Athletes are a prime source of food inspiration. Nutrition is key to athletic performance, and a lot of people think that means strictly veggies, proteins, and other foods considered healthy and unexciting. However, here are some instances of food inspiration from NFL players that will give you something fun to try during this off-season. 

Julian Edelman's Cake Batter Supreme

Super Bowl MVP Julian Edelman likes to stand out. On and off the football field, Edelman is relentless in his pursuit of success. He’s had cameo appearances on America’s Top Model and Ballers, as well as presenting at the Grammys. As you can see, he’s got star-quality… and so does his favorite smoothie: Cake Batter Supreme. Ingredients include cinnamon puff cereal, greek yogurt, agave, protein and almond butter. For an additional bonus, check out his best-friend smoothie

Patrick Mahomes' Ketchup Macaroni and Cheese

Patrick Mahomes, the young Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, has had an incredibly successful year. The 23 year old has a bright future ahead of him and plenty of food inspiration to offer already in his career. While most athletes are offering somewhat healthy options, Mahomes knows the best food inspiration is simple inspiration. While the Chiefs recently reminded him of his contract guidelines-- no playing basketball, riding a motorcycle, riding a jetski-- he can still have one of his favorite meals: ketchup with a side of macaroni and cheese.

Drew Brees' So Delicious Dairy-Free Ice Cream

Spend Sundae Sunday like Drew Brees and Who Dat Nation with dairy-free ice cream. Brees and his wife, who both have food allergies to dairy, have had a longtime partnership and foundation with So Delicious Dairy-Free food. Check out the So Delicious instagram for awesome updates including their new oat milk ice cream! 

Cam Newton and anything from his latest restaurant endeavor, Fellaship

Cam Newton is opening a new restaurant in Atlanta called Fellaship and it has tons of food inspiration. The restaurant hosted a pop-up teaser over Super Bowl LIII weekend and you can check out the menu here. If you're not going to Atlanta anytime soon, you can grab some banana pudding (which is on Fellaship’s dessert menu and Cam’s favorite dessert made by his mom). 

Tom Brady's Pumpkin Ramen with Coconut Miso Broth

I would never write an article about the NFL and food without including Tom Brady. A lot of people think Brady's most famous recipe is avocado ice cream, but there's so much more to try. If you are a dedicated Patriots fan, spending one of your NFL-less Sundays trying to make a TB12 recipe is required fan material. Check out this recipe and their Instagram for more nutritious inspiration.