- Eva Longoria, 46, shared what she eats in a day.
- The Desperate Housewives star also revealed that she practices intermittent fasting.
- She loves to cook colorful, delicious meals for her and her family.
If you follow Eva Longoria on Instagram, you know she loves to cook. The Desperate Housewives star has a series on her page cleverly called “Bon AppétEva,” which documents her preparation of colorful, delicious meals (complemented by frequent bursts of her buoyant, heart-warming laughter). In a new interview with Women’s Health, the 46-year-old pulled back the curtain even further on her life, sharing what exactly she eats in a day.
Breakfast is black coffee.
Considering all of the cooking she does for the internet, you might be surprised to know that Longoria practices intermittent fasting. She told Women’s Health that she eats between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., but of course, she’s up and at ‘em long before then. Most mornings, she has only black coffee before her daily, hour-long workout (which, is not necessarily advised for everyone). Then, it’s time to make breakfast for the family—her 3-year-old son Santiago and her husband, José Bastón.
“I cook them breakfast, lunch, and dinner,” she said. “It’s therapeutic for me.” Often times, breakfast is egg whites with avocado or refried bean tacos, which Longoria will admittedly grab a bite of if her “eating hours” allow. She calls the hearty household staple “the real breakfast of champions.”
Lunch is simple: protein and vegetables.
Steak, fish, or chicken accompanied by a healthy serving of veggies is always a go-to when it’s time for Longoria to chow down. She likes to switch up the veggie side dish and find ways to make it exciting, per her Instagram. Take her kimchi Brussels sprout recipe, for example.
Dinner is more of the same.
Longoria told Women’s Health that her evening meals often mimic lunch: protein and vegetables. But sometimes it’s a hearty soup, like Italian wedding or tortilla, instead. Such a menu may sound mundane and repetitive, but her Instagram shows off more diverse, yet equally nutritious meals: chalupas, farro salad, and chili-rub skirt steak tacos are a few of many.
And while she’s not a fully plant-based eater by any means, the actress is beginning to introduce more of those types of ingredients to her diet. For instance, having vegan butter on banana oatmeal waffles. “I grew up on a ranch where we ate what was on the land—when it was squash season, we ate squash for three months. It gave me such an appreciation for where food comes from: It comes from the ground,” she said. “Beans are a big source of protein for us. I love making portobello tacos and jackfruit tacos, and cauliflower fried rice.”
She doesn’t have a sweet tooth but loves a salty snack.
“I don’t like sweets or chocolate, and people hate me for it. Bread too—I hate bread. I’m never tempted by the bread basket," she explained. (Lucky her!) “Olives, pretzels, popcorn, potato chips—that’s my jam,” she added.
She drinks in moderation.
Instead of dessert, Longoria will have a glass of wine with dinner, but rarely more. Too much affects her sleep—which she recently began tracking—and she can’t have that.
“I never used to feel a sugar rush when I would drink wine,” she explained. “But one day, Gloria Estefan told me she can’t drink wine because she wakes up at 4 a.m. The day she told me that, it started happening to me.”
If it's not wine, you'll often see her sipping on her own tequila—Casa Del Sol.
When it comes down to it, Longoria is a fan of vibrant, whole foods-based meals that reflect her roots and well—taste really dang good. And that’s something we can certainly appreciate.
Kayla Blanton is a freelance writer-editor who covers health, nutrition, and lifestyle topics for various publications including Prevention, Everyday Health, SELF, People, and more. She’s always open to conversations about fueling up with flavorful dishes, busting beauty standards, and finding new, gentle ways to care for our bodies. She earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Ohio University with specializations in women, gender, and sexuality studies and public health, and is a born-and-raised midwesterner living in Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband and two spoiled kitties.
