Jennifer Lopez’s Exact Diet Includes Tons Of Organic Veggies And Protein
She focuses on five categories while fueling every day.
Jennifer Lopez is living her best life. She's co-chair of this year's Met Gala, alongside Zendaya, Bad Bunny, and Chris Helmsworth. She has a new movie, Atlas, coming out on Netflix next month, and seems to be loving married life with Ben Affleck. But at 54 years old, J.Lo also looks like the fittest, most glowy version of herself, leading plenty of people to wonder what she eats and drinks.
It's no secret that she has an intense fitness routine—it involves plenty of abs workouts (duh), heavy lifting, and plenty of dancing. She also regularly drops pics and videos of herself at the gym, proving that she’s working hard to look so J.Lo-esque.To keep up with her incredibly active *iconic* lifestyle, J.Lo also has to fuel her days accordingly. She is just as disciplined with her eating habits as she is with fitness. She is just as disciplined with her eating habits as she is with fitness
The singer, actress, and dancer maintains balance, but still makes smart choices about what ends up on her plate. After all, she needs to fill up her tank with healthy foods to keep her energy levels up, and her performances fierce.
So, what’s on J.Lo’s plate and in her cup? Here’s everything she’s shared in public
J.Lo eats all organic whole foods
“I have her eating very clean because she needs really good fuel for all the things that she’s doing,” her trainer Tracy Anderson told People in 2016. “It’s all organic and it’s all very well thought out, with the balance of very high quality proteins and a lot of nutrient-dense food.”
She drinks water all day long.
Hydration is so crucial for the singer that it's a whole category in her ultra-healthy diet. (J.Lo's diet categories include protein, vegetables, fats, carbohydrates, and water, according to her trainer and life coach, Dodd Romero.) “She drinks a minimum of seven glasses a day,” he told US Weekly.It's a safe bet her famous bling cup she takes everywhere is filled with H2O.
Jennifer has long-avoided caffeine, telling Hollywood Life that she hasn’t “had caffeine in years.” While J.Lo used to avoid alcohol, she said on Instagram in 2023 that she has the “occasional cocktail” now. “I do drink responsibly, I don’t drink to get shitfaced,” she said. “I drink to be social and to have a nice time and just relax and let loose a bit, but always responsibly.
J.Lo avoids processed, packaged foods.
Not that I can picture J.Lo shopping in the grocery store, but if she did, she'd be browsing that perimeter for fresh foods. “Everything is fresh,” says Anderson. “There’s nothing processed–just [protein powder] in a shake if we do a protein shake one day.”
J.Lo “stays away from processed foods and gets her nutrients from whole sources,” Romero confirmed to US Weekly. Her main protein sources are egg whites, white meat turkey, chicken breast, and grass-fed beef. J.Lo also eats fish for the protein and omega-3s and 6s. She also allows herself “a handful” of nuts each day for healthy fats, per Romero.
She makes health a family affair.
Jen and Ben Affleck got married in 2022, and she’s apparently had a positive influence on his health. Ben is reportedly following his wife’s diet and exercise plan and it’s “100% working for him,” a source told In Touch in 2023. “There are trainers at the house, there are chefs at the house and there is healthy food everywhere he turns,” they said.
While J.Lo “loves to indulge in burgers and fries,” things are more serious at home. “It’s a really healthy house,” the source said. “Lots of water. No soda. Yoga in the morning outside. A casual run if she’s free in the afternoon, and she’ll bring Ben with her.”
Now, the source said that Ben will hang outside for a “nice breakfast with Jennifer on the patio with avocado toast, granola, and berries.”
She makes room for pasta.
While J.Lo used to have a super strict diet, it seems like she’s loosened up a little bit recently. She shared video on Instagram last year of herself enjoying several types of pasta while on vacation in Italy. “Spaghetti ravioli 🍝 🇮🇹,” she wrote in the caption.That’s not the only time she’s been spotted having a pasta dinner lately. Page Six reported in April 2023 that J.Lo, Ben, and their kids had dinner Italian restaurant Bar Enza in Cambridge, Mass., where they enjoyed steak, pasta, and focaccia bread.
She loads her plate with veggies.
One whole category of her diet is devoted to veggies, but not all are created equal for J.Lo. She aims for more leafy greens and steers clear of carrots and corn, due to the higher sugar content, per Romero. When she's not doing a 10-day challenge, J.Lo includes complex carbohydrates to meals. Some of her faves are sweet potatoes, brown rice, quinoa, rice bread, and oatmeal according to Romero and US Weekly.
She maintains balance.
“She is a very balanced person, so she’s not going to miss out on Thanksgiving or a holiday with her children,” says Anderson.
“Throughout the years I’ve learned the importance of maintaining a healthier […] diet,” J.Lo told People. “I still eat some of the foods I love, but in moderation. I don’t deprive myself.”
Her fave desserts? Former fiance Alex Rodriguez shared on The View that Jennifer loves chocolate chip ice cream and chocolate chip cookies. Girl, same.
She goes for the healthy dish at restaurants.
Yes, J.Lo eats out at restaurants. "I'm a very social person and love spending time with my friends and family, so when we go out to eat I try to make healthy choices," she told Hello!. "Most restaurants offer healthy meals, so I watch for things on the menu that fit my lifestyle. I'll have a salad or some fish with veggies. And I make sure I drink lots of water throughout the meal."
J.Lo dances while she cooks.
She is #goals in the kitchen as well as everywhere else. Former fiance A.Rod shared an adorable video of J.Lo cooking and dancing around the kitchen with her fam. He wrote in the caption: "This is how we cook in our kitchen 😂🕺🏼💃🏼"
What J.Lo typically eats in a day.
Breakfast: Jennifer's breakfast is usually a protein-packed smoothie, she told People. It has a scoop of protein powder, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, Greek yogurt, cinnamon, honey, ice cubes, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
Lunch: "By lunchtime, I'm starving," J.Lo told Hollywood Life. She often goes for a salad with salmon and veggies like broccoli, zucchini, and capsicum and a vinaigrette. She also shared another lunch salad recipe with People in 2015: finely chopped kale with queso, pumpkin seeds, fresh lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, and a minced shallot.
Snacks: J.Lo's busy schedule (hello filming, rehearsals, and much more) means she needs on-the-go fuel. “Being constantly on the go, I always like to have healthier snack options like fruits or vegetables with me,” J.Lo told People.
Dinner: When dinner rolls around, J.Lo typically goes for a protein paired with quinoa. "It feels like rice and beans, which I grew up with. And I like pork and chicken—especially Puerto Rican style!" she said. As an alternative, she'll also pair her protein with veggies like sautéed Brussels sprouts and baked yams.“Her overall body has just shrunk and tightened and her strength has actually doubled,” Romero told US Weekly. But for J.Lo, it's all about fuel and never about restrictions.
Jennifer Nied is the fitness editor at Women’s Health and has more than 10 years of experience in health and wellness journalism. She’s always out exploring—sweat-testing workouts and gear, hiking, snowboarding, running, and more—with her husband, daughter, and dog.
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