Can Gymnasts Eat Junk Food? Where Fun Foods Fit

Can gymnasts eat junk food? It’s one of the most common questions I get from gymnast parents, and the answer surprises a lot of them. YES. Chips, ice cream, cookies and candy can absolutely fit into a high-level gymnast’s diet. In fact, trying to cut them out completely usually backfires.

Let’s talk about why “junk food” isn’t the enemy, how often fun foods fit, when they’re not the best choice (like right before practice), and what to do if your gymnast “can’t stop” eating them.

By Christina Anderson MS, RDN, CSP, CSSD · Updated October 2026

Can gymnasts eat junk food? The short answer

• Yes. No single food is going to ruin her health or her practice.
• Enough food comes first. Most gymnasts who “can’t stop eating junk food” are actually underfueled.
• Fun foods fit every day. About 1-2 servings a day is a normal part of a balanced diet.
• Timing matters more than the food. Chips right before practice aren’t ideal, but not because they’re “bad.”
• Restriction makes it worse. Banning foods puts them on a pedestal and leads to sneaking, overeating and bingeing.

I didn’t always believe this

I didn’t used to believe this either. There was a time I was “paleo” and yet bingeing on 90% dark chocolate and coconut butter, because I was so mentally deprived of food that actually tasted good. I was trying so hard to “get lean,” and my efforts only backfired.

When I relaxed my food rules and started eating what I wanted, my body naturally settled out, at a weight lower than where all the crazy dieting in college had left me. (More on why I believe all foods fit for gymnasts.)

Why “junk food” isn’t the enemy

These days, words like “carbs,” “sugar,” “gluten” and “dairy” get a bad rap. Here’s the thing: sugar is the simplest form of carbohydrate, and carbs are the body’s preferred fuel source, especially for a high-intensity sport like gymnastics. Cutting them out leaves a gymnast sluggish and at risk for nutrient deficiencies, and it’s practically impossible to do without becoming neurotic about food.

Gluten is a protein in wheat. For gymnasts with celiac disease, it causes an autoimmune response that damages the small intestine and can lead to weight loss, nutrient deficiencies and stunted growth. For gymnasts without celiac disease, there’s no evidence that cutting gluten has any health benefit.

“But I know someone who lost weight going gluten-free!” Despite what you hear about sugar, “clean eating” and “bad foods,” energy balance is ONE of the main drivers of weight. It’s more complicated than calories in, calories out, but any diet “works” for weight loss because it puts you in a deficit. That’s exactly what a growing, training gymnast CAN’T afford. (See Does a Gymnast Have to Eat Clean?)

It’s also important to remember that weight and body composition aren’t the same thing. Two gymnasts can weigh exactly the same and look very different thanks to differences in muscle, bone and fat. (More in 8 Truths About the Gymnast Body.)

How much junk food is OK for a gymnast?

For most gymnasts, I like the 90/10 approach. About 1-2 servings of “fun foods” a day is consistent with moderation and fits right into a balanced diet. That could look like a small bowl of ice cream after dinner and a normal serving of chips with lunch.

There are no rules about how fun foods have to be enjoyed. They don’t have to be “earned” with a hard practice, and they don’t need to be “made up for” the next day.

The bigger priority is making sure she’s eating ENOUGH overall. Three meals a day plus 1-2 snacks (and performance nutrition around practice) is a good starting place. Most high-level gymnasts need somewhere around 2,000 to 3,000+ calories a day depending on age, level and growth, and fun foods can help her get there.

Should gymnasts eat junk food before practice?

One meal or snack is not going to ruin her practice. You may have seen videos of gymnasts falling off the beam after eating “junk food,” but that’s not how it works.

That said, chips aren’t the best pre-practice snack. Their high fat content slows down the carbs (from the potatoes) getting into her bloodstream and to her muscles. THAT is why a gymnast might feel sluggish after eating chips before practice. Not because the food is inherently “bad” or has magical powers that kill performance.

Before practice, she’s better off with a snack that’s mostly carbs with a little protein and minimal fat and fiber. (Ideas in What to Eat Before Gymnastics Practice and Normal vs. Performance Nutrition.)

What about candy at competitions?

Here’s where it gets interesting. For some upper-level optional, Level 10 and elite gymnasts, quick carbs like candy or gummies can actually be a strategic fuel during a long meet. They digest fast, and during exercise her muscles pull sugar right out of the bloodstream.

That’s a performance strategy, not an everyday snack, and it isn’t needed for every gymnast. I break it all down in Candy for Gymnasts: Is It Helpful or Harmful During Competitions? and What to Eat Before a Gymnastics Meet.

What if my gymnast can’t stop eating junk food?

For the gymnast who feels like she “can’t stop” eating junk food, the first thing I look at is whether she’s eating enough. Hunger drives cravings for junk food (or any food, really), and these gymnasts are very often underfueled.

For many athletes, trying to avoid junk food at all costs only leads to a distorted relationship with food that lands them somewhere on the binge/restrict spectrum. Kids who “can’t stop eating” fun foods are often over-restricted AND/OR don’t have a consistent meal and snack schedule.

How parents can help

The good news? You have a lot of influence here.

• Serve fun foods regularly. Offering dessert WITH dinner (at the same time) teaches her that no food is on a pedestal.
• Keep it predictable. When she trusts fun foods will be available again, the urgency goes away.
• Stick to a meal and snack schedule so she never gets overly hungry.
• Drop the “good food/bad food” labels. Talk about foods by what they do for her body instead.

Obviously this can be more complicated for some families than I’ve made it sound, but lessening the restriction is the place to start. (More in Help! My Gymnast Eats Too Much Sugar and How to Fix Your Gymnast’s Sugar Addiction.)

Frequently asked questions

Get help for your gymnast

Not sure if your gymnast is eating enough, or worried about her relationship with food? Start with our free masterclass or take the free Gymnast Fueling Quiz. And if you want more than a generic meal plan, The Balanced Gymnast® Program is our 1:1 program, built by a former gymnast, nationally rated NCAA/USAG judge and pediatric sports dietitian who lives and breathes this sport. We build her plan around HER: her training, her growth and the foods she actually likes (fun foods included), so she can close the recovery gap each and every day.