Terry Crews' Strict Diet Is Only Successful Because Of Cheat Days

Simply put, Terry Crews is one of the most likable (and hardest-working) actors out there today. Yet acting is only one of the trades Crews is known for, as his first brush with celebrity was as a defensive end and linebacker for the Los Angeles Rams, San Diego Chargers and Washington Redskins within the NFL. The Brooklyn Nine-Nine star has also been the host of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, a furniture designer as the co-founder of design company Amen&Amen, and a best-selling author via his autobiography Manhood: How To Be a Better Man Or Just Live With One. On the heels of his recent work on Deadpool 2, Crews can be seen in the forthcoming film Sorry To Bother You.

Crews was on-site for this year's Firefly Music Festival in Dover, Delaware, in partnership with Panera. In celebration of Panera's national expansion of its delivery service, Crews surprised Firefly attendees and campers with deliveries of Panera Bacon Mac & Cheese. On behalf of The Daily Meal, I chatted with Crews — who is on both Instagram and Twitter as @TerryCrews.

The Daily Meal: Are you yourself a cook or a baker?
Terry Crews: I'm a little bit more of a cook. My daughter is the baker of the house. She loves to bake cakes and pies. But I like to grill, when I get to grill, it's on.

What is your diet like? I ask because you're known for having a great physique?
I do intermittent fasting. I eat from 2 [p.m.] to 10 [p.m.], I drink BCAAs and I'm a big vitamin guy. But the deal is [that] I have a cheat day, a legendary cheat day. It's one of those things that actually helps you work out. When you say "don't do this, don't do that," it's like when they say "don't step on the grass," the first thing you want to do is step on the grass.

What you have to do is always indulge yourself occasionally so that you can keep your sanity. [laughs] I eat really really good, really clean, but sometimes there's a whole weekend where I'm like, "Hey, I eat whatever I want." The good thing is with the workouts and the training, you'll be fine.

Why did you partner with Panera?
When I feel sad I need a little bakery to make me happy. [laughs] The smell of the bread... I remember getting a cherry turnover, that just made me happy. That was years ago. I was sad about something, but Panera just cheered me up big time. [Lately,]  mac and cheese is one of my favorite meals of all time. I know the Bacon Mac & Cheese is only available for a limited time, but I have to say the mac and cheese. I do like the Steak Sandwich also. It runs second to the Mac.

Is there a field that you're still hoping to conquer that you haven't yet?
 I really do want a working farm. I want cows, chickens, horses, the whole thing. I see it in my future, man. I want to be able to have a whole deal where we get vegetables. I just want that. I don't know where it's going to be, I don't know what's going on, but somewhere in the future Terry Crews' farm is happening.

Terry Crews isn't the only celebrity with a very specific diet. Find out the other sorta weird diets of your favorite celebrities.