What does Jennifer Lopez eat in a day?

We would kill for a body like Jennifer Lopez in our 20s, let alone in our 50s. The singer/actress/does-it-all superhuman looks even better at age 50 than she did back in the ‘90s when she was a young 20-something and didn’t have any kids (she now has 12-year-old twins).

If you follow her on Instagram, you’ll know that she works hard for her toned figure. She’s regularly sweating it out at the gym – often with her fiancé Alex Rodriguez – or dancing herself slim while training for her next gig.

But Jen also balances her vigorous exercise routine with a healthy diet. 

Jennifer Lopez’s diet plan

To keep up with her hectic life - you know, performing in the Super Bowl, becoming a pro pole dancer for her role as Ramona in Hustlers, and planning her next music tour (to name just a few things) - an energy-fuelled diet is essential for JLo. "She needs really good fuel for all the things that she's doing," one of her personal trainers, Tracy Anderson, told People. "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 … Everything is fresh."

JLo is a big believer in the power of H20. "Drinking plenty of water, especially before a workout, can help you push harder and get more out of your exercise routine," Jennifer told Hello!.

What’s not in JLo’s diet

For the most part, Jennifer "stays away from processed foods and gets her nutrients from whole sources," her other personal trainer Dodd Romero told Us Weekly.

A long time ago, Jen quit coffee. "I haven't had caffeine in years," she revealed during an interview with Hollywood Life in 2016, noting that she only allows herself to drink coffee if she’s certain it’s decaffeinated. 

What Jennifer Lopez eats in a day

When Jen’s not doing a no carb, no sugar 10-day challenge – which she and Alex did together in January 2019 and documented on their Instagram stories, or trying the plant-based 22-day vegan diet (which she was a big fan of) – this is what a typical day looks like for JLo:

Breakfast

JLo’s go-to breakfast meal usually consists of a smoothie or protein shake. She told Hollywood Life she drinks a 90-calorie Body Lab Shake “with quinoa milk or water”, or a healthy smoothie with berries, Greek yogurt, cinnamon, honey, ice cubes, a squirt of fresh lemon juice, and a scoop of protein powder. Romero says she also eats oatmeal with fresh berries.

Lunch

It’s all about protein and fresh veggies for lunch. “By lunchtime, I’m starving,” JLo says. "Protein is my go-to whenever I start having cravings," she said to Hello!. "It fills me up and keeps me full longer. It's a great muscle fuel."

According to Romero, her favourite protein sources include egg whites, white turkey meat, chicken breast, grass-fed beef, and fish, such as omega-3-filled salmon and sea bass. A typical salad may include kale, toasted pumpkin seeds, crumbled queso, minced shallots, and a dressing made with lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil.

Snacks

JLo keeps her snacks nutritious, too. “Being constantly on the go, I always like to have healthier snack options like fruits or vegetables with me,” she told People. According to Romero, JLo also has a handful of nuts every day.

Dinner

Dinner is a family affair for Jen. If she's at home, she sits down with her and Alex's kids around 6.30pm, says Hollywood Life. Her dinner usually consists of a lean protein with more veggies and complex carbs like brown rice, sweet potatoes, or quinoa. She told Us Weekly, quinoa "feels like rice and beans, which I grew up with. And I like pork and chicken — especially Puerto Rican style!"

If she’s at a restaurant, she tries to choose something healthy. "Most restaurants offer healthy, low-calorie meals so I watch for things on the menu that fit my lifestyle," she told Hello!. "I'll have a salad or some fish with veggies. And I make sure I drink lots of water throughout the meal."

Guilty pleasures

JLo isn’t too hard on herself; if she wants to have something indulgent, she will. "Throughout the years I’ve learned the importance of maintaining a healthier […] diet," she shared with People. "I still eat some of the foods I love, but in moderation. I don’t deprive myself."

 “She is a very balanced person, so she’s not going to miss out on Thanksgiving or a holiday with her children,” says Anderson. “That’s one of the reasons why the workout is important, and it’s so consistent – so we don’t do any kind of extreme dieting.”

So, what are her some of her food vices? Her fiancé Alex shared on The View that Jen loves chocolate chip ice cream and chocolate chip cookies.

Beauty advice from Jennifer Lopez

As if Jennifer Lopez’s body wasn’t reason enough to follow her diet, JLo says what she eats is the reason she has such great skin. "What you eat doesn't just affect your body; it can also affect the way your skin looks," she told Hello!.

“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. And I don’t drink or smoke or have caffeine. That really wrecks your skin as you get older,” she revealed to Hollywood Life.

JLo’s exercise plan

"I am 100 percent convinced that working out is part of what makes me so happy," she told Hello!, "dance has always been a huge part of my life and taking the time to move my body and do something that's so good for me is key to my happiness." JLo recently learned pole dancing for her role in Hustlers, which she says was “definitely one of the hardest things I’ve ever done physically.”

Jen likes to get her workouts over and done with in the morning, when possible. “I don’t like doing it later; it’s harder to get there when I have my day going already,” she told Hollywood Life. “I work out three or four times a week,” she added.

If you're looking for a workout that's a little less intense, check out these celebrity fitness routines. 

Main image credit: @jlo
Inset image credits: Getty, @jlo