FULL NAME: Noah Seth Syndergaard
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6'6", 240 lbs
POSITION: Pitcher
BORN: August 29, 1992, in Mansfield, TX
DRAFT: Drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1st round (38th) of the 2010 MLB Draft
HIGH SCHOOL: Legacy High School (Mansfield, TX)
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION: 2016 NL All-Star
I want to go out there on the field each day and feel my absolute best, and good nutrition makes that possible. We’re professional athletes, and we should take care of our bodies. At the end of the day if I don’t reach my goals in my career, at least I can say that I gave it my all and covered all the bases. I want to play the game for a long time, and I don’t want to wait until it’s too late to jump on board with healthy eating.
I feel really good—optimistic and positive—coming to the ballpark. I believe my eating habits connect to my performance on the mound because I wake up every day and have a bunch of energy.
My breakfast today was almond butter protein pancakes with chicken sausage and fruit on the side. For lunch, I had Thai grilled chicken with quinoa and a mango-avocado salsa. I’m getting to that point where every city I travel to during the season is going to be set up with food made by a chef. For on-the-road games, my nutritionist sends me a list of all the healthy restaurants and juice bars in that particular city, or arranges to have a chef send healthy meals to my hotel. My dinner last night was braised beef short ribs with a sweet potato puree and Brussels sprouts. Tonight it’s something similar, but I’ll have roasted cauliflower and green beans with it.
I follow a set structure for my meals, so that when I’m on the field, I can maximize my performance based on what I’ve eaten throughout the day. The only thing that changes is I’ll carbo-load for lunch the day before I pitch. That means eating something heavier, like a sweet potato or another good complex carb.
In my refrigerator you’ll always find essential healthy snacks like protein cookies, chia seed bars, and a lot of water and juices. I’m also a big fan of roasted cauliflower now, so I usually have cauliflower on hand too.
My favorite fresh juice is a combination of beet, carrot, pear, apple, pineapple, and ginger—I bought a juicer, and I’m juicing every day. I go to the grocery store and pick up a bunch of beets and juice anything and everything, like carrots, apple, peppers, kale, Swiss chard, spinach—even jalapeños, but just a small slice to give a little kick. I did a three-day juice cleanse in the off-season to give my digestive system a break. It wasn’t anything structured, and I could have smoothies too. I noticed my energy levels just skyrocketed.
I also like smoothies—my favorite includes blueberries, dates, almond milk, coconut nectar, coconut meat, and all kinds of good stuff. I prefer fresh juices instead of smoothies, but that one’s pretty good. To help speed muscle recovery after a tough workout, I take a lot of turmeric and drink tart cherry juice as an anti-inflammatory.
My former former teammate Curtis Granderson gave me a great piece of advice. He said, “When you wake up every day, you have a choice to be positive.” He’s the nicest guy you’ll ever meet. He’s always in a good mood. Even when he has a bad game, he’s never angry. I try to be positive every day.
“I follow a set structure for my meals, so that when I’m on the field, I can maximize my performance based on what I’ve eaten throughout the day. The only thing that changes is I’ll carbo-load for lunch the day before I pitch. That means eating something heavier, like a sweet potato or another good complex carb.”
with Roasted Cauliflower
SERVES: 2 // PREP: 10 minutes // COOK: 10 minutes
Swap your hamburger and fries for this tasty chicken burger with a side of roasted cauliflower and greens. It’s a nourishing win-win.
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon coconut oil
¼ cup minced shallots
8 ounces ground chicken (white and dark meat)
⅓ cup almond flour
1½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Roasted Cauliflower and Greens (recipe follows)
1. In a small skillet over medium heat, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Let cool.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the chicken, flour, lemon juice, salt, turmeric, pepper, and cooled shallots until well combined.
3. Shape into 4 (3 x 1/3-inch) patties (rubbing a dab of oil on your palms will help prevent the meat from sticking). Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook the burgers, adjusting the heat as necessary, until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes total. Serve with roasted cauliflower and greens.
ROASTED CAULIFLOWER AND GREENS
SERVES: 2 // PREP: 15 minutes // COOK: 15 minutes
3 cups cauliflower florets
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
Pinch of cayenne
1½ cups chopped dinosaur kale, tough ribs removed first
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. In a medium bowl, toss the cauliflower with the oil and cayenne. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast until just tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and, using tongs, fold the kale in with the cauliflower. Return to the oven and continue to roast for 1 to 2 minutes, until the kale is slightly wilted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
SERVES: 4 // PREP: 5 minutes // COOK: 50 minutes
Change up chickpea hummus for a creamier sweet potato version. The cumin gives an added depth of gorgeous flavor.
1 large sweet potato
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon tahini
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
Salt
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Place the sweet potato on a small baking sheet and bake until soft, 40 to 45 minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove the skin and coarsely chop. You should have about 2 cups.
3. In a small skillet, melt the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 1 minute. In a high-powered blender, combine the garlic, sweet potato, olive oil, lemon juice, tahini, and cumin and process until smooth. Season with salt to taste.
4. Serve as a dip for raw veggies such as carrots, cucumber, celery, and radishes.
with Green Beans, Brussels Sprouts, and Ginger
SERVES: 4 // PREP: 25 minutes // COOK: 4 hours
You’ll flip over these short ribs. A thick and flavorful sauce is key in this recipe, so opt for a natural beef stock to achieve the right consistency. The subtle-tasting gingered green veggies complete this gratifying meal.
2 pounds bone-in short ribs
¼ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
½ cup chopped carrot
10 small garlic cloves
1 stalk lemongrass, tough outer layers removed, chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 quarts beef stock
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 bay leaves
Green Beans and Brussels Sprouts with Ginger (recipe follows on this page)
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Season the ribs with ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. In a heavy ovenproof 5-quart pot, heat the oil over high heat until hot but not smoking. Brown the ribs on all sides until deep golden brown, about 10 minutes total. Transfer the ribs to a plate.
3. Reduce the heat to medium-high and add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and lemongrass. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
4. Add the stock, rosemary, bay leaves, and browned ribs with any juices and bring just to a boil. Cover tightly and bake in the middle of oven for 3 to 3½ hours, until fork-tender.
5. Transfer the meat and bones to a plate. On top of the stove, bring the liquid to a boil. Simmer until reduced to 2½ to 3 cups, about 30 minutes. Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve and season with more salt and pepper, if desired. Remove excess fat with a spoon.
6. Once the meat has cooled, cut away the fat and connective tissue near the bone and slice. Pour the sauce on top of the meat.
7. Serve with the green beans and Brussels sprouts.
GREEN BEANS AND BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH GINGER
SERVES: 4 // PREP: 10 minutes // COOK: 5 minutes
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped yellow onion
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1½ cups halved trimmed green beans
1½ cups quartered Brussels sprouts
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onion and ginger and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown, about 2 minutes.
2. Add the green beans, Brussels sprouts, and ½ cup water. Cover and steam the veggies until tender, about 3 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
MAKES: 8 bars // PREP: 10 minutes, plus 1 hour to chill
Get fist-pumping energy with these delightful cherry power bars. Tiny chia seeds are packed with nutrients and potent micronutrients. When shopping for the dried Medjool dates, look for soft ones for the best texture.
1½ cups unsweetened dried dark cherries
1 cup pitted Medjool dates
¾ cup almonds
¾ cup pecans
3 tablespoons chia seeds
1½ teaspoons raw honey
1. Line a baking sheet with wax paper or parchment.
2. In a food processor, pulse the cherries, dates, almonds, pecans, and chia seeds until finely chopped, about 25 pulses. Add the honey and process for 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture is nearly smooth and starts to come together into a ball. Transfer the mixture to the lined baking sheet, scraping out the processor bowl with a rubber spatula, if needed. With your hands, shape the mixture into a 6 x 6 x 1-inch square.
3. Refrigerate for 1 hour. With a sharp knife, trim the square and cut into 8 (3 x 1½-inch) bars. Wrap individually in wax paper and store in the fridge in a sealed plastic bag or airtight container. The bars will keep for about 3 months.
