On April 25, 2024, the YouTube community was greeted by reigning World’s Strongest Man (WSM) Mitchell Hooper and 2023 Fitness Olympia runner-up Taylor Learmont at a Walmart Supercentre. The power duo hoped to capitalize on their viral diet swap challenge with a follow-up grocery haul collab.
Hooper is crisp off an Arnold Strongman Classic title defense and a 2024 Arnold Strongman UK win. He plans to defend his throne at 2024 WSM, scheduled for May 1-5 in Myrtle Beach, SC. Learmont is riding the off-season wave of her impressive Olympia debut last November while strategizing improvements for her next pro show.
How do the Canadian influencer’s grocery food bills stack up — a 6’3”, 325-pound (147.4 kilograms) behemoth versus an aesthetics competitor who is a third his weight, or 125 pounds (56.6 kilograms) in her off-season? Find out below:
“Fruits and vegetable section I like to call ‘not for Strongman,’” Hooper teases as they enter produce territory. Jokes aside, the big man eats plenty of greens but exclusively pre-made salads from Costco.
Learmont bagged a few potatoes for her homemade air-fried french fries. “That tricks my brain into thinking I’m having good food even though it’s just a plain potato.” The young athlete enjoys avocado oil on her potatoes in the off-season, but the fun stops once she’s prepping for a show.
One Pound Beef Lunches and An Orange Slurry
Hooper seemed perkier when picking up his four large containers of ground beef. “The Moose” eats 16 ounces of ground cow meat daily, split between two lunches. For reference, that’s four McDonald’s quarter-pound burgers every day. “Little T” eats a fourth of that — 3.5 ounces of ground beef every 24 hours. Both added a pack of chicken breasts as a leaner protein source.
“This is going to blow your mind a bit. Greek yogurt; I eat one of these (Large size) per day,” Hooper confesses while grabbing five tubs of the dairy goodness. There’s a method to the madness; he calls it orange slurry (Orange juice and Greek yogurt mixed). “I get tagged in orange slurries every single day on Instagram.”
Diet Sodas All Day, Every Day
Hooper doesn’t discriminate with his diet soda obsession. “Diet Coke, Coke Zero…anything like that, absolutely all over it”. However, his reasoning is well-researched.
“I haven’t found any evidence to say it’s bad for you. Nothing has come out. It doesn’t really have an effect on your insulin levels, aspartame…you just pee it out. There’s no evidence that it causes cancer,” explained the science graduate. “It’s basically like drinking candy all day; why wouldn’t you do that?”
Speaking of sugary confections, Hooper was sold on Learmont’s gummy snake candy recommendation before heading to another snack variation.
“I am a hummus fanatic,” Hooper professed. But not without a bag of his favorite unbreakable Tostitos tortilla chips. Hooper prefers Uncle Ben’s pre-made Basmati rice packets for more functional carbohydrates; Learmont grabbed the Jasmine equivalent.
Zero-Calorie Syrup and Lucky Charms
Learmont was overjoyed to introduce Hooper to her favorite zero-calorie syrup. “I would drink this if I could,” said the performance athlete. Convincingly enough, Hooper tore off the seal and took a swig from the bottle. “Yeah, if I were on a cut, absolutely I would,” he tossed in.
Without conviction, Hooper knocks a box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Lucky Charms cereals into his cart, possibly inspiring a new generation of athletes to take up Strongman.
Grocery Haul Cost Verdict
Before the big reveal of the bill, Hooper predicted a $70 total for Learmont, who was convinced Hooper’s larger cart would cost $350.
Hooper was nearly spot on with Learmont’s $67.94 receipt. “The Moose” paid $241, or over $100 less than anticipated. “I’m on the smaller side; I’m on the cheaper side to feed,” expressed Hooper regarding his size relative to his strongman competition.
Hooper says he spends roughly $1,000 monthly on food and eats less in the off-season. This may not be a surprise, considering Hooper is a former marathon runner.
“I think there’s no mistaking why you are the size you are and why I’m the size I am,” Hooper said as they wrapped filming. Hooper’s journey to back-to-back WSM titles begins on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Myrtle Beach, SC.
Featured image: @mitchellhooper on Instagram
