By Danbee You, Alliance Intern from Washington University, St. Louis
This summer, seven-time Super Bowl Champion Tom Brady launched his newest product with delivery service GoPuff — fruity gummies.
Contrary to the name, GOAT Gummies do not include goat material, or any animal for that matter, because they are 100% organic, vegan, and gluten-free. These gummies have no artificial sweeteners, dyes or flavors and replace gelatin with the vegan alternative, pectin.
This may come as a surprise to those who picture NFL players as macho, beef-loving powerhouses. However, Brady’s approval of an organic, plant-based gummy is not as contradictory as it seems and, instead, signals a shift in how veganism has been given a rebrand in light of a shifting cultural and political climate.
Americans are Going Green
The data shows that Americans want vegan and organic products. Organic Market Report posits in their 2025 study that the growth rate of organic products is over double that of the overall marketplace. The study attributes consumer interest to “an increased desire for cleaner ingredients as consumers prioritize health and wellness for themselves and their families.”
It’s not just the eco-friendly liberals who are demanding organic and vegan products, contrary to the stereotype. While more Democrats/liberals are vegan, vegan rates among conservatives are increasing at least as rapidly as among liberals. A 2018 study predicts that as it becomes more popular, social support will “presumably weaken the left-right divide in lapsing.”
Brady Practices What He Preaches
On the surface, it may seem like Brady is cashing in on the organic/vegan bandwagon, but his well-publicized, commercial and personal allegiance to an organic and plant-based diet testifies against the skepticism that this is just another bogus celebrity product.
As early as 2016, Brady launched a line of organic protein products, electrolytes, and supplements through the TB12 Foundation, his own health, fitness, and wellness company. The accompanying best-selling book, The TB12 Method, advocates an 80% organic, 20% animal product diet.
Two of the book’s nutrition principles highlight “REAL FOOD, FIRST” and “PLANT-BASED, MOSTLY,” echoing what “tree-hugging granola vegans” have been emphasizing for decades. The guide reads, “the nutrients we need should come from real food, first,” rebuking the artificial, processed, and inorganic foods that have infiltrated our diets.
Despite being 225 pounds of muscle, Brady does not view his plant-based diet as a hindrance to his fitness, but as the very foundation for supporting it. In a 2022 interview with Variety, Brady preaches, “You’ve got to see the process of food being grown…I don’t want calories. If I need nutrients, I need that from soil.”
Brady even makes fun of those who value muscle mass over health in his 30-second GOAT Gummies advertisement, in which “Artificial Tom Brady” flexes his cartoonishly oversized muscles and shouts things like, “My resting heartbeat is 400!” while “Organic Tom Brady” calmly promotes his natural, organic gummies.
Organic and Vegan Could Score With New Audiences
In addition to the health benefits of an organic and vegan gummy, previously uninterested demographics like hardcore NFL fans may relax their resistance to vegan alternatives if Tom Brady’s name is on the wrapper.
VegOut magazine points out that this partnership follows the path of famous athletes like Serena Williams, who offer “pro-sports credibility to mainstream plant-based products.” This “pro-sports credibility” heightens visibility for vegan alternatives in general, making it a win for eco-friendly consumerism.
The Sustainable Side of Gummies
On a more direct level, the gummies replace gelatin, made using animal scraps, with pectin, a plant-based and allergen-friendly gelling agent. By replacing gelatin, the gummies avoid contributing to the environmental harm of the greater meat industry. Moreover, plant-based gelatin alternatives show lower cradle-to-gate emissions than cattle gelatin.
While the gummies’ marketing has emphasized the health aspect over the sustainability point, Brady has supported sustainability-related endeavors in the past. For example, his electric boat racing team aims to ”[promote] transition to electric water mobility to reduce the effect on coastal ecosystems and CO2 emissions.” And at the end of the day, the gummies are still moving the green flag forward by introducing people to vegan alternatives and using eco-conscious ingredients.
So, How Do They Taste?
Since the GOAT Gummies launched in early June, they have been generally well-received. A review from MassLive concludes that other than the slightly off-putting gumdrop-like texture, they are surprisingly tasty. A reviewer from delish adds, “You can taste all of the flavors in the Tropic Fusion gummy…I don’t think I’ve ever had a pear-flavored gummy before — groundbreaking.”
You won’t find any gelatin, gluten, or artificial dyes, sweeteners, and flavors in these gummies, and, most importantly to Brady, you definitely won’t find strawberries. “That is very intentional,” he tells the aforementioned delish interviewer. He just doesn’t like them.
Delivery as quick as 15 minutes is available in more than 500 cities and surrounding suburbs across the US, and 1,000 altogether in the US, UK, and France. You can find GOAT Gummies on the GoPuff website in three flavors: Tropic Fusion, Sour Burst, and Sweet Rush. Then, you can decide for yourself if the gummies really are the GOAT.