Here's What Kate Hudson Eats in a Day to Stay Sculpted at 40

Kate Hudson is basically Hollywood royalty. Her parents are two famous actors with stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, she's a Golden Globe winner, and she's been in some of the best recent romantic comedies. Oh, and who knew she could sing until her stint as Cassandra July on Glee? She's so talented she didn't even need to show off her incredible singing voice until her 30s. But, I digress.

Kate is also famous for being seriously in shape. The actress has sworn by Pilates since her first class at age 19, and physical activity has always been a part of her life. But as they say, abs are made in the kitchen, and Hudson relies on a healthy diet to keep glowing, energetic and sculpted at age 40.

She told Self that she prefers to eat five small meals a day to keep her energy up and fuel her through busy schedules. And after trying all different kinds of diets, she noted she feels best when she eats vegan—but she only stays strictly plant-based two or three days a week. Find out exactly what she eats in a day, below:

Breakfast

Pictured recipe: Chocolate-Peanut Butter Protein Shake

Hudson's top priority in the mornings is coffee. No matter what diet plan she has been on over the years, coffee has remained a constant. And like any good celeb, she loves to drink lemon water first thing in the morning.

After her beloved coffee, she goes for a green juice, followed by a workout. Hudson usually opts for a post-workout protein shake to boost her calorie intake and help her recover from Pilates, barre, running or whatever physical activity she chose that day.

When possible, we prefer to get our protein from whole foods over powders. We have tons of wholesome protein smoothie recipes, like our Chocolate-Peanut Butter Protein Shake with 26 grams of the stuff.

Hudson also practices intermittent fasting—going about 14-16 hours between meals—and prefers to eat those five small meals within her eating window, so a big breakfast isn't a must-have for her.

That probably means she's not eating between, say, 7 p.m. and 9 to 11 a.m. the next day. "While it's not the craziest intermittent fasting schedule I've heard of, most of the research on intermittent fasting is still too new to tell if any version is actually legitimate," says Victoria Seaver, M.S., R.D., senior digital editor at EatingWell. "But, regardless, restricting food when your body is telling you it's actually hungry is not sustainable and can lead to an unhealthy cycle of restrict-binge-restrict and so on." We suggest that she drop the intermittent fasting and just follow her body's natural cues.

Lunch

Pictured recipe: Citrus-Lime Tofu Salad

Like many other celebs, Hudson likes to nosh on salads for lunch. She told People that she's a big fan of the high-alkaline diet plan, which emphasizes whole, plant-based foods and some lean protein sources, while ditching dairy, gluten, caffeine, refined sugar and most meat. It seems like Hudson ignores the caffeine part, however. The theory behind the plan is that the foods to ditch are acidic and cause your body's pH level to drop, thus making your body acidic.

She said that when she's following this plan, she gets about 60-80% of her nutrition from fruits, veggies, tofu and nuts.

"While I'm all about eating more fruits, veggies, plant-based protein and healthy fats, the alkaline diet isn't backed by research. Regardless of what you eat, your body does an excellent job of maintaining a steady pH level," says Seaver. "And in fact, cutting out otherwise healthy foods, like dairy items and gluten-containing whole grains, means you'll miss out on important nutrients that are hard to get from other foods, like calcium, vitamin D and fiber."

If you dismiss the notion of the alkaline diet, opting for a salad is a healthy way to pack in plenty of helpful nutrients to your midday meal. Our Citrus-Lime Tofu Salad is a delicious way to get plenty of protein, fiber, iron, calcium and other essential nutrients to power you through the second half of your day. It also makes a great meal-prep option!

Snacks

Pictured recipe: Strawberry Nice Cream

Hudson is all about finding ways to enjoy her favorite foods—like ice cream—while still sticking to the diet that makes her feel at her best. She shared a recipe for 2-ingredient vegan strawberry ice cream on her Pretty Happy Instagram account and bakes cookies with the leftover ground almonds and oats from making her own plant-based milks. We like her easy approach to sustainability here! She's also a big fan of Manna Bread, which is a vegan sprouted-grain bread, and enjoys noshing on a slice with a little butter. "Since this brand contains wheat, she must skip this otherwise-healthy snack when following the alkaline diet," says Seaver.

We love a good "nice cream" recipe, too. Our Strawberry Nice Cream is a great way to replicate one of Kate's favorites, but we also highly recommend our 2-Ingredient Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream when you need something slightly creamier.

Dinner

While she does eat some lean protein, like chicken or turkey, dinnertime is typically all about veggies and fish for Hudson. She loves dining on lentil tacos, fish en papillote, soups and veggie-packed pastas and stir-fries. And every once in a while, she likes to go out for an Impossible Burger at Crossroads Kitchen in L.A.

However, when she's cooking for her family—one of her favorite pastimes—Hudson loves to whip up lasagna, spaghetti with meatballs and her special baked chicken. She's part Italian, and her taste buds definitely prove it! It's great to hear that when it comes to feeding her family, the diet mentality is not at the forefront. "It's especially important to model healthy and non-restrictive eating habits around kids, to help ensure they themselves turn into healthy eaters for life," echoes Seaver.

Like Kate, we also love some cozy and comforting Italian food. Luckily it doesn't have to be a once-in-a-while treat, thanks to all our amazing healthy Italian recipes. Our Sausage, Mushroom & Spinach Lasagna is a reader favorite and always hits the spot. Plus, it sneaks some veggies into your kids' bellies.

Favorite Treats

Pictured recipe: Tangerine Bourbon Sidecars

Hudson is all about enjoying some of those meaty, gluten-filled foods when dining out, and one of her absolute favorites is Hawaiian pizza. She also loves a good cocktail, and tries to make room for those on her WW app. Her personal favorite? A martini.

"If I want to go out and eat at a restaurant with amazing food, I'll do that, like, once a week where I'm not thinking about it," she told InStyle Australia. "I want to indulge! I want to do things that are not healthy sometimes."

"While it seems like Kate can be restrictive at times with certain diets, it's important to give yourself permission to eat the foods you love and crave. I like hearing that she lets herself enjoy her favorites, but just wish that was her mentality all of the time," states Seaver.

The Bottom Line

Kate puts an emphasis on lots of fruits and veggies, plant-based protein, healthy fats, lean meat and some dairy items when making her Italian specialties and lets herself enjoy the foods she loves, even though it's not as often as we would like. And although it seems like she jumps around a bit with her eating style, be it eating vegan or following the alkaline diet, overall it seems like she has a healthy balance, especially when it comes to feeding her family.