What was Princess Diana's diet?

December 10, 2025 •

3 min read

According to her former chef, Darren McGrady, Princess Diana had a notable sweet tooth but was devoted to a healthy, fat-free diet after overcoming her struggles with bulimia. The details of what was Princess Diana's diet, from her favorite overnight oats to her penchant for stuffed peppers, reveal a life focused on wellness despite royal pressures.

Quick Summary

Princess Diana's diet was famously low-fat and healthy, featuring poached chicken, fish, stuffed vegetables, and her favorite overnight oats. Her former chef, Darren McGrady, prepared fat-free versions of comfort foods for her while cooking traditional, richer meals for her sons. She avoided red meat but indulged her sweet tooth with occasional treats.

Key Points

Low-fat Diet: After overcoming bulimia, Princess Diana committed to a low-fat diet, telling her chef to remove fat from her meals.
Favored Vegetables and Fish: Her diet centered on nutritious meals featuring poached chicken, fish like salmon, and stuffed vegetables such as bell peppers and eggplant.
Overnight Oats: She ate a version of overnight oats (bircher muesli) almost every day for breakfast after discovering it at a Swiss clinic.
Different Meals for Her Sons: Diana's meals were distinct from her children's, with her chef preparing healthier, fat-free versions for her while allowing Princes William and Harry to enjoy classic comfort food.
Occasional Indulgences: The Princess was known to indulge in small treats like the raisins from bread and butter pudding or a Cadbury Twirl bar.
Avoided Red Meat: Apart from special occasions, Diana largely eliminated red meat from her diet in her later years.
Impactful Disclosure: Her public discussion of bulimia, a mental health struggle often linked to diet, raised awareness and helped others seek treatment.

Princess Diana's Healthy Eating Principles

Following her separation from Prince Charles and her journey toward overcoming bulimia, Princess Diana adopted a healthy approach to her diet with the help of her personal chef, Darren McGrady. Details about her diet can be found in a video titled 'Princess Diana's Diet Revealed: everything she ate in a day' on {Link: YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFShzPf9D_g}.

A Day in Princess Diana's Diet

Chef McGrady's accounts provide insight into Diana's daily meals:

Breakfast

Diana often started her day with nutritious options like overnight oats, a bircher muesli-style dish she discovered at a Swiss clinic and asked her chef to make regularly. She also occasionally enjoyed baked beans or pink grapefruit.

Lunch

Lunch typically involved light, vegetable-rich meals. A particular favorite was stuffed bell peppers, which she ate multiple times a week. Other lunches included grilled fish or stuffed eggplant.

Dinner

Dinner continued the focus on healthy eating. Pan-seared salmon with a macadamia nut crust was a preferred dish. When dining alone, she might have poached chicken and dry-baked potatoes, a healthier alternative to traditional roasted potatoes. When entertaining, her chef would prepare a standard meal for guests and a fat-free version for her.

Comparison: Princess Diana vs. Her Sons' Meals

Princess Diana maintained a different diet than her sons, William and Harry, allowing them to enjoy typical childhood comfort foods while she adhered to her healthy eating plan. The table below highlights some differences:


Feature	Princess Diana's Meal	William & Harry's Meal	Note
Protein	Poached chicken or fish	Roasted chicken, shepherd's pie	Diana would sometimes have the same meal, but with all fat removed.
Starch	Dry-baked potatoes	Oil-roasted potatoes, potato skins	Her chef would secretly prepare her potatoes without oil.
Favorites	Stuffed bell peppers, overnight oats	Pizza, banana flan	Diana's favorites were vegetable-focused; her sons' were more traditional comfort foods.
Indulgence	Bread and butter pudding (picking raisins)	Bread and butter pudding (full portion), ice cream	She would only eat a small portion of her favorite dessert.

Conclusion: A Reflective Diet

Princess Diana's diet evolved significantly, moving towards a low-fat, health-focused approach after overcoming bulimia. Her food choices, rich in vegetables, lean proteins, and complex carbohydrates, demonstrated a modern and mindful approach to nutrition. Accounts from her chefs highlight her dedication to wellness while also revealing her human side through occasional indulgences and her preference for a relaxed dining environment.

A Closer Look at Her Daily Meals

Breakfast: Overnight oats were a staple, sometimes supplemented with pink grapefruit.
Lunch: Stuffed peppers were a frequent choice, often with a complementary sauce.
Snacks: While generally healthy, she enjoyed occasional treats like a Cadbury Twirl bar or raisins from bread and butter pudding.
Last Meal: Her final reported meal included Dover sole, vegetable tempura, and a mushroom and asparagus omelette.

The Human Element

Diana often chose to dine in the kitchen, creating a more informal atmosphere with her chef. This down-to-earth behavior, combined with her ability to manage her dietary needs while giving her children a typical upbringing, contributed to her image as the 'People's Princess'. More insights and recipes from her chef, Darren McGrady, are available on his website, The Royal Chef. {Link: The Royal Chef https://theroyalchef.com/}

Did She Truly Avoid All Unhealthy Food?

Diana maintained a strict diet but did not completely avoid all unhealthy food. She had favorite indulgences like bread and butter pudding and Cadbury Twirls. She also participated in richer meals when guests were present to ensure their comfort, demonstrating a balanced approach.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, Princess Diana struggled with bulimia during her marriage to Prince Charles. Following their separation, she worked to overcome the eating disorder and adopted a healthier lifestyle.

Her personal chef for four years, during the latter part of her life, was Darren McGrady, who has since publicly shared many details about her eating habits.

Her favorite meal was stuffed bell peppers, which she reportedly enjoyed two or three times a week. She also loved pan-seared salmon with a macadamia nut crust.

Diana's favorite breakfast was overnight oats, a recipe she 'stole' from a Swiss health clinic. She was also known to eat baked beans or pink grapefruit.

No, Princess Diana largely avoided red meat. She only indulged on rare occasions, typically when entertaining guests.

No, Diana did not eat the same food as her sons, William and Harry. She had her chef prepare fat-free versions for her while they enjoyed more typical children's meals like shepherd's pie and pizza.

Yes, despite her healthy diet, Diana had a few guilty pleasures. Her favorite dessert was bread and butter pudding, and she was known to occasionally snack on a Cadbury Twirl chocolate bar.