What Are Victoria's Secret Models Allowed to Eat? The Complete Diet Breakdown

November 12, 2025 •

5 min read

According to nutritionist Dr. Charles Passler, who has worked with many Angels, models consume a diet rich in lean protein, healthy fats, and vegetables to stay in shape. This approach to what Victoria's Secret models are allowed to eat prioritizes whole foods and strategic timing to maintain their physique.

Quick Summary

Victoria's Secret models generally consume lean proteins, healthy fats, and vegetables while limiting processed foods and refined carbs. Diets become stricter before shows, emphasizing whole foods and intense exercise for a toned physique, rather than extreme starvation.

Key Points

Whole Foods Focus: Victoria's Secret models primarily eat lean proteins, healthy fats, complex carbs, and a high volume of vegetables.
Strategic Timing: They often time carbohydrate intake around workouts for energy and may restrict them days before a show to reduce bloating.
Moderation, Not Starvation: The diet is less about severe restriction and more about consistent, portion-controlled, nutrient-dense eating, with occasional planned indulgences.
Pre-Show Tightening: Leading up to a fashion show, diets become very strict, often cutting out alcohol, sugar, and hard-to-digest foods to achieve peak leanness.
Exercise is Key: Diet is always paired with a rigorous exercise regimen that includes cardio, strength training, and toning exercises like boxing and Pilates.
Hydration is Essential: Drinking plenty of water is a core component, crucial for detoxification, energy, and overall healthy skin.

While the idea of a single, uniform diet for all Victoria's Secret models is a misconception, interviews and reports reveal common dietary patterns and principles they follow. Far from relying on starvation, their regimen combines nutrient-dense whole foods with intense exercise to achieve a toned, healthy look. The key lies in strategic eating, consistency, and stricter protocols in the weeks leading up to a show.

The Everyday Diet: A Balanced, Whole-Food Approach

For most of the year, the diet of a Victoria's Secret model is centered on a foundation of clean, unprocessed foods. This approach provides the necessary energy for their rigorous training schedules and helps maintain their lean, muscular physique. Many models, including Miranda Kerr, follow an 80/20 rule, where they eat healthily 80% of the time and allow for indulgence in the remaining 20%. The core components of this diet include:

Lean Protein: Essential for muscle repair and building tone, sources include chicken breast, fish (like salmon), and eggs. Protein helps models feel full and satisfied, which aids in appetite control.
Healthy Fats: Unsaturated fats from sources like avocado, nuts, seeds, and olive oil are staples. They provide energy and support overall health.
Vegetables: High intake of green, leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach, broccoli, and asparagus is common. These provide essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber without excess calories.
Complex Carbohydrates: Unlike diets that completely restrict carbs, many models consume complex carbs like quinoa, brown rice, and oats. These provide sustained energy for workouts and are often timed around exercise sessions.
Hydration: Models emphasize drinking plenty of water throughout the day to stay hydrated, flush out toxins, and aid digestion. Many also consume green juices and smoothies packed with nutrients.

Pre-Show Diet: Strategic Restrictions for Peak Performance

In the final weeks and days before a major show, a model's diet often becomes much stricter and more strategic. The primary goal is to minimize bloating and water retention to achieve a lean, defined look on the runway.

Reduced Carbohydrate Intake: Carbohydrates, especially refined ones, are often cut out entirely for 3 to 5 days before a show to reduce water retention. Model trainer Stephen Pasterino even advised cutting out vegetables that are hard to digest, like kale and broccoli, close to the show.
Sodium Restriction: Limiting salt intake is crucial to prevent the body from retaining water.
Elimination of Alcohol and Sugar: Processed sugars and alcohol are strictly avoided due to their inflammatory effects and tendency to cause bloating.
Focus on Nutrient-Dense Foods: The diet concentrates on lean protein and low-carb vegetables. Some models opt for intermittent fasting methods as well.

Individual Angel Diet Examples

What are Victoria's Secret models allowed to eat can vary greatly by the individual. Here are a few examples that highlight different approaches:

Alessandra Ambrosio: Known for her balanced approach, she has been known to eat eggs and bacon for breakfast and enjoys Japanese food for lunch, demonstrating a more flexible, long-term lifestyle.
Stella Maxwell: Prioritizes moderation over extreme restriction. Her meals often consist of clean protein and greens, with snacks of nuts and dried peas.
Karlie Kloss: A fan of whole foods and protein smoothies, she substitutes cow's milk for almond milk and is known for her nutrient-packed, homemade snacks.
Josephine Skriver: Prefers using the term "treat day" instead of "cheat day" to avoid guilt around food. Her daily diet often features lean protein, greens, and complex carbs like brown rice.

Comparison Table: Everyday vs. Pre-Show Diet


Feature	Everyday Diet (80% of the time)	Pre-Show Diet (Weeks before the show)
Carbohydrates	Whole grains like quinoa, oats, and brown rice are included.	Cut or severely limited, especially 3-5 days before the event.
Protein	Lean proteins like chicken, fish, and eggs are staples.	High intake of lean protein to fuel muscles and maintain satiety.
Vegetables	Abundant consumption of various vegetables, including some starchy options.	Focus on low-carb, easy-to-digest greens. Harder-to-digest veggies are eliminated.
Fats	Healthy fats from avocado, nuts, seeds, and olive oil are incorporated.	Still included, but intake is closely monitored and controlled.
Sugar & Alcohol	Limited, though some models follow an 80/20 rule for occasional treats.	Strictly eliminated to prevent inflammation and bloating.
Hydration	High water intake is consistent.	Intense focus on staying hydrated, sometimes with added electrolytes.

The Role of Exercise

Diet is only one part of the equation. Intense and consistent exercise is a non-negotiable part of the Victoria's Secret model lifestyle. Their workout routines, often supervised by trainers, include a variety of activities to build lean muscle and maintain high fitness levels:

Boxing: A favorite for cardio and overall body toning, mentioned by Adriana Lima and Candice Swanepoel.
Pilates & Barre: Focus on lengthening and strengthening muscles to achieve a long, lean physique.
Strength Training: Uses resistance exercises, with an emphasis on technique over heavy weights, to tone muscles.
Cardio: Includes activities like jump rope and power walking, which are effective for conditioning without adding bulk.

Conclusion: A Lifestyle of Disciplined Health

In summary, there is no single answer to what Victoria's Secret models are allowed to eat, as their diets are highly personalized and aligned with specific fitness goals. The common thread is a disciplined, whole-foods-based lifestyle that prioritizes nutrient-dense foods, lean protein, healthy fats, and ample vegetables. While their approach may become more restrictive before a show, the long-term focus is on sustainable, healthy habits combined with rigorous and consistent exercise. This lifestyle is not just about weight management but also about fueling their bodies for demanding work and maintaining their overall well-being. Ultimately, their eating habits are a testament to the fact that achieving and maintaining an elite physical condition requires a comprehensive and dedicated approach that goes far beyond simple diet restrictions.

Healthline's review on the Victoria's Secret diet

A Note on "Treat" Meals

Models like Josephine Skriver prefer calling their indulgences "treat days" instead of "cheat days," reframing them as a positive, guilt-free aspect of a balanced lifestyle. This helps maintain a healthier relationship with food and prevents the restrictive mindset that can lead to binge eating. Indulging in a favorite meal, like a burger or pizza, on occasion is considered a part of a sustainable, long-term approach to health.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, many Victoria's Secret models do eat carbs, focusing on complex whole grains like brown rice and quinoa, particularly around their workouts for energy. However, they typically avoid refined carbs and may cut all carbs in the days leading up to a show.

Caloric intake varies by individual, but the diet is often centered on nutrient-dense foods rather than strict calorie counting. While some reports mention figures as low as 1,300 calories, this is generally considered unsustainable and more relevant to short-term pre-show prep, not a long-term model lifestyle.

Models opt for healthy, energy-boosting snacks like nuts, seeds, fruits (especially berries), Greek yogurt, and protein smoothies. These help manage hunger between meals without resorting to processed or high-sugar options.

Many models prefer the term "treat days" over "cheat days" to avoid negative associations with food. They practice moderation, often following an 80/20 rule, allowing for occasional indulgences like a burger or pizza without guilt.

Some models restrict dairy and gluten before a show to help reduce inflammation and bloating, which can affect their appearance on the runway. This is a short-term strategy, not a long-term rule for every model.

While the focus on whole, unprocessed foods and lean protein is healthy, the extreme calorie restriction and short-term, restrictive pre-show diets are not recommended for everyone. These regimens are tailored to models' specific goals and are not a balanced or sustainable long-term plan.

Exercise is a critical and inseparable part of their lifestyle. The diet provides the fuel for their rigorous workouts, which typically include boxing, Pilates, strength training, and other cardio, to build lean muscle and maintain a toned physique.