Social media is one of the biggest sources of inspiration for maintaining a healthy lifestyle these days. Our feeds are filled with avocado toast, protein shakes and workout videos - and the top fitness influencers are gaining thousands of followers in people who are looking for guidance on how to eat, exercise and feel happy and well.
But what do these so-called wellbeing experts really eat? These five top social media stars have opened up their fridges to show what their weekly food shop looks like - so their followers can finally see if the reality lives up to their Instagram grids. Each of the influencers, who teamed up with Wren Kitchens to take on the challenge, talk us through their diets below…
Chessie King, fitness trainer and presenter (302,000 Instagram followers)
Chessie counts oat milk, organic tofu, nut butters and eggs as some of her fridge staples. "I believe that the contents of a fridge say a lot about a person," she says. "From experience, I know that if I buy something naughty and have it in the kitchen, I will simply eat it straight away! So, I pack my fridge with goodness. I don’t eat meat, but plenty of fish, tofu, chickpeas, and veggies. I don’t label myself anything like veggie, vegan, or flexitarian, I just eat mindfully and make sure my fish is well sourced."
The personal trainer is against fad diets, choosing to maintain a continuous healthy lifestyle instead. "Low fat, high protein, low carb… none of these fads and diets work," she says. They might make you lose a few pounds before your holiday, but they will never help you achieve a sustainable healthy lifestyle. I strongly disagree with juice diets and ‘skinny teas’ – I tried everything back when I wanted to be the ‘skinniest’ I could be, and didn’t have the education I have now."
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Steph Elswood, health blogger and dancer (169,000 Instagram followers)
Steph likes to make curries and stews with the ingredients from her packed fridge, which contains lots of fruit and vegetables, as well as nut milks and meat-free substitutes. "Every week I have my staple ‘go-to’ fruits and vegetables. These include courgettes, ginger, avocados, cucumber, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, broccoli, spinach, onions, strawberries, and blueberries," she says. "I use these in most of meals and snack on fruit. I have dates that keep for longer than most fruit, and buy beetroot in a vacuum pack in case I ever fancy it. To mix things up, I find other vegetables that I don’t use as frequently. For this week, I have chosen a butternut squash, which I plan to make into a pie!"
"I’m often asked how I get enough protein. Many plant-based items are packed full of protein and when you combine some together they create a ‘complete protein’, meaning a protein source that gives you an adequate proportion of all nine essential amino acids. Examples of this are pita and hummus, peanut butter on wholegrain toast, or rice and black beans."
Matt Law, influencer and model (100,000 Instagram followers)
"My line of work requires me to maintain a consistently lean and athletic physique, and I need to be photoshoot ready at all times," says Matt, who stocks his fridge with fresh salmon, chicken breasts and lots of vegetables. "Achieving this in a healthy and sustainable way requires balance and discipline. Crash diets and quick-fix approaches to weight loss are not the answer – balance is key. A diet must be sustainable."
"My typical diet consists of a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables, fresh meat, and fish, as well as clean carbohydrates such as sweet potato and brown rice. It’s so important to ensure you are getting all the nutrients and vitamins and minerals you need from your diet. Where possible, I try to eat organic produce."
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Deni Kirkova, fitness blogger (17,000 Instagram followers)
We can see various nuts and vegetables, as well as pasta and hummus in Deni's fridge. "I’m a big believer in a 360-degree approach to diet. And by that, I mean seeking out food which tastes good, makes you feel good, and does good for the planet. As a vegan, my diet is 100 per cent plant-based. Animal products haven’t passed my lips since 2015 due to ethical reasons, and as a happy coincidence I’ve never felt or looked better, nor been so into food and creative cooking," she says.
"Predominantly, I try to just eat raw food like fruit, lots of veg, and some nuts. Smoothies and whole fruit make up 40-50 per cent of my diet on a good day. After watching Food Matters, my eyes opened to the wonders of eating more raw and organic foods. I fill my smoothies with all kinds of fruit and veg but most of the time there’s banana and spinach as a base. The vegan butter on the top shelf may go on some wholegrain granary toast, because – yes – I love bread! Happy, kind, and healthy is my mantra."
George Lloyd, fitness model and bootcamp trainer (15,000 Instagram followers)
George's fridge is packed with natural yoghurt, vegetable soup, eggs and fruit. "Typically, my diet consists of high proteins, high fats, and low carbohydrates on a regular basis. Depending on my schedule or training regime, I will adjust these accordingly. The protein sources I tend to stick by consist of lean meats, such as turkey or chicken breasts, as well as a lot of fish and seafood, such as salmon, tuna, and prawns," he says.
"In terms of the carbohydrates, I keep everything wholegrain. Again, wholegrain is great for digestion and gut health and is also an effective partner to the lean protein sources going into my body. My main intakes of carbs tend to be as soon as I wake up, with some oats, almond milk, and banana or blueberries, and then again straight after I have finished training to replenish the glycogen stores in my muscles."
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