Catherine Zeta Jones – Hollywood film star, mum of two, wife (married to super celeb Michael Douglas, 81), Welsh icon… and out-and-proud lover of British fry-ups, Dairy Milk and cream teas. Speaking to US Harper’s Bazaar, Catherine revealed her daily meal plan – and it’s packed with delicious, easy-to-prep dishes that deliver on nutrition and taste. Here’s the lowdown:
Morning: Catherine’s day starts with a freshly brewed coffee. ‘I really can’t do anything properly without my coffee,’ she says. ‘I usually put it into a French press because there’s something very nostalgic about that.’
Nutrition notes: Coffee provides antioxidants and micronutrients – and is surprisingly high in fibre.
Breakfast: At 8am, the Wednesday star sits down to breakfast, which is always the same Monday to Friday… but does change with the seasons. ‘Basically, in the winter, I’m a porridge girl – I have porridge with brown sugar and banana, and I make it so the bananas are all soggy and full of brown sugar. I put some blueberries on the top and I literally have that every morning.
‘When we spring forward I have non-fat vanilla yogurt, granola, blueberries, and raspberries – that’s my summer months go-to breakfast.’ Then at the weekend? ‘That’s when we as a family do a good British fry-up. We love it – I look forward to it all week.’
Nutrition notes: Porridge oats are full of fibre; banana provides potassium and blueberries and raspberries are packed with polyphenols, potent plant compounds that boost health. Yogurt is an important source of calcium.
Lunch: Catherine keeps it light, with a simple two-step formula. ‘I always have a salad with my lunch, and dinner. My favourite kind of salad would be a spinach and arugula [rocket] mix of leaves, pine nuts, tomatoes. I sometimes put on a little blue cheese… I like to throw some dried cranberries in – and my dressing! Extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar… and I sometimes put mustard in there. To accompany my salad, a little breast of chicken, grilled simply, maybe some grilled cod, sometimes a stuffed aubergine.’
Nutrition notes: Built around whole foods, vegetables, healthy fats, and lean protein – balanced and sustaining.
Afternoon tea: Coffee, and ‘If I’m really really good’ some scones, baked earlier, with clotted cream and jam.
Dinner: When Catherine’s at home with Michael, dinner is always at 8pm. There’s salad again – but this time with a difference. ‘In this salad at night, I love fruit!’ she says. ‘I always chop up an apple, throw it in… of course I love avocado in a salad, too. I would put oranges in my salad, figs in my salad – I love that combo.’ To accompany the salad, it’s usually fish or chicken – but steak makes an appearance, too. ‘I do love just a regular filet mignon with shiitake mushroom sauce.’
Nutrition notes: A nutrient-rich meal, avocado provides heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, fibre and potassium; an apple adds extra fibre, especially pectin, vitamin C and polyphenols that support gut and heart health. For dinner, as for lunch, there’s high-quality protein; for women in their 50s and beyond, research suggests that veg and protein-centred meals boost energy and muscle mass, as well as helping gut bacteria thrive.
Treats: It’s got to be chocolate. ‘I’m not a big snacker, except for anything chocolate,’ says Catherine. ‘For me, chocolate is a real treat. I deserve it. I like Cadbury’s milk chocolate because it’s a British brand I was brought up with and it’s very comforting.’