Nutrition Diet: What is Beyonce's diet?

October 1, 2025 •

4 min read

According to her former trainer Marco Borges, Beyoncé's approach to nutrition is centered on plant-based principles, even though she is not a strict vegan. So, what is Beyonce's diet and how does she maintain her health and energy while performing? Her strategy involves balancing whole, clean foods with periods of disciplined eating for specific goals, and even includes a weekly indulgence.

Quick Summary

Beyoncé's diet emphasizes clean, plant-based foods for energy and wellness, with occasional indulgences. She uses structured programs like the 22 Days Nutrition plan for specific fitness goals.

Key Points

Not a strict vegan: While often associated with veganism, Beyoncé has clarified that she is not a full-time vegan but adheres to plant-based principles.
22 Days Nutrition: She has followed and promoted Marco Borges' 22 Days Nutrition plan, a temporary, plant-based cleanse.
Clean Eating and Hydration: Her general diet emphasizes whole, clean foods, plenty of vegetables, fish, and at least a gallon of water daily.
Intense Preparations: For events like Coachella, she followed an extreme and unsustainable short-term diet, which she later regretted.
Balanced Approach: Her current approach is more balanced and holistic, focusing on wellness and incorporating a weekly indulgence meal.
Exercise is Key: Her dietary habits are complemented by an intensive and consistent fitness regimen of cardio, weights, and choreography.

The 22 Days Nutrition Plan and General Principles

While not a full-time vegan, Beyoncé has publicly embraced and promoted a plant-based approach to eating, most notably through the 22 Days Nutrition program. This initiative was created by her trainer, Marco Borges, and is based on the idea that it takes 21 days to form a new habit. The plan focuses on whole, unprocessed foods and a plant-based diet, which both Beyoncé and her husband, Jay-Z, have followed for short periods and continue to incorporate into their routines. For example, Beyoncé has a vegan breakfast daily and abstains from meat on Mondays.

Beyoncé's general principles for healthy eating include several key habits:

Regular Breakfast: She always starts her day with breakfast, such as scrambled egg whites, a vegetable smoothie, or whole-grain cereal.
Hydration: Staying hydrated is a top priority, and she drinks a gallon of water a day, often with lemon.
Clean Eating: She emphasizes consuming "clean" foods and supplements.
Fish and Vegetables: For lunch and dinner, a typical meal consists of fish and a generous portion of vegetables.

The Extreme 'Beychella' Diet

One of the most intense dietary periods for Beyoncé was her preparation for the 2018 Coachella performance, which was documented in her Netflix film Homecoming. Following the birth of her twins, she adopted an extremely restrictive diet for 44 days, essentially following the 22 Days Nutrition plan twice. During this period, she cut out all bread, carbs, sugar, dairy, meat, fish, and alcohol. This was an arduous process, as she admitted, and she later reflected that she would "never push myself that far again". This highlights a key distinction between a short-term, intense regimen for a specific goal and a sustainable, long-term lifestyle.

Balancing Discipline with Indulgence

For Beyoncé, nutrition is not about constant deprivation. She maintains a balanced and healthy routine during the week but allows for a planned treat meal on Sundays, with pizza being her favorite indulgence. This balanced approach demonstrates the importance of incorporating flexibility into a healthy diet to avoid feeling overly restricted. It is a more realistic and sustainable strategy for long-term wellness compared to the demanding, pre-performance diets.

Beyoncé's Approach to Nutrition Over the Years


Aspect	22 Days Nutrition Plan	Coachella Diet (2018)	General Lifestyle Diet
Duration	22-day challenge	44 days	Ongoing
Focus	Plant-based principles	Extreme weight loss & conditioning	Balanced wellness & energy
Key Restrictions	No animal products, minimal processed foods	No bread, carbs, sugar, dairy, meat, fish, or alcohol	Emphasis on plant-based and lean protein, limited processed foods
Intensity	High, short-term challenge	Very High, unsustainable long-term	Moderate, sustainable for wellness

The Role of Exercise and Expert Guidance

Beyoncé's diet is only one part of her overall health strategy. Her rigorous exercise routine, which includes intense dance rehearsals, cardio, and weight training, complements her disciplined eating habits. She has access to personal trainers and chefs, which are significant advantages when adhering to strict dietary protocols. It is important for fans to remember that replicating a celebrity's diet without professional supervision and with limited resources could be difficult and potentially harmful. Dietitians have cautioned against extreme celebrity diets, emphasizing the risk of nutritional deficiencies and 'yo-yo' dieting. Beyoncé herself appears to have learned this lesson, advocating for a healthier, more holistic approach that focuses on feeling good and having energy.

The Bigger Picture: From Extreme Diets to Holistic Wellness

Recent statements from Beyoncé emphasize a shift towards a more holistic view of health, prioritizing wellness and mindset over strict dietary control. As she told GQ in 2024, she's focused on "eating very clean" and taking supplements, but not adhering to the previous extremes. This evolution from rigorous, short-term plans to a more balanced and sustainable approach is a key takeaway from her journey. By focusing on whole foods and listening to her body, she maintains a healthy lifestyle without the punishing restrictions of her past. Learn more about the benefits of a plant-based diet as promoted by the 22 Days Nutrition program.

Conclusion

Ultimately, there is no single answer to "what is Beyonce's diet?" Her nutrition strategy is a dynamic mix of plant-based principles, high-level fitness, and practical balance, adjusted to meet her professional demands and personal health goals. While she has pursued very intense diets for specific career moments, her long-term approach emphasizes whole foods, hydration, and clean eating with room for occasional treats. Her example teaches that a sustainable, healthy diet should be a part of a larger wellness routine, adapted to individual needs rather than followed blindly based on celebrity trends.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, Beyoncé is not a full-time vegan, but she does follow a plant-based diet and has clarified that she is not 100% vegan. She and Jay-Z have experimented with vegan challenges and promote a plant-forward lifestyle.

The 22 Days Nutrition plan is a 100% plant-based, vegan diet challenge developed by her trainer Marco Borges. The theory is that it takes 21 days to form or break a habit, and participants commit to 22 days of eating whole, plant-based foods.

For her 2018 Coachella performance, Beyoncé followed a very extreme diet for 44 days, cutting out all bread, carbs, sugar, dairy, meat, fish, and alcohol. She later admitted this was too intense and that she would not push herself that far again.

Yes, Beyoncé allows herself to have an indulgent meal on Sundays, with pizza being her favorite cheat meal. This demonstrates a more balanced and sustainable approach to long-term health.

In addition to her clean eating and plant-based meals, Beyoncé ensures high energy levels through a regular breakfast, intense hydration, and a vigorous fitness routine that includes both cardio and strength training.

Yes, Beyoncé has publicly discussed weight loss that occurred while focusing on plant-based eating, particularly after giving birth. The 22 Days Nutrition plan emphasizes whole, nutrient-dense foods which can support healthy weight management.

Her short-term, extreme diets, like the one for Coachella, have been criticized by dietitians for being potentially dangerous and low in calories for the average person. They note that she has access to extensive support, like chefs and trainers, that most people do not. Her overall balanced approach is more advisable than her temporary, intense regimens.