In June 2015, a photo of Giancarlo Stanton's complete disregard for the rules of eating a Kit Kat sparked outrage on social media. He was admonished by teammates, fans and the Kit Kat company itself for taking one huge bite out of the candy bar instead of properly breaking it into columns. But clearly, it was cheat day, and there are no rules on cheat day.
The 6-foot-6, 245-pound Stanton is known for his workout regimen, supplementing his weight training with about 100 pushups and pullups per day. And his diet is just as meticulous.
We caught up with the Marlins slugger to find out just what he eats to fuel all of those home runs.
MLB.com: How do you monitor your diet?
Stanton: I don't count calories. I just try to see how hungry I am, see when was the last time I ate, because sometimes you get busy and you forget to eat or forget to catch up here and there. It depends on the day, on how much work I've done that day, if it's cold or hot or whatever. Vegetables and vitamins are the most important things to me, because it's easy to catch up on protein by drinking a shake.
MLB.com: What do you eat pre-workout?
Stanton: I don't lift early in the morning because I like to sleep, and I'm not too hungry in the morning, so I'll just do a nutritional shake or some protein when I wake up for breakfast. Something to make sure I have enough energy to get me through my workout, and then I'll have the meal post-workout. My favorite healthy meal would be salmon or grilled chicken and broccoli. I like broccoli and spinach, and that's about it for the green vegetables.
MLB.com: What do you eat pregame?
Stanton: I don't like to play feeling heavy or bloated, so if I'm hungry, I'll snack on fruit or granola. Usually I like fruit, because it feels like I didn't eat anything but I'm still full. But granola, that would be my go-to snack, with a bunch of cinnamon on it and raisins. It used to be Fruity Pebbles and Cocoa Puffs, but that was before. Those were the days.
MLB.com: Has your diet changed over the years?
Stanton: I wasn't educated on diet when I was younger. I've done a lot of research and learned to be smarter, and I've felt good doing it. In the offseason, I have a chef, but not during the season. The Marlins have one at home.
MLB.com: Is there anything you won't eat?
Stanton: I don't like to eat beef too often, unless it's grass-fed. And I don't eat beans.
MLB.com: What are your favorite cheat foods?
Stanton: On an off-day I'll eat whatever I want. My favorite cheat meals are Oreo shakes, Cinnabons and Kit Kats. Usually chocolate. And when I go home, my mom makes my old-school favorites. She always says, "Come over, I'll cook for you," and I say, "Don't cook, I'm in training!" She makes ranchera, which is a way of making beef with spices and salsa, and she makes my favorite potatoes. That's bad. I don't eat a lot of white potatoes. For carbohydrates, I'll eat sweet potatoes, rice or fruit.