What Ilona Maher Eats in a Day as a Pro Rugby Player
Ilona Maher captured the world's attention at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics when she helped Team USA win a bronze medal in women's rugby. Since then, she appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated, finished second on Season 33 of Dancing With the Stars, signed a short-term contract with the Bristol Bears rugby team in England, started a podcast with her sisters, and more. A major factor in her success, aside from her rigorous workout regimen, is how she fuels her body. Let's take a closer look at what Ilona Maher, 28, eats in a day as a pro rugby player.
She Starts With a Hearty Breakfast
To kick off the day on the right foot, Ilona Maher loves having eggs for breakfast.
"Starting with breakfast, eggs are so great with the amount of protein they have so I'm always eating eggs," she told EatingWell. "I love bacon—it gives me joy—so I'll eat some bacon with it and a piece of toast or some other carb, whether it's oatmeal or potatoes."
Additionally, Ilona often has toast with butter and jam and washes it down with a cup of joe.
"I always drink coffee in the morning," she told the publication. "I wish I could get my day started without it but I'm unable to!"
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Lunch and Dinner Are All About Protein, Carbs, and Veggies
For lunch and dinner, the pro rugby player's diet is a bit more open. Ilona focuses on carbs, protein, and vegetables to help fuel her activity.
A 2024 TikTok video showed Ilona explaining to followers that pro athletes eat more carbohydrates than many might think.
"I think there are some misconceptions around what athletes eat. We eat a lot of carbs," she said in the clip. "I got three forms of carbs on my plate right now—a bread roll, a croissant, a crêpe. Fuel up. Don't stay hungry."
In a 2023 TikTok video, Ilona walked her followers through what she ate in a day. She enjoyed buffalo chicken dip, buffalo chicken cold-cuts, sugar snap peas, and chips for lunch on that particular afternoon.
For dinner, she opted for salmon, broccolini, and a kale Caesar salad with homemade dressing. Ilona also included an important disclaimer at the end of her video.
"Another friendly reminder: Sometimes I don't eat like that, sometimes I do eat like that. Sometimes I eat more, sometimes I eat less," she told followers. "Don't compare yourself to me. All our bodies are different and need different things."
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Protein Is Super Important All Around
During an interview with Women's Health, Ilona Maher stressed the importance of protein in her diet as an athlete.
"The most important thing is just to eat and have sustenance on-board that'll get you through," she told the publication. "That's made me so successful and so powerful in sport is that I'm not afraid to be big and powerful and give my body exactly what it needs. Sometimes women are afraid of getting too big or getting too strong, but I truly believe that's what's best for me."
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Snacks Also Play a Supporting Role
"I love having a protein source in that snack, whether that's an apple with peanut butter, beef jerky, cold-cut meat, but I don't really like protein bars," she told EatingWell.
In her 2023 TikTok video, Ilona was also a big fan of pickles. She isn't afraid to indulge her sweet tooth, either.
"I always have to end the night with something sweet," she told EatingWell. "I have to eat chocolate or something like that."
