Is Anthony Joshua vegan? Diet and daily calories intake keeps boxing star looking ripped

It’s an eternal question for mere mortals considering Anthony Joshua’s physique: what does the boxing superstar do to look so toned while weighing in at over 17 stone?

British boxing rival Tyson Fury has poked fun at Joshua for being just a bodybuilder, which is a comically unfair assessment of an athlete whose spectacular physique befits his title-winning career among the ring’s elite.

As he attempts to regain the belts he lost to Oleksandr Usyk in September 2021, Joshua is hoping a pinpoint nutrition plan will help him achieve the knockout many believe he will need to complete the extremely skilled one to beat Ukrainians.

What does the fighter known as “AJ” eat? How many calories does he eat a day? is he vegan Digest the answers here.

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Is Anthony Joshua vegan?

It’s not fully known if Joshua is vegan, but he has spoken in the past about opting for “vegan lunches” ahead of a fight.

Joshua’s nutritionist, Mark Ellison, had a surprise when he was filmed giving his client lunch choices during training camp for his win over Joseph Parker.

Ellison offered Joshua cheese, grilled sea bass, or chicken. “Vegan,” Joshua replied, adding that he’d rather have “just fresh” groceries than meat or fish. “Food like avocado, falafel, some veggies, some rice,” he explained.

The expert, who also works with Premier League giants Manchester United and Olympic team GB, agreed, saying he needs to “see if I can come up with a few ideas for vegan lunches”.

It seems unlikely that Joshua has fully followed in the plant-based footsteps of one of his former potential opponents, David Haye, who maintained a massive, lean physique while competing at the top of the heavyweight division.

However, he appears to be eating less meat than might once have been expected of some of the world’s greatest athletes, with the options Ellison gave him hinting at parts of his diet that are retained through the second half of the day.

Anthony Joshua Diet

At the beginning of his day, Joshua said he eats eggs, oatmeal, yogurt and fruit. “Then we move on to jacket potatoes, tuna, mayonnaise, beetroot with a handful of veggies,” he has previously said.

“In the evening I have chicken, rice with mashed potatoes and lots of vegetables. I make sure to drink plenty of water and have my protein shakes between sessions.”

Speaking to Boxing News ahead of Joshua’s epic win over Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley in 2017, Ellison also said the Londoner eats “huge amounts” of whole wheat pasta as part of his lunch, with a later afternoon snack including a round of whole wheat sandwiches and energy gels .

Filet steak and lamb with sweet potatoes were also on his dinner menu, and there can be room for delicacies.

Ellison said he would add some meringue to Joshua’s yogurt to add some sweetness as the fighter burns calories during camps, or give him the occasional apple crumble or apple pie with custard.

“There are no cheat days, champ — we don’t cheat, we stay focused,” Joshua told a fan who asked him if he was straying from his strict diet. “But if I’m having a cheat day, I might like brownies with some ice cream.”

Joshua has Nigerian heritage and eats traditional dishes in the country, including root vegetable yam, staple eba and seeded egusi, according to Oak TV (via Men’s Health).

How many calories does Anthony Joshua burn daily?

The knockout artist’s daily calorie intake seems as demanding as his workout. Ellison said that at the height of combat training, Joshua is consuming between 4,000 and 5,000 calories a day – about double the recommended average amount for a man.

“Grocery shopping costs a damn fortune,” Ellison said, calling Joshua a “big man” and explaining that he uses liquids like shakes to ease the “challenge” of consuming so much.

“We use a fantastic butcher – all meat locally sourced. I empty my wallet there on a Monday morning. We met a great local greengrocer who helps us out – I knock on the door at 7am on a Monday to stock the trunk of the car with veggies and grains,” he added.

Ellison praised Joshua’s attitude. “Anthony is easy to care for as he isn’t fussy,” he said. “He says, ‘Give me everything — I’ll eat it.'”