What Did Albert Einstein Eat Every Day?

January 1, 2026 •

3 min read

Albert Einstein, the iconic physicist, was known for his groundbreaking theories, but his dietary habits were surprisingly simple and evolved over his lifetime. Far from a meticulous diet plan, his meals were often a matter of convenience and personal taste, though influenced by health issues later in life.

Quick Summary

This article details Albert Einstein's daily eating habits, including his fondness for eggs and mushrooms at breakfast, his love for Italian pasta dishes, and his late-life move toward a vegetarian diet for both health and moral reasons.

Key Points

Eggs and Mushrooms: Einstein typically started his day with two fried or scrambled eggs, frequently accompanied by mushrooms.
Italian Pasta: He developed a strong fondness for Italian food, eating dishes like spaghetti with tomato sauce or pasta with mushrooms for lunch.
Late-Life Vegetarianism: Though he felt guilty about eating meat for years, Einstein only adopted a vegetarian diet in the final years of his life, mainly for health reasons.
Dessert and Sweets: He had a sweet tooth for simple treats, particularly strawberries with whipped cream and orange cake.
Simple and Unpretentious: His food choices were generally unpretentious and focused on convenience, allowing him to concentrate on his work.
Limited Alcohol: While he was not a complete teetotaler, Einstein drank very little alcohol, preferring black tea or decaffeinated coffee.

A Glimpse into Einstein's Daily Diet

While Albert Einstein is revered for his intellectual pursuits, his culinary preferences were quite modest. For much of his life, his diet was practical rather than gourmet, often focused on dishes that were easy to prepare or readily available. According to his housekeeper, Herta Waldow, his day began with a consistent breakfast and often featured simple, hearty meals for lunch and dinner.

The Morning Ritual: Eggs and Honey

According to accounts from those close to him, Einstein's breakfast was remarkably consistent and uncomplicated. His usual morning meal consisted of two fried or scrambled eggs, often accompanied by his beloved mushrooms. He was reportedly so fond of mushrooms, particularly porcini, that he would forage for them himself during his forest walks. This simple, protein-rich start was often complemented by a generous helping of honey, which his household staff purchased by the pail due to his voracious appetite for the sweet treat.

Midday and Evening Meals: Italian and Simple Fare

Einstein's love for Italian food stemmed from his childhood spent in Milan and remained a constant throughout his life. Spaghetti and other pasta dishes, often prepared with tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese or mushrooms, were frequently on the menu for lunch. Other midday meals included simple, rustic fare like lentil soup with sausages, green beans, or occasionally meat dishes like pork fillet with chestnuts. His tastes were not demanding; he often ate whatever was served without fuss, though he insisted his meat be well-done, quipping, “I am not a tiger”. In the evenings, his dinners were typically lighter, featuring simple fare like cold cuts, cheese, or sandwiches.

The Late-Life Shift to Vegetarianism

Towards the end of his life, Einstein's diet underwent a significant change. Plagued by digestive issues, he was advised by doctors to adopt a vegetarian diet to improve his health. Although he had expressed moral reservations about eating meat for years, describing a "guilty conscience" in a letter to a friend in 1953, he only made the switch in the final year or so of his life. In a letter from March 1954, just a year before he passed away, he wrote, “So I am living without fats, without meat, without fish, but am feeling quite well this way”. This shift aligned his eating habits with his long-held ethical stance against killing animals.

Comparison: Einstein's Diet vs. His Contemporaries

To put Einstein's diet in context, it is helpful to compare it to the eating habits of other intellectuals of his time. This comparison highlights his general lack of concern for culinary extravagance.


Aspect	Albert Einstein's Diet	Typical Intellectual's Diet (Early 20th Century)
Breakfast	Simple, consistent: two fried eggs with mushrooms, honey, and tea.	Varied, but often included staples like eggs, sausages, and coffee or tea. Less emphasis on simple repetition.
Lunch/Dinner	Simple Italian pasta, soups, and occasional meat dishes; became primarily vegetarian late in life.	Dependent on social status and location; typically more elaborate meals featuring more meat, fish, and rich sauces, especially in formal settings.
Dessert	Loved strawberries (especially with cream) and orange cake.	Dessert was a common indulgence, but Einstein's preferences were known for their specific simplicity.
Alcohol	Drank very little, occasionally a glass of wine or cognac.	Social drinking was more common; wine and beer were staples in many European circles.
Focus	Simplicity and convenience, enabling focus on work rather than food.	Food was often a social or ceremonial affair, requiring more time and attention.

Conclusion

What did Albert Einstein eat every day? The answer reveals a man who prioritized intellectual endeavors over culinary extravagance. His diet, characterized by simple, repetitive meals of eggs, mushrooms, and Italian pasta for much of his life, was driven by practicality rather than a specific health regimen. His eventual, late-life embrace of vegetarianism was a philosophical and health-conscious culmination of his decades-long 'guilty conscience' about eating meat. Ultimately, his food choices suggest a focus on conserving mental energy for his scientific work, a lesson perhaps as profound as his theories of relativity.

For further reading on Einstein's life, explore the resources available at the official Einstein Archives, which provide deeper insight into his personal correspondence and daily habits.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, Albert Einstein was not a vegetarian for most of his life. While he expressed moral misgivings about eating meat, he only adopted a strict vegetarian diet in the final year or two before his death, primarily due to health-related issues.

For breakfast, Einstein habitually ate two fried or scrambled eggs. He often combined his eggs with mushrooms, which he was known to forage for himself.

Yes, for much of his life, Einstein ate meat. Reports indicate he enjoyed simple meat dishes like pork with chestnuts and sausages. He also reportedly liked his meat well-done, once stating, 'I am not a tiger'.

Einstein's favorite dessert was orange cake. He also had a great fondness for strawberries, which he enjoyed plain or with whipped cream.

Einstein drank a lot of tea and decaffeinated coffee, and was not a heavy drinker of alcohol. He occasionally had a glass of wine or cognac, but primarily stuck to non-alcoholic beverages.

Einstein's diet was directly influenced by recurring digestive health issues throughout his life. A doctor's recommendation in his later years to cut out meat, fat, and alcohol led to his final shift toward vegetarianism.

There is no evidence that Einstein's specific dietary habits were directly responsible for his genius. His food choices were generally simple and unpretentious, likely allowing him to minimize decision-making and focus his mental energy on his scientific work.