How the “World’s Most Beautiful Woman” fuels her body

People Magazine just named Julia Roberts the World’s Most Beautiful Woman for a record fifth time. Among the stories in the spread was an outline of what the actress eats in a day.

Now we know she doesn’t eat the same things every day, and it’s possible the list of foods isn’t even what she eats most days, but we asked an Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital expert to weigh in. Among our questions: What should Julia cut out or add? Here’s what Madhu Jain, an outpatient dietitian at Advocate Good Shepherd Health & Fitness Center, had to say.

Here’s what Roberts says she eats: 

Breakfast

• Egg over easy, sourdough toast, blueberries, avocado, coffee, coconut water

Lunch

• Salad with grilled chicken

Dinner

• Wild salmon, brown rice, avocado

Dessert

• Chocolate chip cookie

*Water throughout the day

Q: Is this a balanced diet?

A: It could be. Looking at breakfast, adding berries or any fruit to your breakfast is a really good idea. Lunch looks good with salad and grilled chicken. The key word here is grilled. I like dinner. Wild salmon is the kind of fish you want to eat more of because of the omega3 content. Brown rice provides you with much-needed fiber, and avocado provides you with good fat.

One really good thing about Julia’s diet is that she’s focused on staying hydrated throughout the day. Drinking enough water helps you eat in moderation.

Q: Is this a realistic mix of satisfying options?

A: I would definitely say so. The diet has the right kind of carbs, protein and fats mixed, which keeps you full for a long time. Adding a cookie is a good choice because it increases satisfaction and decreases the sense of deprivation.

Q: Should Julia cut down on anything or add something? Looks like she’s a little heavy on the avocados and light on veggies.

Until we know how much she’s eating, it’s hard to say. A serving size of a medium avocado is one-third of a medium avocado, which provides six grams of good fat. Even if she is eating two servings of avocados, that should be OK.

A: With veggies, the lunch salad looks good, although we don’t know what kind. That should give her at least two servings of vegetables right there. We don’t know if she’s eating any salad with her dinner or adding any veggies to her rice. If she’s not, I’d definitely recommend adding some at dinner.

Q: If you’re trying to make better food choices, what should you aim for in terms of calories and balance?

A: When you’re trying to eat healthy, make sure you’re including fruits and vegetables with each meal. We are moving away from prescribing a certain number of calories to healthy adults. Listening to and tuning in more to yourself and your needs is the way to go. A balanced way of life includes eating a healthy diet and staying active every day.