Color us jealous. DK Metcalf is one of the best receivers in the NFL. And he can blow past defensive backs thanks to a steady diet of candy.
And he requires a very specific kind of candy. He subsists on bags and bags of gummies and apparently gains no weight while maintaining his 4.3 speed. Life isn’t fair.
Metcalf, aka the Candy Man, chatted about his diet (or lack thereof) in a conversation with former Celtics star Kevin Garnett for Showtime’s KG Certified. Garnett asked a very serious question about diet and nutrition.
“Talk about how important nutrition is. Nutrition’s huge,” Garnett said.
DK Metcalf then offered details that would make the Seahawks nutritionist cringe.
“I’m probably the worst person to ask that,” he conceded. Garnett thought he probably was talking about fast food, cheese burgers or something deliciously fried. Nope, that’s not it.
“I’m a candy type person.” Metcalf said. “I eat one meal a day, drink one coffee and eat like three full bags of candy.”
DK Metcalf says he starts eating candy in late afternoon
Metcalf structures his day by what he’s eating. He described his unique way of carbo loading like this.
“I’m gonna just take you through yesterday,” Metcalf told Garnett. “So yesterday I woke up, worked out. Worked out again. Came home, showered. I’m hungry. Run to Starbucks, get a quick coffee. That’s going to hold me ‘till 4, 5 o’clock. This 12. This gonna hold me for like four hours.
“Around 4:30, I order some candy and a water. Got the Skittles gummies. Then I got the Lifesaver Creations. They the same size bag so I just mix them. Get the gummy, get the candy, get the water, eat that. That’s gonna hold me ‘till like 8 o’clock. I’m having dinner at 8 (or) 9. And then I eat dinner, go to sleep. … I’m a candy eater.”
Garnett couldn’t believe it. “Come on man. Stop, man. Come on. Hold on, hold on, man,” he said, stunned at the thought of how it’s possible for an elite athlete to thrive on Skittles gummies. And DK Metcalf isn’t only an elite NFL player. He also is track adjacent. After all, Metcalf ran in an elite track meet two years ago.
Maybe Metcalf will turn to a more balanced diet next week. The Seahawks start training camp, Wednesday. He’ll need the extra calories, but maybe not so much sugar. Then again, a candy-heavy diet has allowed Metcalf to dominate. He’s totaled 4,218 receiving yards with 35 touchdowns in his four seasons. Why mess with what’s working.
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