Gwyneth Paltrow’s Diet: Intermittent Fasting, Coffee, And Bone Broth!

Gwyneth Paltrow’s diet was a huge topic of controversy last year. Was it really too restrictive? Let’s find out all about the Avengers star’s meal plan!

Sanchari Bhattacharya
Written by Sanchari Bhattacharya , Health & Fitness Expert
Updated on Sep 19, 2024 | 01:36 PM IST | 86K
Gwyneth Paltrow’s Diet
Gwyneth Paltrow’s Diet (Image Source: Getty Images)

Besides timeless beauty, a magnificent personality, and versatile acting skills, if there is one thing that often puts Gwyneth Paltrow into the spotlight, it is her stand on health and wellness. Be it the elimination diet that was published in her book, It's All Good: Delicious Easy Recipes That Will Make You Look Good and Feel Great, deoxidation habits, or her regular eating habits, Gwyneth Paltrow's dietary habits are something to be wary of. 

Last year, during a podcast, the Avengers actress shared her diet plan, which received widespread criticism. Later, she had to clarify that she didn’t advise anyone to follow the same diet plan and that what she shared was just a glimpse of her meals and an “open conversation between her and her doctor.” What exactly does Gwyneth Paltrow eat in a day that causes so much rage? Let’s find out below! 

But before we get into the nitty gritty of Gwyneth Paltrow's diet and exercise routine, let’s take a look at her profile, including her path to stardom and her professional achievements.  

 

Who Is Gwyneth Paltrow?

Gwyneth Paltrow’s Diet

Gwyneth Kate Paltrow was born to Bruce Paltrow, a filmmaker, and Blythe Danner, an actress. She started appearing in period films during the 1990s and got recognition in the late 1990s, as she performed as a lead star in high-profile movies, including Great Expectations, Sliding Doors, Hush, A Perfect Murder, and Shakespeare in Love

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This was just the beginning for Paltrow and even though she faced a bit of career fluctuations during the 2000s, she didn’t give up. Eventually, with her hard work and dedication, she again rose to stardom with box office hits such as Iron Man, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Two Lovers, and so on. 

The American actress took a short break from her acting career so that she could embark on her entrepreneurial journey. In 2008, she launched Goop, a wellness and lifestyle brand that covers all about fashion, beauty, travel, and food.


Apart from being a superb actress and businesswoman, Paltrow is also a philanthropist and is the artist ambassador of Save the Children.

Despite a superb acting career, Paltrow often finds herself on the receiving end of negative comments — sometimes for her statements about diet and sometimes for promoting pseudoscience through Goop. 

The dietary habits that she shared last year were also judged harshly (let’s take a look at that below!)

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Gwyneth Paltrow’s Diet Plan: What She Shared on the Podcast


In a podcast interview last year, Gywneth shared that she is a stern believer of intermittent fasting. The 51-year-old actress shared that she starts eating around noon and in the morning, she has a cup of coffee. 

Later, she would have bone broth for lunch as her first meal. After relishing this meal, she would get into exercise mode and would either do a one-hour walk or Pilates, followed by a 30-minute infrared sauna session. 

For dinner, she consumed lots of vegetables, which according to her is crucial for detoxification. Tada! That was it!

Doesn’t seem enough, right? That was the reason why her diet plan faced a lot of criticism last year, with many people stating it was unhealthy in the long term. And even science backs this up — according to a study, indulging in a very low-calorie diet can cause severe nutritional deficiencies, fatigue, slowed metabolism, mood changes, impaired menstrual cycles, cold sensitivity, and so on (1), (2). 

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People didn’t digest the diet very well and soon a lot of negative comments came her way. Did Paltrow address the situation? Let’s find out below!

Read More: Matthew Perry’s Weight Loss And Battle with Addictions: What We Know

 

Gwyneth Paltrow’s on People’s Allegations over Her Diet


After fans started hurling negative comments at her, she took to her social media handle to clear a few facts about her diet. She stated that the particular diet plan she shared in the interview isn’t “fixed” and she doesn’t eat that way every day and definitely has more than bone broth and veggies. Further, she revealed that there are days when she would eat whatever she wants, including French fries. However, her goal is to be healthy and eat foods that would calm her system down, she said further.


She assured her fans that she knew what she was doing, explaining that she had been working along with her doctor Will, to lower the levels of inflammation that was brought on by long COVID. 

In addition to bone broth, a cup of coffee, and veggies, she stated that she also consumes different types of proteins and healthy carbs. Below is the list of other food items that the Iron Man actress indulges in regularly!

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Gwyneth Paltrow’s Diet with Proteins And Carbs


It’s evident that Paltrow’s diet isn't confined to coffee and bone broth, as she shared on her Goop Podcast that there are days when she starts her day with a smoothie. Sharing the recipe, she stated that she loves a smoothie made with coconut oil, vanilla mushroom protein powder, Moon Juice dust, and almond milk. 

Smoothies, if made right, can be a great source of fiber and keep one hydrated for a long time. Plus, when packed with almonds, it makes for an excellent source of protein (3), (4). 

Read More: 10 Amazing Moringa Tea Benefits That Can Improve Your Well-being

Carb and vegetable-laden dishes are her go-to when she is cooking at home, and she usually has chicken dishes along with pasta. Being a busy star and a mom of two, she doesn’t always have time to cook dishes, hence she always keeps cooked brown rice in the refrigerator. She candidly expressed that she does it because it takes a few minutes to chop up veggies, make a sauce, and eat it along with brown rice! 


Contrary to what people think, Gwyneth is not so strict about her diet and allows herself to loosen up a bit, munch on baguettes with cheese and fries, and sip on red wine from time to time. She revealed that she eats a “pretty healthy diet” usually so she doesn’t like to watch out for what she is eating when she feels like consuming something “unhealthy.” Having said that, she usually likes to eat indulgent foods in the evening. 

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Plus, she cuts herself some slack when she is on vacation and eats whatever she wants to without any remorse. 

The Primetime Emmy Award winner also took the help of a cleanse diet some time back and shared she would never try it again. Below is a glimpse of Gwyneth Paltrow’s cleanse diet.  

 

Insights Into Gwyneth Paltrow’s Cleanse Diet


Even though Paltrow was on a cleanse diet for seven weeks last year, she couldn’t become a fan of the cleanse diet. She revealed that it was a “nightmare” for her and felt “awful.” She tried a one-day gallbladder flush fast as well as a seven-week cleanse plan to get rid of bloating and firm her skin. 

But now, she has stopped with these elimination and cleansing diets and revealed that now she cleanses only once a year only if it’s for her website, Goop. 

Her cleansing diet, which typically takes place once a year has also been published on her website. It lasts for 6 days and includes all meals of the day, including breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a snack. However, every meal is devoid of ingredients such as caffeine, alcohol, dairy, gluten, corn, soy, shellfish, eggs, white rice, refined sugar, and nightshades (eggplants, potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers).


Gwyneth Paltrow’s detox diets are quite famous, or rather infamous, and rightly so! There’s another cleanse diet that the actress followed once, which was “Goat’s Milk Cleanse,” which involved consuming nothing but goat’s milk and herbs for eight days. 

She justified the liquid diet, saying that we all have parasites living in our stomachs and they love feeding on milk protein, so if we eat nothing else, they move out of the intestines and we can kill them with herbs.


There are limited claims to support the fact that detox diets actually help with liver detoxification and help get rid of persistent organic pollutants from the body. Studies have shown that there are certain foods with detoxification properties, however, those studies have been performed in animals and the efficacy of these food items in humans can’t be proved (5). 

Hence, experts warn against the use of such diets for weight loss or any other health benefit.

 

Does Gwyneth Paltrow Take Any Supplements?

The short answer is, yes! In an interview, she admitted using supplements, including multivitamins, herbs, and fish oil to fulfill her nutrient needs. She candidly expressed that she likes taking supplements as she is aware that the nutritional value of the food we eat us not much now as we have degraded our soil, which is why she resorts to supplements to stay healthy. 

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Even though, multivitamins provide our bodies with nutrients, any type of supplement should not be taken without the advice of a doctor. 

Speaking about Gwyneth Paltrow’s health and wellness routine, it isn’t just about “extreme” diets, it’s also about strenuous workouts that help her stay in shape, which we have covered in detail below! 

 

Gwyneth Paltrow’s Exercise Routine


Recently, the Hush star held an Ask Me Anything Series, where she was asked about her exercise routine. To this, she replied that she likes to “do something six days a week, but with less intensity than she used to.” 

She further explained that she goes on a walk or takes multiple spins around to stretch her legs as a part of her physical activity. She emphasized the fact that for her, it isn’t about hardcore exercise always, but moving her body on a daily basis to stay active. 

Even a study claims that exercising and staying active improves lifespan and delays the onset of various chronic diseases (6). 

This isn’t the first time that the actress shared her love for exercising. Back in 2017, she expressed that she feels her “best” when she exercises and that she has made it a habit to exercise daily, just like “brushing your teeth.” This notion she has for exercising is praiseworthy, as staying active has been linked with a plethora of health benefits, including better metabolism, mental health, muscle mass, energy levels, and weight regulation (7). 

Being a huge fan of Tracy Anderson, an American fitness entrepreneur, Paltrow streams her whenever she can and goes to her classes three to four days a week. 

Anderson has a personalized workout routine for Paltrow, which includes the following exercises:

  • Kick And Reach 
  • Plié Sweep 
  • T-pole Hold
  • Plank Up-down
  • Wide-split Crunch
  • V-punch
  • Walking Plank

With such a rigorous workout routine, the Great Expectations star manages to keep herself in shape in the fifth decade of her life. 

Even though, she keeps receiving hatred for sharing her dietary habits, the actress doesn’t pay a lot of heed to what people say about her health and fitness journey. Having said that, she makes it a point to clarify that she doesn’t advocate for any such “diets.”


Even though she has a restrictive diet, the fact that she takes good care of her health by indulging in anti-inflammatory foods and exercising is noteworthy and must be applauded. Many experts have claimed that her diet seems to be a classic example of “disordered eating,”  an irregular eating pattern that results in a lack of appetite, hence, it is best to consult an expert before trying out any diet.

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Despite facing a lot of criticism, there is something to take away from Gwyneth Paltrow’s diet plan. And that is the motivation to eat healthy food while also giving in to the urge to eat something unhealthy occasionally. Yes, even Paltrow never succumbs to the pressure of snacking on cheese and French fries whenever she feels like it. Despite this, she has maintained a healthy body, all thanks to her regular workout routine. 

Her ways might seem unconventional but the fact that she is dedicated to her art and body can’t be taken away from her! The diva continues to inspire the world with her acting skills and intelligence!

 

Sources:

1. Calorie restriction in humans: an update

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5315691/ 

2. Caloric Restriction in Humans: Impact on Physiological, Psychological, and Behavioral Outcomes

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3014770/ 

3. Development of a protein supplemented fruit smoothie using pea protein isolate as a plant-based protein alternative

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666833522000338

4. Almonds (Prunus Dulcis Mill. D. A. Webb): A Source of Nutrients and Health-Promoting Compounds

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7146189/

5. Detox diets for toxin elimination and weight management: a critical review of the evidence

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25522674/ 

6. Health Benefits of Exercise

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6027933/ 

7. Benefits, need and importance of daily exercise

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/306118434_Benefits_need_and_importance_of_daily_exercise 

FAQ's

Is Gwyneth Paltrow a non-vegetarian?
Yes, she is.

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About The Author
Sanchari Bhattacharya
Sanchari Bhattacharya
Health & Fitness Expert

Sanchari, a certified Health & Nutrition Life Coach

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