Food poisoning, diet changes — Joey Chestnut isn't slowing down

It’s hard not to chuckle as Joey Chestnut delivers the line, knowing full well what he’s doing.

“I’m still hungry for more,” the legendary competitive eater said, smirking himself.

Joey Chestnut, hungry for more. That’s good stuff.

But it encapsulates what Chestnut has devoted so much of his life to, and what he intends to dedicate so much of his future toward.

“I think it’s the best job in the world,” Chestnut told The Post in an exclusive interview. “As long as I can stay healthy, I’m gonna stay involved one way or another. It’s hard on the body. A lot of these contests, I’m gonna gain weight. Practicing, then it takes a toll to get back to my healthy weight. But it’s something I love.”

Chestnut, 40, won his 16th Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest this past Fourth of July and has long cemented his place in the holiday’s lore.

He owns countless records in a myriad of different foods, most notably his 76 hot dogs eaten in 10 minutes during the 2021 contest.

He’s widely viewed as the greatest competitive eater ever, and someone who made it – somewhat – mainstream.

But he has no plans of slowing down.

“When I started, I just loved the competition aspect, and beating the people next to me,” Chestnut said. “But now I still love the traveling, meeting people – the fans have been so awesome. Just learning people’s stories about how they watch these contests and people give me ideas for different contests, it’s been really fun. I still love it. I’m still hungry for more.”

It’s what led him to the Wonderful Pistachios Get Crackin’ Eating Championship, which he’ll compete in for the second consecutive year on Monday at the Santa Monica Pier in California.

Star Chargers edge rusher Joey Bosa will be in this year’s competition as well, which takes place on World Pistachio Day.

Chestnut, a California native who now lives in Indiana, actually tasted rare defeat in the competition last year.

A bit of irony might be to blame.

“Alright, so last year not only did I have a bad day, I had food poisoning the night before,” Chestnut said. “I couldn’t sleep the night before. And I hate saying these excuses, but that’s what happened. I just couldn’t find any rhythm at all on the day of the contest. I know no matter what, I’ll do better than I did last year. I’m definitely out for a little bit of redemption. There’s no way I’m gonna do worse.”

Pistachios are a “technique” food, Chestnut said, “like a puzzle,” since the contestants have to unshell each nut – unlike hot dogs, which are a “capacity” food he claims he can “almost eat with my eyes closed.”

Chestnut might not be slowing down, but a few things about him have certainly changed recently.

Yep, the competitive eater is trying to eat healthier.

Just take his recent Super Bowl delicacies.

“It’s always wings,” Chestnut started, “but for most of the games I’ve been watching this last year, dude I’ve been crazy about celery and carrots with blue cheese. I go through so much. And since it’s kind of healthy, I don’t feel guilty. That’s kind of been my big one lately.”

If competitive eating is a sport, then Chestnut’s 16 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest championships, as well as his records in various other foods, would put him among the winningest athletes of all time – more than Michael Jordan’s six NBA championships, Tom Brady’s seven Super Bowl titles, Rafael Nadal’s 14 French Open wins and so on.

Chestnut’s ever-growing fandom – which has ascended him to celebrity status in recent years – often puts him in conversations with those icons.

Does he?

“Those guys are in a different league, a different level, I really can’t compare myself to those people,” Chestnut said. “If I did, my head would get bigger. I’d get complacent. … I’m just gonna try to keep staying hungry and keep eating.”

Still, that fervent fandom exists.

Tens of thousands of spectators convene to Coney Island every year to watch Chestnut’s hot dog-eating feats – and feasts – which he constantly seems to improve.

And he’s provided viral moments the last two years, putting a protester in a headlock in 2022 and this past year, rallying organizers to resume the contest after a thunderstorm when they had originally planned to postpone it.

Slowing down? Not even close.

His stardom is reaching new heights.

“If you would’ve asked me 18 years ago, when I got started, what my goals are, I probably would’ve just said the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest and never really looked at anything else,” Chestnut said. “… I definitely didn’t imagine it. When I was 21, I was getting my engineering degree and I was actually really kind of standoff-ish and shy.

“I never would have thought I’d be able to travel and meet strangers and to be able to make people happy. I never thought I’d be considered an entertainer to any degree. I’ve enjoyed it. I’m good at not saying no. I’ve been really lucky.”