Jennifer Lopez Is Doubling Down on Her Special Diet in 2021 (2024)

After helping all of us ring in 2021 while performing on New Year's Rockin Eve, Jennifer Lopez is reminding her fans and followers just how hard she works to maintain her insane physique. In fact, you might be shocked to learn the World of Dance judge and bonafide international superstar is turning 52 this year — she literally doesn't look a day older than 35, when "Jenny from the Block" first debuted in 2002.

How has she managed to seemingly become more youthful since then? J.Lo, 50, is a firm believer that her healthy diet is what keeps her looking and feeling so good. "What you eat doesn't just affect your body; it can also affect the way your skin looks," she told Hello!. Piling the right things on her plate also keeps her going through intense workouts, too. (Those six-pack abs didn't just magically appear by themselves.)

Starting the new year off right, the singer has double down on her commitment to fitness and her dietary strategy throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, even though her hectic schedule has slowed a bit. These days, Jennifer is busy working on a brand new endeavor, her beauty collection; but if anything is clear, it's that her commitment to fitness is still strong as ever.

"She needs really good fuel for all the things that she's doing," her trainer Tracy Anderson told People in 2016. "It's all organic and it's all very well thought out, with the balance of very high-quality proteins and a lot of nutrient-dense food … Everything is fresh."

Over the years, we've learned more about Jennifer's dietary preferences and some of the rules she sticks to in order to stay so fit. In 2019, for example, she and beau Alex Rodriguez turned heads when they announced they'd cut sugar and most carbs from their diet in a week-plus challenge. We know that she loves to eat organic and hits the gym routinely, but here are a few other tendencies we've learned about J.Lo over the years:

• Drinking 7 cups of water each day: That's a lot of H2O! According to one of Jennifer's trainers, Dodd Romero, the superstar chugs water throughout the entire day. “She drinks a minimum of seven glasses a day,” Romero told US Weekly. Everyone's hydration needs are different, but our nutrition experts recommend at least 72 ounces of water every day.
• Powering up on lean proteins: Because she's known to eat organic foods only, it shouldn't be a surprise to hear that Jennifer skips processed items. Romero shared that her main sources of protein are egg whites in the morning, and white meat turkey, lean cuts of chicken and grass-fed beef throughout the week. She also eats staples like salmon for omega-3s nutrients, and a "handful" of nuts each day for healthy fats, per Romero.
• Eating leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables: Jennifer's plates are full of things like kale, broccoli, and spinach on the regular — but not all vegetables are always on her plate. Romero tells US Weekly that she likes to steer clear of vegetables with higher amounts of naturally occurring sugar, including carrots and corn, among others.
• Leaning into supercharged carbohydrates: Not all carbs are bad! Some of J.Lo's favorite healthy carbs include sweet potatoes, brown rice, quinoa, and oatmeal, Romero shared.

Taking a look at what she's revealed to the public over the years, here's exactly what Jennifer Lopez eats in a day:

Breakfast

Jennifer often kicks off her day with a shake, she told People. Her go-to smoothie includes berries, Greek yogurt, cinnamon, honey, ice cubes, a squirt of fresh lemon juice, and a scoop of protein powder.

She'll also eat oatmeal with fresh berries, her trainer told Us Weekly, but J.Lo usually skips coffee unless it's decaf.

"I haven’t had caffeine in years," she told the same publication. Instead, she drinks tons of water to stay hydrated, especially before workouts.

Lunch

For lunch, Jennifer will opt for a veggie-filled salad, like with kale, toasted pumpkin seeds, crumbled queso, minced shallots, and a dressing made with lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil, according to People. She'll also whip up a salad with salmon, broccoli, peppers, zucchini, and a drizzle of vinaigrette.

In general, she "stays away from processed foods and gets her nutrients from whole sources," Romero told Us Weekly.

To fuel up for her busy schedule, J.Lo always makes sure she gets protein with her meals. "Protein is my go-to whenever I start having cravings," she said to Hello!. "It fills me up and keeps me full longer. It's a great muscle fuel."

Her favorite sources include egg whites, white turkey meat, chicken breast, grass-fed beef, and fish, such as omega-3-filled salmon and sea bass. She'll also have a handful of nuts a day, Romero told Us Weekly.

J.Lo's other snacks also stick to her plant-based plan: "I also love to relax with my kids after a workout and share a healthy snack with them," she told Hello!. "I always carry fruit and veggies with me to give me something to snack on between meals."

Dinner

If she's at home, J.Lo will sit down with the kids around 6:30 p.m. for dinner, Hollywood Life reports. Her dinner usually consists of a lean protein with more veggies and complex carbs like brown rice, sweet potatoes, or quinoa.

The quinoa "feels like rice and beans, which I grew up with," she told Us Weekly. "And I like pork and chicken — especially Puerto Rican style!"

For example, she'll pair a grilled chicken breast with sautéed brussels sprouts and baked yams, according to People. Even when she's out, J.Lo knows how to scan menu for the best choices.

"Most restaurants offer healthy, low-calorie meals so I watch for things on the menu that fit my lifestyle,"she told Hello!. "I'll have a salad or some fish with veggies. And I make sure I drink lots of water throughout the meal."

Dessert

J.Lo's certainly knows how to max out on healthy, nutritious foods, but she's not about total restriction. "Throughout the years I’ve learned the importance of maintaining a healthier […] diet," she People. "I still eat some of the foods I love, but in moderation. I don’t deprive myself."

Fiancé Alex Rodriguez shared on The View that Jennifer's guilty pleasures include chocolate chip ice cream and chocolate chip cookies, and Romano also confirmed she's partial to a cookie. (We are so with you.) Oh, and she's not opposed to a slice of birthday cake either.

Between everything she's got going on, Jennifer definitely deserves to celebrate!