New Orleans Pelicans Zion Williams Discusses Offseason Changes to Diet

The New Orleans Pelicans star revealed what changes he made to get into the best shape of his life this summer.

Apr 14, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) dribbles against New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) during the second half at Smoothie King Center. / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson may not have produced as gaudy of numbers during the 2023-24 season as we have seen previously in his career. But, it was still a success in some regards.

He was able to stay healthy for the first time in his career, playing in a career-best 70 games in the regular season. But, it was still a disappointing end as he wasn’t able to get on the court in the playoffs.

Against the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Play-In Tournament, he suffered an injury that led to him not getting back on the court the remainder of the campaign. It was a brutal blow as the Pelicans were swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Heading into his sixth year as a professional, Williamson is taking his health seriously. He wants to remain healthy not only for the regular season, but be available when it counts the most down the stretch.

What has he been doing to accomplish that? As shared by William Guillroy of The Athletic, the former No. 1 pick has worked closely with private chef Marvin Sanders to get his diet right.

He has the “"responsibility is to whip up healthy meals so Williamson can reach his goal of entering training camp at 270 pounds. He's been listed at 284 pounds his entire career and has a clause in his contract that requires his combined weight and body fat percentage to be no higher than 295."

Around December last season, the national media was beginning to get on him for his weight. He looked sluggish at times on the court, as he pushed 300+ pounds.

That is when things started to change, as he lost more than 20 pounds since that point. With a clear goal in mind heading into the 2024-25 campaign, and results showing during the summer, he revealed what has helped dietary wise.

"Scrambled eggs, grits, turkey bacon, breakfast potatoes with sauteed vegetables, salmon fried in avocado oil and smoothies made with strawberries and bananas," Guillory wrote are a staple in his diet now.

He was diligent with his offseason work, starting at 6 a.m. every morning at a gym in Little Elm, Texas. A 7 p.m. workout would conclude his day and the effort has paid off.

Williamson looks to be in the best shape of his life. Hyperbole like that is shared around the league every summer, but the results look legitimate as he looks to become a more reliable player for his team availability-wise.