FULL NAME: Hunter Andrew Pence
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6'4", 215 lbs
BORN: April 13, 1983, in Fort Worth, TX
POSITION: Right fielder
DRAFT: Drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 40th round of the 2002 MLB Draft and the Houston Astros in the 2nd round of the 2004 MLB Draft
HIGH SCHOOL: Arlington High School (Arlington, TX)
COLLEGE: Texarkana College (Texarkana, TX); University of Texas at Arlington (Arlington, TX)
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION: 2x World Series Champion; 3x NL All-Star; 2013 Willie Mac Award; 2008 Darryl Kile Award
My motivation to eat smart is a desire to give my best on the field. I’m grateful to play the game so I try to find every opportunity to give my best out there. If eating better is going to help me play better or feel better, that’s very important to me.
I saw the connection between eating better and playing better when I was coming up from college. I always dreamed of being a Major Leaguer. I knew that how you fuel your body improves how you feel on the field. I was extremely skinny in high school, so I started studying what to eat to gain weight. As I got older I wanted to fuel my body the right way.
During the off-season I follow a paleo diet. Back when I had just joined the Giants, my brother and I read a book about it and I started trying it. When I started eating kale, I was teased a lot. Kale wasn’t popular yet, but then the other players caught on, and it inspired our team president and his wife to build an edible garden in the outfield. It’s called Hunter’s Garden. Honestly, when I follow a paleo diet, I feel the best I ever have, but it’s virtually impossible to do during the baseball season because we travel so much.
My breakfast includes açai bowls. I really love them. I’ll eat one of those with a Bulletproof coffee. My wife learned how to make paleo pancakes out of bananas. She smashes them up with eggs and makes pancakes. It’s really cool. I even add kale to my breakfast from time to time.
Every day I eat vegetables. If I don’t have vegetables I won’t feel well. That’s why I love kale so much. I also like bell peppers and avocado. I could eat those every day and feel good.
My energy snack is a banana or a protein bar. I eat them all the time during games. I get hungry. On the road I drink a lot of protein shakes, and I’ll throw in kale, cauliflower, and broccoli and make a pure veggie smoothie. Occasionally I’ll use almond milk in my smoothies too.
The fruit I eat the most is bananas. I wouldn’t say I can’t live without them, but they’re the most convenient and easy snack. I try not to eat tons of fruits because of the sugar content.
To help speed muscle recovery after a tough workout, I make sure to rest. Sleeping and making sure I’m eating my vegetables and hydrating. That’s all I focus on.
My biggest meal of the day is probably dinner—I’ll have salmon with a nice spinach and kale salad and some sweet potatoes. I eat a big breakfast too, though. It just depends on how hungry I am. Usually, when I’m playing, I’ll eat a huge meal after the game; I don’t eat that much right before the game. I want to have a light stomach.
Besides eating smart, my support for living smart comes from nature. Time in nature can nurture anyone. Or quiet time spent anywhere, just to fill your spirit.
“My motivation to eat smart is a desire to give my best on the field. I’m grateful to play the game so I try to find every opportunity to give my best out there. If eating better is going to help me play better or feel better, that’s very important to me.”
SERVES: 1 // PREP: 5 minutes
Every spoonful of this outrageously gorgeous bowl is full of flavor thanks to the healthy goodness of the antioxidant-rich açai. Add a topping of your choice, such as berries, seeds, and nuts, for some extra nutritional flavor and crunch.
1 (3.5-ounce) package frozen açai
2 to 4 tablespoons coconut water
1 medium very ripe banana, sliced
½ cup frozen pitted dark cherries
½ cup frozen wild blueberries
TOPPING SUGGESTIONS
¼ cup Green Monster Crunch (this page)
½ cup berries, nuts, and seeds
1. Break up the frozen sealed açai pack on a hard surface to help it blend smoothly. In a high-powered blender, combine the açai, 2 tablespoons coconut water, banana, cherries, and blueberries. Process until smooth, adding additional coconut water if necessary to facilitate blending.
2. Spoon into a bowl and add your favorite toppings.
with Hard-Boiled Eggs and Tamari Almonds
SERVES: 2 // PREP: 15 minutes // COOK: 15 minutes
Who says breakfast has to be sweet all the time? This quick and easy twist on simply prepared eggs is an unexpected breakfast pleasure. The tamari almonds add a great crunchy texture.
2 large eggs
2 cups thinly sliced curly kale, tough ribs removed first
½ cup thinly sliced bell pepper
½ cup chopped broccoli florets
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon torn basil
2 tablespoons chopped tamari almonds
⅛ teaspoon smoked salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1. Put the eggs in a saucepan and cover with water by at least 2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat, cover tightly, and let sit for 12 minutes. Drain the eggs and cool them down in a bowl of ice water. As you start to peel, continue to dip the eggs into the bowl of ice water as needed. (This makes the shells slip off more easily.) Slice evenly, and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the kale, bell pepper, broccoli, lemon juice, and basil.
3. Divide the kale salad into 2 bowls, each topped with a sliced egg. Sprinkle each bowl with the tamari almonds, smoked salt, and black pepper to taste. Drizzle olive oil over the top.
SERVES: 1 // PREP: 10 minutes
Hunter Pence loves kale so much he inspired the creation of the first-ever ballpark kale garden. The leafy green is a welcome dimension to this super-tasty and slightly sweet smoothie.
1½ cups chilled aloe water
1 cup baby kale
1 banana, broken into pieces
1-inch piece of ginger root, chopped
1-inch piece of turmeric root, chopped
½ lemon, peel discarded and fruit chopped
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted (optional)
A few ice cubes (optional)
In a high-powered blender, combine all ingredients, using coconut oil and ice if desired, and process until smooth.
SERVES: 4 (makes about twelve 3- to 4-inch pancakes) PREP: 10 minutes // COOK: 15 minutes
Ripe and ready bananas provide a natural sweetness to these deliciously good gluten-free, dairy-free pancakes. Before cooking, be sure to let the batter rest for 10 minutes to achieve pancake perfection. The texture will be slightly different from that of traditional pancakes, but the flavor will be so irresistible you might even skip the syrup—if not, a dark amber pure maple syrup is best.
2 cups sliced very ripe bananas (about 2½ medium)
3 large eggs
3 to 4 tablespoons coconut flour
⅛ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Pinch of salt
4½ teaspoons coconut oil
Fresh berries and pure maple syrup, for topping (optional)
1. In a high-powered blender, combine the bananas, eggs, 3 tablespoons coconut flour, baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla (if using), and salt and process until smooth. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon flour if the batter is too thin. Let the batter stand for 10 minutes.
2. In a large nonstick skillet set over medium heat, melt 1½ teaspoons of the oil, tilting the pan so it spreads evenly. Ladle 4 pancakes (about ¼ cup each) onto the hot pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until golden brown, adjusting the heat as necessary. Repeat with the remaining oil and batter. Serve with your favorite toppings, if desired.
