What Did Jackie Kennedy Eat in a Day? A Look at Her Presidential Diet

January 13, 2026 •

3 min read

According to her long-time assistant Kathy McKeon, Jackie Kennedy's famously slim physique was maintained through a notably strict diet, which reportedly centered on meager meals of cottage cheese, boiled eggs, and poached fish.

Quick Summary

This article explores the daily dietary habits of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, detailing the simple, repetitive meals she favored and highlighting her reported indulgences.

Key Points

Strict Daily Meals: Jackie Kennedy followed a regimented, low-calorie diet of simple foods like boiled eggs, cottage cheese, poached fish, and steamed vegetables.
Consistent Breakfast: Her morning meal was typically a single hard-boiled egg and a cup of tea, sometimes supplemented with toast and honey.
Protein-Focused Lunch: Midday often consisted of cottage cheese paired with fresh fruit, or a simple broth and small sandwich.
Lean Dinners: Evening meals were centered on lean proteins such as poached chicken breast or fish, alongside steamed vegetables.
Hidden Indulgences: Despite her strict eating habits, her assistant reported finding her sneaking late-night ice cream and she was known to enjoy high-end caviar.
Controversial Calorie Intake: Some reports estimate her daily intake was as low as 600 calories, a figure criticized by modern nutritional standards.

Jackie Kennedy's diet has long been a subject of public fascination, reflecting not just her personal tastes but also the era's ideals of beauty. During her time as First Lady, and in the years that followed, Kennedy adhered to a famously disciplined and low-calorie regimen, which has garnered both scrutiny and interest in modern times. Accounts from her staff, including her long-time assistant Kathy McKeon, provide the most detailed insight into her daily eating habits, contrasting her private, minimalist meals with the elaborate French cuisine served during state dinners.

A Strict and Simple Morning Routine

Breakfast, often eaten in bed, was a consistent and simple affair for Jackie Kennedy. While she famously had a French chef for formal occasions, her personal daily meals were remarkably straightforward. Kathy McKeon's memoir reveals that a typical breakfast was often just a single boiled egg and a cup of tea. Some reports also mention a version with toast and honey, coffee with skim milk, and orange juice. This minimal start to the day was a foundation of her famously lean figure.

The Boiled Egg and Tea Ritual

One hard-boiled egg
Tea (often green or herbal)
This routine was consistent, reflecting her disciplined approach.

Lunches of Cottage Cheese and Broth

For lunch, Kennedy's meals were equally light and focused on low-calorie, high-protein foods. A common lunch consisted of a scoop of cottage cheese with fresh fruit. The choice of fruit might vary, but the foundation remained the same. Other accounts detail a simple cup of broth and a 'slim sandwich,' sometimes a grilled cheese, indicating some variation in her midday meal.

Examples of Jackie's Lunches

Cottage cheese with fresh fruit
Cup of broth and a small sandwich
Chicken or crab salad (for entertaining)

Dinners and Occasional Indulgences

Evening meals followed the same pattern of lean protein and vegetables. According to her assistant, dinner was often a poached chicken breast or fish, served with a salad or steamed vegetables. While her personal meals were simple, she and JFK, with their White House chef René Verdon, served far more elaborate French cuisine for guests. Despite her careful eating, Kennedy did have documented indulgences. Her assistant, McKeon, caught her late at night sneaking ice cream from the container in the pantry. She also famously had a phase of eating a baked potato with Beluga caviar and sour cream.

A Comparison of Jackie's Personal and Official Meals


Feature	Personal Daily Meals	White House State Dinners
Chef	Cooked by house staff following specific orders	Famed French chef René Verdon
Cuisine Style	Simple, bland, low-calorie	Elaborate French dishes, such as Beef Wellington
Typical Meal	Poached chicken or fish with vegetables	Multi-course meals with seafood mousse and gourmet desserts
Dietary Focus	Weight management and slim physique	Elegant dining and diplomatic entertainment

The Role of Snacks and Beverages

Snacks and drinks were also part of her routine. Plain yogurt was a frequent choice for a snack between meals. As for beverages, she often drank tea, skim milk with her coffee, and water. On social occasions, she was known to enjoy a cocktail, such as a Negroni.

Jackie's Snack Favorites

Plain yogurt: Her go-to, with McKeon once suggesting she mix in instant coffee for flavor.
Cookies: Despite her strict diet, she occasionally grabbed a cookie or brownie from the kitchen.
Ice cream: A notable late-night indulgence, straight from the container.

Conclusion: A Portrait of Controlled Eating

The dietary habits of Jackie Kennedy paint a picture of a controlled and often restrictive approach to eating, contrasted with a lavish public dining life. Her daily routine of minimal, simple meals was driven by a desire to maintain her famously slender figure. While modern observers might be concerned by the low caloric intake reported by some, it was a regimen she followed consistently for years. Her story reveals that behind the glamorous public image was a private life of very deliberate, and often bland, food choices, punctuated by occasional, human indulgences.

Sources

McKeon, Kathy. Jackie's Girl: My Life with the Kennedy Family. Gallery Books, 2017.
Prud'homme, Alex. Dinner with the President: Food, Politics, and a History of Breaking Bread at the White House. Knopf, 2023.
Vogue. "What Jackie Kennedy Ate in a Day." Accessed October 14, 2025.

Frequently Asked Questions

A typical breakfast for Jackie Kennedy often consisted of a single boiled egg and a cup of tea. Some accounts also mention toast with honey, orange juice, and coffee with skim milk.

For lunch, Jackie Kennedy's meal was simple and light. It frequently featured cottage cheese with fresh fruit or a cup of broth and a slim sandwich.

No, Jackie Kennedy did not eat the same extravagant meals as her guests. While she and the President served elaborate French cuisine during state dinners, her personal daily diet was very simple and low-calorie.

Yes, despite her strict diet, her assistant Kathy McKeon once found her eating ice cream directly from the container in the pantry late at night. She also sometimes took brownies or cookies.

One of her most notable and extravagant indulgences was a phase during which she would eat a single baked potato stuffed with sour cream and expensive Beluga caviar.

Jackie Kennedy maintained her slender figure through a combination of a consistently strict, low-calorie diet and an active lifestyle.

Much of the detailed information about Jackie Kennedy's private eating habits comes from her long-time assistant, Kathy McKeon, who wrote about her experiences in her memoir Jackie's Girl.