What kind of diet does Arnold Schwarzenegger eat? A Nutritional Evolution

October 15, 2025 •

4 min read

Arnold Schwarzenegger famously consumed up to 5,000 calories per day during his bodybuilding prime. This article explores the dramatic evolution of what kind of diet does Arnold Schwarzenegger eat, detailing his intense golden era nutrition and his modern, heart-conscious approach.

Quick Summary

Arnold Schwarzenegger's diet has evolved significantly, shifting from a high-protein, meat-centric bodybuilding regimen to a modern, mostly plant-based diet to prioritize health and longevity.

Key Points

Flexitarian, Not Fully Vegan: Arnold's current diet is approximately 80% plant-based, but he still consumes some animal products like eggs, fish, and chicken.
Heart Health Motivation: His dietary shift was prompted by heart surgeries, and he now avoids red meat for lower cholesterol.
Emphasis on Plant-Based Protein: He has embraced plant-based proteins like lentils, beans, veggie burgers, and pea protein powder.
Routine and Consistency are Key: Schwarzenegger preaches that a boring but consistent routine is more effective than short-term, flashy diets.
Dietary Strategy Changes with Age: His journey shows that an optimal diet evolves with age, moving from mass building to long-term health.
Nutrient-Dense Whole Foods: Both his past and present diets focus on whole foods, including a variety of fruits and vegetables.
Supplements Complement, Don't Replace: He emphasizes that good food is more important than supplements, which are meant to complement, not substitute, a healthy diet.

For decades, the name Arnold Schwarzenegger has been synonymous with peak physical fitness and a formidable physique built on intensive training and a specific diet. However, the legendary bodybuilder, actor, and politician’s dietary habits have undergone a dramatic transformation over the years, moving from a protein-heavy, carnivorous regimen to a modern, flexitarian approach. Understanding the nutritional choices he made at different stages of his life offers valuable lessons for anyone interested in fitness, muscle building, and long-term health.

The Golden Era Bodybuilding Diet

During his prime, winning seven Mr. Olympia titles, Schwarzenegger's diet was meticulously crafted to fuel his demanding training sessions and promote maximum muscle growth. His nutrition was characterized by very high protein and calorie intake, aiming for a calorie surplus to bulk up.

Key components of his bodybuilding nutrition included:

Extremely High Protein: Arnold's core principle was consuming 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight, which, at his peak, meant a staggering 250 grams daily. His primary sources were lean meats like chicken and steak, fish like tuna and salmon, eggs (often raw in his shakes), and dairy products such as cottage cheese.
Frequent, Balanced Meals: To maintain a consistent energy supply and prevent muscle catabolism, he ate 5 to 6 smaller meals spread throughout the day. Each meal contained a mix of protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats.
Complex Carbohydrates: For sustained energy, his diet relied on whole grains like brown rice and oats, potatoes, and whole-wheat bread. He also incorporated fruits and vegetables for essential vitamins and minerals.
Healthy Fats: Contrary to the low-fat trends of some eras, Schwarzenegger understood the importance of healthy fats for hormone production. He got these from sources like egg yolks, avocados, and nuts.
Supplements: To meet his demanding nutritional needs, Schwarzenegger regularly used supplements, including protein powders (often mixing milk and egg protein), multivitamins, creatine, and fish oil.

A Modern Shift: The 80% Plant-Based Approach

Following his highly successful career, Schwarzenegger’s dietary priorities shifted toward long-term health and longevity, particularly after undergoing open-heart surgeries. Starting around 2017, he began embracing a mostly plant-based lifestyle, which he describes as being approximately 80% vegan.

Reasons for the dietary shift included:

Improved Cardiovascular Health: Reducing meat consumption, especially red meat, has been shown to lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease. Schwarzenegger has proudly shared that his doctor was impressed by his dramatically reduced cholesterol levels.
Environmental Advocacy: As a prominent environmental advocate, Arnold has publicly promoted reducing meat intake to combat climate change, citing its environmental impact. He served as an executive producer for the pro-vegan documentary The Game Changers.
Longevity and Wellness: His current approach focuses on a balanced, sustainable diet that he can maintain for the long haul. He emphasizes that the key to health is building a lifestyle you can stick with, not adhering to a strict, short-term fad diet.

Arnold's Current Daily Menu

Today, the foundation of Schwarzenegger's meals is plant-based, though he remains a flexitarian who enjoys occasional animal products.

Modern dietary staples and habits:

Breakfast: Often consists of oatmeal with Greek yogurt or granola, or a protein shake made with pea protein powder. He has switched to almond milk and avoids cow's milk.
Lunch: A large salad is a staple, topped with either a plant-based burger, salmon, or chicken. Sometimes he has an omelette or a scramble loaded with vegetables.
Dinner: His last meal is typically a light one, often a hearty vegetable soup made with ingredients like chickpeas and broth. He avoids cream and purées his vegetables instead.
Snacks: Mixed nuts, fruits, and almonds are his go-to snacks.
Protein Sources: While now mostly plant-based, his animal protein staples remain eggs, salmon, and chicken. He has embraced plant-based alternatives like veggie burgers made with lentils and beans, and pea protein powder.
Occasional Treats: As a native Austrian, he still indulges in a schnitzel, steak, or hamburger every so often, though these are no longer daily occurrences.

Comparison: Golden Era vs. Modern Diet


Feature	Golden Era (Bodybuilding)	Modern Era (Flexitarian)
Calorie Intake	3,000 to 5,000+ per day	Lower, focused on maintenance
Protein Source	Primarily animal: beef, chicken, eggs, dairy	80% plant-based: legumes, nuts, pea protein
Meal Frequency	5-6 meals per day	Follows a regular, routine schedule
Key Food Groups	Lean meats, whole grains, dairy	Veggies, lentils, beans, oats, salmon, eggs
Focus	Maximizing muscle mass and recovery	Health, longevity, and disease prevention
Fluid Intake	Milk, water, protein shakes	Almond milk, water, veggie soup

The Power of Consistency and Adaptation

Schwarzenegger’s dietary evolution underscores the importance of adapting one’s nutritional strategy to changing health goals. While his early diet was perfect for building an unparalleled physique, his later-life shifts prioritize cardiovascular health and sustainability. He famously emphasizes consistency over perfection, acknowledging that an occasional treat will not derail a consistent, healthy lifestyle. His philosophy is one of balance and routine, proving that what worked for a 25-year-old bodybuilder is not necessarily what’s best for a 75-year-old action hero.

For more insight into his approach to wellness, you can explore his daily newsletter, Arnold's Pump Club.

Conclusion

So, what kind of diet does Arnold Schwarzenegger eat today? It's a far cry from the high-protein, meat-heavy regimen that defined his bodybuilding years. His nutritional journey from the Golden Era to his modern flexitarian lifestyle demonstrates a pragmatic, health-focused evolution. By embracing an 80% plant-based diet for longevity while still allowing for occasional treats, he proves that optimal nutrition is a fluid, adaptable process. His story is a powerful testament to the fact that nutritional needs change with age and that a thoughtful, consistent approach is key to sustained health and fitness, regardless of your life stage.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, Arnold Schwarzenegger is not a full vegan. He describes his current diet as approximately 80% plant-based, meaning he has significantly reduced his meat consumption but has not eliminated animal products entirely.

Schwarzenegger shifted his diet to be more plant-based due to health concerns, specifically heart-related issues and multiple heart surgeries. Reducing meat consumption has helped lower his cholesterol.

For protein, Schwarzenegger's current diet includes staples like eggs, salmon, and chicken, alongside an increasing number of plant-based options. He regularly eats veggie burgers, lentils, beans, and uses pea protein powder.

During his bodybuilding prime, Schwarzenegger followed a high-protein, high-calorie diet focused on muscle growth. He ate 5-6 smaller meals per day consisting of lean meats, eggs, fish, cottage cheese, whole grains, and vegetables.

Yes, Schwarzenegger occasionally eats meat. While his daily meals are mostly plant-based, he will treat himself to a steak, hamburger, or Austrian schnitzel from time to time.

Arnold enjoys oatmeal with Greek yogurt for breakfast, a vegetable-heavy salad with chicken or a plant-based burger for lunch, and light vegetable soup for dinner.

Yes, Schwarzenegger still uses supplements but emphasizes that they are not a replacement for a healthy diet. He uses a pea protein powder and takes a daily multivitamin.