a bigger breakfast because if it's a night game then the next few meals are probably a bit lighter. From there I'll have a bowl of cereal and a piece of toast and maybe a glass of orange juice. To be honest, from there until the seven o'clock game, I'm probably only really having a couple of chicken wraps. If I feel a bit lighter going into the game then at least I know I can have a banana and a Red Bull - something that's really easy on the stomach. I feel like if you overeat then it's really hard to get back to feeling normal.
04
Have there been any situations where you haven’t been able to eat like normal heading into a game? How did it affect your performance?
We travel all the time. Interstate trips are hard because sometimes you never know what you’re going to get from the buffet at the hotel. Flying too, I find whenever I fly and I'm overhydrating I get really heavy and get heavy legs. I feel like that's just flying in general. Whenever I feel those heavy legs I go for a good running session in the morning to get my legs going.
We were in Alice Springs against Port Adelaide earlier this year and the buffet wasn't great. It was funny - there was actually no pasta which is hilarious. The general manager of the place thought that rice and pasta were very similar. I predominately like to go for pasta rather than rice, but I had rice and I played pretty well. That’s probably more of a superstition thing. In the morning I think I had a few eggs as well, which I never do at home. It didn't seem to affect the way I played!
Christian Petracca in the locker room drinking Red Bull
© Photographer Credit: Samuel Costin / Red Bull Content Pool
05
Are there any meals that you have come off-season time?
In probably the first week or so of the off-season you are less strict on yourself. I go to the pub with my mates and have a parma or something like that. It’s quite funny though because our off-season schedule is actually harder than our on-season schedule. I find I can be a little bit lenient on my diet because I'm training so hard. I find in off-season I'm probably still burning 2000-3000 calories a day. I don't drink any alcohol, so if I feel like if I want a cheat meal then I'm okay with that. I'm not really fussed about going to have a bowl of chips with my girlfriend because I know that I'm just going to burn it off.
I find in off-season I'm probably still burning 2000-3000 calories a day.
In-season's centered around the game so it's all about recovery. Off-season is about preparing for pre-season. We’ll still do three running sessions a week, three gym sessions and an off-leg session, whether that's a bike or swim or a box. You’re doing a fair bit. My girlfriend and I love going out to dinner. We love our Asian food, so we love going to places in the city. I think the best thing about Melbourne is how multicultural it is. We have it so good here in terms of the different heritages. We have so many options.
06
Why did you decide to use TikTok to share cooking videos?
I decided to use TikTok as I love showing my personality and my brand. Cooking is a big passion of mine and has been since I was a kid. Growing up in an Italian family, food is a strong part of our life. Growing up when I used to see athletes show who they are away from their sport, I loved it and loved seeing who the athlete really is. Especially in the world we live in today with social media, I love that I can connect with my fans through social media and show who I really am.
07
Finally, what’s a cooking secret that you think will help people improve their skills?
If you ask any Italian it's three things: cooking with love, use a lot of olive oil and salt. My girlfriend looks at me every time I put salt in the pan. She looks like she has a heart attack, and she might in 20 years' time. I just think it's great. I like salt.