What Does Carrie Underwood's Diet Consist Of? Inside Her Balanced, Plant-Based Nutrition

October 6, 2025 •

3 min read

Adopting a 'wannabe vegan' philosophy, Carrie Underwood’s diet is primarily plant-based, emphasizing whole foods for energy and overall health. Her nutrient-dense meals and balanced macronutrient approach, as outlined in her book Find Your Path, fuel her high-energy performances and busy lifestyle.

Quick Summary

Carrie Underwood’s diet is a balanced, plant-based regimen centered around whole foods and strategic macronutrient tracking. She prioritizes hydration and prepares her own meals to maintain control over ingredients and nutrition, emphasizing consistency over strict perfection.

Key Points

Plant-Based Focus: Carrie Underwood's diet is primarily plant-based, though she doesn't follow a strict vegan regimen, occasionally including animal products like eggs and cheese.
Macronutrient Balance: She tracks her macronutrients, aiming for a 45% carbs, 30% fat, and 25% protein ratio to maintain high energy levels.
Clean and Simple Eating: Underwood prioritizes whole, unprocessed foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes, avoiding ultra-processed items.
Strategic Snacking: She keeps healthy, pre-portioned snacks like almonds, fruit, and homemade granola on hand to stay energized between meals.
Hydration is Key: The singer emphasizes constant hydration, carrying water and electrolyte sticks to stay properly hydrated.
Indulgence in Moderation: She allows for small indulgences, such as dark chocolate and red wine, to maintain balance and avoid feeling deprived.
Meal Prep for Travel: When on tour, she prepares her own food, like vegetarian burritos, to ensure she has healthy options available.

The Balanced Macronutrient Philosophy

Unlike many restrictive celebrity diets, the focus of what does Carrie Underwood's diet consist of is balance, not deprivation. The country star follows a disciplined, yet flexible, approach guided by macronutrient percentages, aiming for a daily intake of 45% carbohydrates, 30% fat, and 25% protein. This mindful strategy helps prevent energy crashes and ensures she has the fuel needed for her demanding fitness routine and performance schedule. Instead of restricting food groups, her focus is on consuming nutrient-dense, whole foods that naturally fit into this macro framework.

A Typical Day of Eating

For Carrie, a typical day revolves around home-cooked, clean meals. This allows her to know exactly what she is putting into her body and avoid the hidden additives often found in restaurant fare.

Breakfast: Before her morning workout, she typically has a protein-rich meal. A go-to is a tofu or egg-white scramble with Ezekiel toast and berries.

Lunch: Her midday meal often consists of a hearty, veggie-packed sandwich. She uses plant-based protein alternatives like Tofurky and fills it with avocado, spinach, tomatoes, and other fresh vegetables.

Dinner: For her final meal, she prefers simple, roasted dishes. A tofu stir-fry or roasted vegetables with a vegan chicken alternative are common choices. She also makes healthier versions of comfort foods, like slow-cooker lasagna packed with fiber-rich vegetables.

Strategic Snacking and Hydration

As a busy mom and performer, smart snacking is crucial for maintaining her energy levels throughout the day. She keeps a variety of healthy snacks on hand to avoid relying on less nutritious, processed options.

Carrie Underwood's go-to snacks include:

Almonds and other nuts
Apples and other fruits
Homemade granola
Veggies and hummus
Protein bars
Green smoothies
Dried fruit (with no added sugar)
English muffin with peanut butter

Beyond food, hydration is a top priority. She always keeps water or a sports drink with electrolytes nearby, both during her workouts and throughout the day.

The “Wannabe Vegan” Philosophy: Flexibility, Not Restriction

While Underwood eliminated beef from her diet at age 13, she considers herself a "wannabe vegan" rather than a strict one. This flexible mindset means that she focuses on a predominantly plant-based lifestyle but doesn't stress over occasional animal products like eggs from her own chickens or cheese. This is in stark contrast to the strict perfectionism she experienced in her early career, where calorie counting led to an unhealthy cycle of restriction and binging. By embracing this balanced approach, she maintains a healthy relationship with food.

Comparison: Carrie's Balanced Approach vs. Restrictive Dieting


Feature	Carrie Underwood's Diet Approach	Restrictive Dieting Approach
Philosophy	Balance, consistency, and whole foods	Strict rules, calorie limits, and forbidden foods
Goal	Sustained energy, long-term health, mindful eating	Rapid, often unsustainable weight loss
Macronutrients	Tracked for balance (45/30/25)	Often ignores macro balance, focuses solely on calories
Flexibility	Allows for occasional treats like red wine and dark chocolate	Little to no room for indulgence, leading to feelings of guilt
Hydration	Emphasized throughout the day	Often overlooked or addressed through limited liquids
Sustainability	Built for a lifelong healthy lifestyle	Difficult to maintain long-term, high risk of rebound weight gain
Mental Health	Promotes a healthy relationship with food	Can lead to emotional eating and a negative body image

Conclusion: A Blueprint for Sustainable Health

Carrie Underwood's diet is a powerful example of how to achieve and maintain a healthy, energetic lifestyle through balance and mindfulness rather than extreme restrictions. Her 'wannabe vegan' philosophy, focusing on nutrient-dense whole foods and strategic macro tracking, provides a sustainable blueprint for anyone looking to feel their best. By prioritizing home-cooked meals, smart snacking, and consistent hydration, she demonstrates that healthy eating can be both convenient and satisfying, even for those with the busiest of schedules. This approach, combined with her dedication to fitness, is the true secret to her lasting wellness. For more insights into her healthy habits, consider exploring resources like Women's Health(https://www.womenshealthmag.com/food/a60360204/carrie-underwood-diet/).

Frequently Asked Questions

Carrie Underwood is a long-time vegetarian and considers herself a 'wannabe vegan.' While her diet is predominantly plant-based, she occasionally incorporates animal products like eggs from her own chickens and cheese.

The 45-30-25 approach refers to the macronutrient distribution she targets: 45% carbohydrates, 30% fat, and 25% protein. This balance provides sustained energy for her active lifestyle.

For breakfast, she often has a protein-rich start to her day. A typical meal includes a tofu or egg-white scramble with Ezekiel toast and berries.

No, Carrie avoids fast food and processed meals. She prefers to cook her own food, even when traveling on tour, to control the ingredients and nutrition.

Her favorite snacks include raw almonds, apples, homemade granola, veggies with hummus, and raw fruit and nut bars.

To stay on track, she prepares and brings her own food and snacks with her everywhere. She also makes sure to stay hydrated with water and electrolyte sticks.

Carrie believes in balance and moderation, not strict perfectionism. She enjoys occasional indulgences like a small amount of dark chocolate or a glass of red wine.