What Jennifer Lopez Typically Eats In A Day

Jennifer Lopez turned 50 in July 2019, though you'd never be able to tell — she's arguably just as healthy and young-looking as ever. "I have a well-rounded regimen that helps me stay fit," the celeb detailed to InStyle. "First, meditation is one of my secrets for looking and feeling better. I work out regularly and love to dance," she continued. "Two of my go-to workout pros are Tracy Anderson and David Kirsch."

Lopez further revealed to the publication that her routine has remained unchanged over the decades. "It has always been about maintenance," she explained. "I take more and more pride in maintaining a healthy routine — whether it is how I take care of my skin or my body as a whole." She's also a believer in getting a solid nine to ten hours of sleep a night and eating a "healthy diet." What does that entail? According to the celebrity's life coach and trainer, as well as Lopez herself, this is what the star typically eats in a day. 

Despite her busy lifestyle, Jennifer Lopez isn't one to skip breakfast. According to the star's food diary published in People, she often starts the day with a smoothie. It includes a scoop of BodyLab TastyShake powder, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, greek yogurt, honey, lemon juice, and ice. But is a smoothie the best choice for breakfast? Dietitian and founder of NutritiousLife.com Keri Glassman says yes. "A shake is a good start to the day when on the run — the combo of protein from the powder and the yogurt, plus the carbs in the fruit, will keep her energized and satisfied," the expert explained to People.

Even when Lopez, who's maintained an amazing physique over the years, opts for a non-smoothie breakfast, she makes sure to have some fruit. According to Lopez's trainer and life coach Dodd Romero, the star relies on a diet of complex carbohydrates, such as oatmeal, which she'll top with a serving of fresh berries (via Us Weekly).

More American adults than ever before are indulging in caffeinated coffee each day (via Reuters), but Jennifer Lopez is not one of them. "I haven't had caffeine in years," she admitted to Us Weekly (via Hollywood Life). Lopez actually credits her avoidance of caffeine as one of the few things that keeps her skin looking so great. "I'm rarely in the sun, but if I am, I wear a lot of sunscreen. I've never been one to take a lot of sun, which is why my skin has maintained itself," she explained. "And I don't drink or smoke or have caffeine. That really wrecks your skin as you get older."

Although Lopez generally abstains from both alcohol and caffeinated coffee, Lopez does drink decaf coffee and will occasionally have a tiny bit of alcohol. "Of course, during celebratory toasts, everybody's like, 'You can't toast with water!' So I'll toast with alcohol and just take a sip," she divulged to InStyle (via Women's Health). 

Yes, Jennifer Lopez follows a super healthy diet, but she told People that she also doesn't "deprive" herself. "But," she said, "I've learned the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle." Considering Lopez has been eating well for decades, she knows the tricks of the trade. One of those involves packing her own snacks. "I always have healthy snacks like fruit and vegetables with me," she told the publication. The singer and actress revealed something similar when speaking to Hello! magazine. "I always carry fruit and veggies with me to give me something to snack on between meals," she divulged.

She doesn't only snack on fruits and veggies though. Lopez's life coach and trainer Dodd Romero revealed another one of the star's go-to healthy snacks when speaking to Us Weekly. According to him, she also allows room in her daily diet for "a handful" of nuts.

For Lopez, snacking isn't just about fueling her body, but bonding with her children. "I also love to relax with my kids after a workout and share a healthy snack with them," Lopez detailed to Hello! magazine.

Jennifer Lopez may eat a healthy, balanced breakfast, but she admitted to Us Weekly (via Hollywood Life) that she's "starving" come lunchtime. Typically, the star will opt for salmon with a side of broccoli, zucchini, and peppers with a "drizzle" of vinaigrette. We bet Lopez is well-acquainted with what happens to your body when you eat fish every day.

Other times, she'll choose a salad. In the food diary she shared with People, the star had a kale salad with queso. The interesting concoction called for finely chopped kale, toasted pumpkin seeds, crumbled queso, minced shallots, and a dressing of fresh lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil. 

Lopez's life coach and trainer Dodd Romero explained to Us Weekly that she eats lean protein like egg whites, chicken breast, and sea bass. As you've probably deduced by now, you won't see J.Lo hitting up a vending machine or a fast food joint for lunch. Romero revealed to the publication that the star "stays away from processed foods and gets her nutrients from whole sources."

What does a super-fit and healthy star like J.Lo eat for dinner? According to the food diary she recorded for People, Jennifer Lopez eats simple, nutritious meals, like grilled boneless, skinless chicken breast, sautéed Brussels sprouts, and baked yams with a pinch of sea salt. Dietitian and founder of NutritiousLife.com Keri Glassman revealed to the publication that although Lopez's "chicken dinner is an excellent whole food meal," it would be better to add a little fat like "grass-fed butter on the yams."

If she's not having chicken, Lopez will stick with another source of protein served alongside quinoa. "[It] feels like rice and beans, which I grew up with," she told Us Weekly (via Hollywood Life). "And I like pork and chicken — especially Puerto Rican style!"

The star also noted, "I try to eat with the kids around 6:30."

Jennifer Lopez's diet isn't just about what she doesn't drink, as a lot of it is about what she does guzzle. The star's trainer and life coach Dodd Romero told Us Weekly that Lopez has "a minimum of seven glasses [of water] a day." Romero also revealed that she starts her day with a glass of water with fresh-squeezed lemon.

Lopez firmly believes in hydrating before and after exercising. "Drinking plenty of water, especially before a workout, can help you push harder and get more out of your exercise routine," she revealed to Hello! magazine. Post-workout, Lopez said she tries to keep her body "hydrated and well rested." She continued, saying, "I make sure I drink plenty of water..." Lopez also believes in drinking water while dining out. In between bites of food, she said she makes sure to "drink lots of water throughout the meal." Makes sense that she'd drink so much, as water is what healthy people drink in day.

"I'm a very social person and love spending time with my friends and family," Jennifer Lopez revealed to Hello! magazine, "so when we go out to eat I try to make healthy choices." That means she's going to scour the menu to find a meal that fits "[her] lifestyle." Fortunately, that hasn't proven to be too difficult for the star. "Most restaurants offer healthy, low-calorie meals...," she explained. "I'll have a salad or some fish with veggies."

Now that doesn't mean she dines at boring restaurants or orders lackluster meals. Lopez and her man, former professional baseball player Alex Rodriguez, have been known to frequent the New York City restaurant Quality Meats, where Lopez has reportedly ordered the crab and avocado appetizer and split a porterhouse steak entrée with her man (via People). That's right, Lopez does eat red meat. According to her trainer and life coach Dodd Romero, Lopez eats grass-fed beef, though she tries to only do so three to four times a week (via Us Weekly).

Jennifer Lopez may follow an incredibly clean diet, but she still has a sweet tooth. Her typical dessert, according to her food diary published in People, is a chocolate chip cookie. Although it may not seem like it fits her healthy eating style, dietitian and founder of NutritiousLife.com Keri Glassman revealed to People, "A cookie as an indulgence is definitely okay for a hot mama like J.Lo!"

Since working with her trainer and life coach Dodd Romero, the expert revealed to Us Weekly that Lopez's "overall body has just shrunk and tightened and her strength has actually doubled." Although that means Lopez is eating a strict diet and regularly working out until, as he told the publication, "everything's sore and we've hit every body part." Still, he's aware of his client's sweet tooth. "I think she likes cookies," he divulged to Us Weekly when asked about the star's go-to "cheat" food. Obviously, those cookies aren't hurting her progress.

Jennifer Lopez is, for the most part, a role model for healthy eating. However, it's worth noting that she's not a dietitian or nutritionist. And, at times, the celeb, who has made some controversial decisions, takes part in some ill-advised health cleanses, like her and Alex Rodriguez's "10-day challenge" of no carbs and no sugar. Sounds like Lopez and Rodriguez wanted to find out what happens to your body when you cut out sugar.

Dietitian Bonnie Taub-Dix revealed in an article for U.S. News & World Report that completely eliminating food groups, like all carbs and all sugar, can have adverse effects on a person's health. She further explained, "10 days isn't enough time to make a meaningful health impact if you don't continue on with some of your newfound habits. Even Rodriguez said that he couldn't wait to have pizza again once the 10 days were over. And that's the problem with challenges that are extreme: They rarely, if ever, last."

Lisa Valente, registered dietitian and nutrition editor at Cooking Light and EatingWell, revealed to Cooking Light that, while she doesn't recommend the famous couple's detox challenge, she does believe that Lopez's overall diet is both reasonable and healthy.