What US Gymnast Suni Lee Really Eats In A Day

Team USA fans: Rejoice! The time to cheer on the most elite athletes from across the country is almost here again. Gymnastics is always a popular summer sport to view, from the seemingly impossible, heart-stopping twists and flips, to the spangled red, white, and blue uniforms and heavily documented social media lives of the team members, especially the women.

One woman in particular, Sunisa (Suni) Lee, is back for her second round at the Paris Olympics this year. Lee is only 21 years old and the 10th most decorated female gymnast, having already medaled three times for USA — including winning the gold medal in the women's all-around at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. This was a historic event, as she was the first Asian-American woman to be awarded the gold in this category.

As you can imagine, a high-pressure environment like the Olympics can take a toll, and it's important for an athlete to feel good mentally and physically. Lee has been open about her health struggles, including being diagnosed with an incurable kidney disease in 2023 that was causing her body to swell. However, despite these challenges, she's gearing up for a strong 2024 showing and being mindful about what she's ingesting. What does an Olympian eat while training for the biggest event of their career? Read on to learn what Lee consumes in a day.

It's normal for anyone to want that caffeine rush in the morning, but for an athlete facing a day full of meetings, interviews, and of course, high-intensity training, it's essential. For Suni Lee, there's no better place than Starbucks to get the day started. As she tells PS (formerly Popsugar), "I definitely need caffeine in the morning, so I always have coffee." In fact, she often doubles up on beverages. In another interview with PS, she specifies, "I always have to get my two drinks."

One of those drinks is, in fact, a coffee or matcha, with Lee's specific order being a "Venti iced matcha latte with coconut milk and two pumps of vanilla." But if she grabs a second libation, she turns to a strawberry lemonade refresher. And sometimes, she'll even mix them together — on her Instagram, as Elite Daily shared, Lee posted a Starbucks concoction that users identified as an off-menu strawberry matcha.

All of those iced drinks seem perfect for the hot summer months, but what does she reach for during the rest of the year? Not pumpkin spice lattes — Lee told SELF she doesn't care about them, adding, "I'm not a fan of pumpkin."

Gymnasts need extra high levels of proteins and carbohydrates to maintain their peak performance, starting with a proper breakfast. It's called the most important meal of the day for a reason, replenishing blood sugar and energy. According to SPAR, an athlete's breakfast should consist of 50% carbohydrates, 25% protein, and 25% fat.

In addition to her two Starbucks drinks, Lee incorporates those percentages into a hearty morning meal when she's training. She told Women's Health that she likes eggs and sausage or bacon, but she needs to mix it up regularly and "can't eat the same thing every single day."

If she wants to swap out the eggs and meat, she'll try a strawberry banana smoothie with vanilla protein powder to get her protein fix. The smoothie also has less sodium, which is important for her kidney issues — sodium retains water and leads to swelling.

After a heavy, protein-rich breakfast, it makes sense that Lee would want a lighter lunch — and there's a common theme in what she prefers. Lee likes anything that fits into a bowl, like a salad or a quinoa dish, sometimes with more protein added. In a commercial promo she recorded for Invisalign, you can see a large salad with chicken, avocado, and lots of veggies like cherry tomatoes. She says she eats "what I want, when I want."

Regarding what she eats before a match, Lee told Good Morning America, "I am a big soup girly, so I always have to have chicken noodle soup and a Caesar salad." Meanwhile, on her TikTok account, she recorded a video with the caption "chill day," where you can also see a mixed bowl with some fish and edamame ... right after feeding her dog a pup cup. Canine friends need to eat lunch, too!

Who doesn't love a mid-afternoon pick-me-up? And for someone burning as many calories as Suni Lee, an afternoon snack is essential. She told Women's Health about the big snack bar at practices that is stocked with "the works."

Still, Lee keeps her snacking on the relatively healthy side by avoiding sweets and preferring savory items like hummus with pita chips, Colby Jack cheese sticks, and trail mix-like foods such as almonds and banana chips. She also mixes in protein wafers to keep her protein intake up, and loves a cheese and salami combo.

Lee also told PS that one of her "must haves" is a Clif Chocolate Chip Energy Bar. Although she mentions sometimes consuming them for breakfast, she also enjoys them throughout the day. She likes to keep them in her backpack and car because they're so lightweight and travel well to the gym, with just a couple bites at a time fueling her up.

After a long day of strenuous physical work, Suni Lee enjoys a generous steak with some green vegetables like beans or Brussels sprouts. (Once again, it's important to make sure her protein intake is high to replenish any muscle damage, especially overnight while she sleeps.) Although some people might pair such a meal with a nice red wine, due to Lee's eczema, she's likely avoiding most alcohol, which can cause flare ups.

Lee told Self that she tends to have dinner late, around 7:30 p.m., as she doesn't like a lot of time to pass between when she eats and when she goes to bed — and her bedtime routine starts around 8 p.m. In addition to feeding her body physically, she also takes care of her mental health at night. Lee likes to light a candle, journal, write in her planner, and do some light stretching before it's lights out for about seven hours.

It can't be nutritious meat and vegetables all the time ... right? Athletes are still human and they need a break. Sugars aren't all bad in moderation; they can sometimes be beneficial for quick energy or muscle repair. For a sweet treat after a meal, Lee tells Women's Health, "I love ice cream ... or a milkshake." She notes that she doesn't have a chocolate addiction and is fine skipping chocolate cake, and instead prefers strawberry treats — just like her morning Strawberry Refresher. She jokes that it must be healthier because it's a fruit flavor.

In an interview with Axios, Lee called out her favorite boba and ice cream shop in her hometown of St. Paul, Minnesota — Treats, on Grand Avenue. Treats has lots of fun flavor combinations, such as the Berry Kiss, which includes cereal pieces like Fruity Pebbles, Froot Loops, and Trix, and of course, strawberry mixed in vanilla ice cream.

By now you may have seen Lee's famous celebratory social media photos and TikToks that went viral after her Olympic gold medal win. She partied in her hotel room, dancing with her medal — and enjoying a large pepperoni pizza! It was the first thing she mentioned on air after her win, too. When the interviewer asked how she'd be celebrating, she said she was going to go eat a pizza; it was all she'd been craving.

She has even said to the official NBC Olympics site, "You guys know I love pizza. I can eat that literally every single day of my life." As it turns out, that goal may not be so far away. Suni Lee revealed on an NBC segment shared on X that Domino's offered her free pizza through 2024, whereas Papa John's offered her free pizza for life. While Adam Rippon encouraged her to go the Domino's route, we don't have official confirmation either way. We'll just have to see which pizza box is in her room this summer in Paris!