If you’re familiar with Beyoncé Knowles-Carter’s song lyrics, you’re likely well aware that the singer-songwriter/fashion designer/mom/wife has hot sauce in her bag and enjoys making lemonade out of lemons. But how else does Beyoncé fuel up to stay so fit at 43?
Netflix’s Homecoming documentary chronicled the celeb’s prep for her epic 2018 Coachella performance, which included hours of strenuous workouts, dance rehearsals and a 44-day vegan diet following Marco Borges’ 22-Day Nutrition program.
But her typical routine isn’t always that strict. Every now and again, Beyoncé shows us hints of her usual, non-concert eating pattern, and we’ve done a deep dive to get an idea of her day-to-day.
What Beyoncé Eats in a Day
Breakfast
A morning meal is essential to power her through a busy day—whether it’s shared with the three little ones and Jay-Z, invested in designing a new fashion line, exercising or recording.
“I always have breakfast—say, scrambled egg whites, a vegetable smoothie or whole-grain cereal with lowfat milk,” Beyoncé tells SHAPE. We think she’d be a big fan of our Parmesan Cloud Eggs or Strawberry-Banana Green Smoothie.
Throughout the day, she aims to drink at least a gallon of water with lemon, and leans into as many whole foods as possible.
Lunch
“For lunch and dinner I eat a lot of fish and vegetables,” she says in that same SHAPE interview.
But that doesn’t mean carbs are off the menu. Quinoa, pita and even the occasional pizza might make appearances every so often, based on the looks of her Instagram feed. Given her choice of toppings (seemingly just cheese and basil) with a simple side of veg, she’d probably enjoy our Two-Ingredient-Dough Margherita Pizza.
Snacks
Between meals, Beyoncé might nosh on some popcorn, protein bar with banana or an assortment of fresh fruit.
Dinner
During the week, dinner is often lean protein plus more veggies. Come Sundays and on date nights, Beyoncé allows for a little more wiggle room. Italian restaurant fare from hotspots like Mamo, Bar Pitti and Lucali are dine-out faves when the fam is in NYC. Or, she might help herself to some “SPAGHETTII” while flying on her private jet. (“SPAGHETTII” is the title of a song from her new album Cowboy Carter.)
“I always treat myself to one meal on Sundays when I can have whatever I want. Usually it’s pizza, which is my favorite indulgence,” she tells SHAPE.
Eating Well/Getty Images
The Bottom Line
Beyoncé is honest about the effort it takes to stay in shape. On the whole, her diet seems well-balanced.
And while her vegan challenges and rare restrictive diets make headlines, you can tell these aren’t her long-term solution. Perhaps a good, long-term fit would be to eat vegan before 6 p.m., then enjoy some favorites like a glass of red wine, chocolate and a bit of seafood for dinner.
She is Queen Bey, after all, and deserves to feel “Flawless” while having a little wiggle room in a way that works for her.
