What Does Marilyn Monroe Eat For Breakfast? Her Famous and Bizarre Morning Diet

December 19, 2025 •

3 min read

Based on a 1952 Pageant magazine interview, Marilyn Monroe famously described a breakfast she called "absolutely bizarre," consisting of two raw eggs whipped into warm milk and served with a multivitamin. Her highly publicized diet, which was the subject of much fascination in the 1950s, reveals some surprising habits from the iconic star.

Quick Summary

A look at Marilyn Monroe's breakfast habits, contrasting her notorious high-protein raw egg and warm milk drink with the more conventional meal plans, like cooked cereal and toast, found in her personal cookbooks.

Key Points

Raw Egg and Milk Breakfast: In a 1952 interview, Marilyn Monroe revealed her breakfast consisted of two raw eggs whipped into warm milk and a multivitamin.
Not a Constant Habit: A different meal plan found in her cookbooks indicates she also ate cooked cereal with toast and fruit, suggesting her routine was not always the same.
High-Protein Focus: Her stated breakfast, along with her dinner of broiled meat and raw carrots, highlights a diet focused heavily on protein.
Historical Health Context: While she considered her raw egg drink nourishing, modern experts would advise against it due to the risk of salmonella.
Public Image vs. Private Reality: The contrast between her public interview and private meal plan suggests a distinction between her projected persona and her day-to-day habits.
Simple Preparation: For her quick, hotel-room breakfast, Monroe used a simple hot plate, highlighting a practical, unglamorous aspect of her routine.
Balanced with Indulgence: Despite her disciplined meals, she admitted to treating herself to hot fudge sundaes, showcasing a more human side to her diet.

Marilyn Monroe's Famous High-Protein Drink

In a September 1952 interview with Pageant magazine, Marilyn Monroe described a specific breakfast routine. She stated that she would warm a cup of milk, break two raw eggs into it, whip them with a fork, and drink the mixture while getting dressed. This was accompanied by a multivitamin. Monroe considered this a nourishing breakfast for a busy woman, noting its high-protein content, which was a popular dietary trend at the time, particularly among those focused on fitness. However, consuming raw eggs is not recommended today due to the risk of salmonella.

The Cookbook Reveals a More Traditional Breakfast

Notes found in Marilyn Monroe's personal cookbook, The New Joy of Cooking, suggest she also followed a more conventional breakfast routine. A meal plan within the book outlines a typical breakfast at 8 a.m. consisting of well-cooked cereal, likely oatmeal, along with orange juice or stewed prunes, toast with butter, and a drink like milk or weak cocoa. This difference between her public statement and private notes indicates that her breakfast habits may have varied, possibly depending on her schedule or location, or perhaps her public image was distinct from her private life.

Comparing Monroe's Reported Breakfast Habits


Attribute	Pageant Magazine (1952) Account	Cookbook Meal Plan Account
Main Item	Two raw eggs whipped into warm milk	Cooked cereal (likely oatmeal)
Preparation	Prepared quickly on a hot plate in her room	No specific preparation method mentioned; assumes standard cooking
Other Items	A multivitamin pill	Orange juice or prunes, toast with butter, milk or cocoa
Context	Her publicly shared routine for staying in shape	A private, domestic meal plan found in her book collection
Modern Safety	Not recommended due to salmonella risk	Generally considered a safe, balanced meal

Beyond Breakfast: The Rest of Her Diet

Monroe's diet extended beyond her morning meal. She favored simple, protein-rich dinners such as broiled steak, lamb chops, or liver, often prepared on a hot plate in her room and served with raw carrots. This disciplined approach to her main meals was balanced by an occasional sweet treat; she admitted to enjoying ice cream sundaes after her drama classes. This combination of strict eating and occasional indulgence paints a picture of a carefully managed diet.

The Evolving Legacy of a Celebrity Diet

Marilyn Monroe's diet continues to be a point of interest, reflecting the ongoing public fascination with celebrity lifestyles. In the 1950s, her focus on protein was aligned with the era's ideals of maintaining a curvy figure. Today, nutritional advice emphasizes balanced meals and food safety, making her raw egg breakfast a historical anecdote rather than a recommended practice. Her diet, like her image, was a mix of practical choices and public presentation.

Conclusion: Truth, Legend, and a Morning Meal

The different accounts of Marilyn Monroe's breakfast contribute to the multifaceted image of the star. While her raw egg and milk drink is famous, it's likely that her actual eating habits were more varied, influenced by her busy life. The details from her cookbooks provide a contrasting view, suggesting a more traditional side to her meals. Ultimately, the question of what Marilyn Monroe ate for breakfast highlights the blend of public persona and private reality that defined her life and continues to fascinate audiences. For further reading on vintage diets and recipes, you can find more information on Fine Dining Lovers.

Frequently Asked Questions

According to her 1952 interview with Pageant magazine, Marilyn Monroe ate a breakfast of two raw eggs whipped into a cup of warm milk, supplemented with a multivitamin pill.

No, evidence from her cookbooks suggests she also had more conventional breakfasts, such as cooked cereal with toast, orange juice, or prunes.

While the raw egg and milk concoction was high in protein, modern health standards advise against consuming raw eggs due to the risk of salmonella, making her famous breakfast unsafe by today's standards.

Yes, Marilyn Monroe cooked her own simple dinners, often consisting of broiled steak, liver, or lamb with raw carrots, which she prepared on a hot plate in her hotel room.

Marilyn's dinners were simple and protein-focused, often a broiled steak, lamb chops, or liver, served with raw carrots.

Yes, despite her high-protein diet, Marilyn Monroe confessed to an indulgence in hot fudge sundaes, which she would enjoy after her evening drama classes.

She believed her high-protein, quick-to-prepare breakfast was a nourishing and efficient meal for a busy working woman and helped her maintain her figure.