Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, is not only admired for her acting career and royal status but also for her commitment to health and fitness. Her lifestyle, characterized by balanced nutrition, diverse workouts, and mental wellness practices, offers a comprehensive model for those seeking to enhance their own well-being.
Meghan Markle's Diet
Meghan Markle emphasizes a diet rich in whole foods, energy-boosting meals, and mindful eating habits. She does not adhere strictly to veganism but favors a mostly plant-based diet, particularly during the week.
Emphasis on Plant-Based Foods
Many of Markle's favorite foods are relatively simple in concept: avocado toast, veggie quinoa, fish tacos, and pasta. She enjoys cooking and often prepares meals rich in fresh vegetables and fruits. Meghan once shared her approach to healthy eating, saying, "I try to eat vegan during the week and then have a little bit more flexibility with what I dig into on the weekends."
Morning Ritual
Meghan always starts her day with a nutritious breakfast. According to the royal biography Finding Freedom, Meghan begins her day with a cup of hot water and lemon, followed by a hearty bowl of steel-cut oats made with almond or soy milk, topped with bananas and a drizzle of agave syrup for sweetness. She is also known to enjoy a fluffy omelette packed with cheese and fresh herbs, with a side of toast for a more savory option. She also loves eating avocado on toast topped with golden eggs from the family's chicken pen.
Lunch and Dinner
The former Suits star once said, "I'm always hoping I'm having lunch with people, so we can share fries. It's its own food group for me." The 43-year-old says she is normally hungrier at lunchtimes, so typically enjoys a heavier meal then, followed by a lighter dinner. Meghan considers herself a pro-carb kind of girl. "French fries - I could eat French fries all day. And I love pasta. I love carbs - who doesn’t love a carbohydrate?" Markle has said.
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For dinner, Markle enjoys sushi and seafood. She purchased a salmon and avocado sushi tray from her local Whole Foods and savored every last bite. On other nights, she made quinoa with veggies like zucchini, onions, and mushrooms. Markle followed the advice of using fresh herbs, and she swore it gave her food a restaurant-quality taste.
Healthy Snacks
The future royal stocks her fridge with healthy snacks and staples. "Hummus, carrots-because I love them and so does my dog, Bogart, strangely-a green juice, almond milk, for sure, and a chia seed pudding I make every single week," she previously told Good Housekeeping. Her go-to snack is as simple as it is delicious - apple slices with peanut butter. According to the royal biography Finding Freedom, this was her favourite pick-me-up between meals.
Green Juice
Meghan has called green juice her preferred afternoon snack. Meghan prefers to skip caffeine in the afternoons, opting instead for a refreshing green juice to stay energized. She blends apple, kale, spinach, lemon, and ginger in her Vitamix in the morning and sips on it throughout the day.
Indulgences and Balance
Meghan Markle eats fries, drinks wine, and indulges in the occasional ice cream cone-because what is life without a treat here or there? In a rare Valentine's Day post in 2025, Meghan showed off her relaxed diet with the Duke of Sussex, joking in the caption: "I will eat burgers and fries and fish and chips with you forever." She doesn't deprive herself of the things she loves. Proving she's just like any one of us (well, apart from the marrying Prince Harry bit), Meghan said: "I could eat French fries all day. And I love pasta. I love carbs - who doesn’t love a carbohydrate?" This is a notion she's always followed, saying in an interview: "On the weekends all bets are off, I think if you deprive yourself of anything you're just going to crave it more, so for me it's just finding that balance. Eating really good during the week and then treating yourself to whatever it is that you want over the weekend."
Markle told Delish that she considers a glass of red wine to be her dessert. "Of course I’m going to have that glass of wine - it’s delicious and I enjoy it," she said in conversation with Best Health. "Do the things you enjoy within reason. Know your body and what works for you and you’ll be fine."
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Mindful Eating
Practicing mindful eating plays a significant role in Meghan’s diet. She believes in listening to her body and consuming food to fuel it properly rather than following restrictive calorie counting. Meghan revealed that small adjustments, like mindful eating, help her avoid feeling lethargic while staying energized and focused on her health goals. She avoids foods that make her feel sluggish "I definitely try to eat as clean as possible. I definitely just try to avoid the things that I know are going to make me feel lethargic or sluggish," she once told Shape, "I eat mostly fish and veggies - but I am also a foodie."
Sunday Dinners
Meghan is all about cozy Sunday dinners with family and friends. Speaking to Today, she shared her love for hearty meals like lamb tagine, pot roast, or a comforting soup. Meghan also enjoys slow-cooked dishes, revealing that one of her favorites is Filipino-style chicken adobo. "It's so easy," she said. "Just mix garlic, soy (or Bragg Liquid Aminos), vinegar, maybe some lemon, and let the chicken simmer until it's falling off the bone in a Crock-Pot."
Creative Ways to Make Vegetables Tempting
The Duchess loves to channel her creativity into creating beautiful crudités platters for her children. "We have them every day because I think that's why our kids love vegetables so much. You make it present beautifully - you eat with your eyes first," she revealed in Episode Three of With Love, Meghan.
Meghan Markle's Exercise Routine
Meghan Markle’s fitness routine includes a balanced mix of cardio, strength training, and flexibility exercises. She emphasizes consistency and includes a variety of exercises. Meghan’s fitness definitely takes priority; she’s very focused on her health.
Cardio Workouts
Cardio workouts, such as running and hiking, keep her heart healthy and improve her endurance. Markle prefers Megaformer pilates, which uses a machine that combines the toning of pilates with the resistance training of bodybuilding. According to US Weekly, “[It’s] hands down the best thing you could do for your body,” Markle said. “Your body changes immediately.”
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Strength Training
Strength training is another crucial component of Meghan’s workouts. It helps build lean muscle mass and improve overall strength and power. Her workouts often include exercises like lunges and squats, guided by her trainer to optimize her form. When Meghan was still filming Suits in Toronto, she and McNamee met up three to four days a week, for 45-minute training sessions. “For Meghan, we tried to schedule these workouts early in the day, to make it a priority,” he says. “Generally speaking, we had a full-body approach,” says McNamee.
Yoga and Flexibility
Yoga and flexibility exercises play a key role in maintaining Meghan Markle’s fitness. Meghan Markle incorporates Vinyasa yoga into her routine, which emphasizes flowing movements and dynamic poses. “Yoga is my thing,” Meghan once said in an interview with Best Health. Explaining that her mum is a yoga instructor, Meghan started the discipline as a child and has continued doing it ever since. And there's no doubt she loves it: "There are so many benefits that come with the practice of yoga… increased flexibility and muscle strength, greater happiness, increased mental focus, a greater ability to relax, decreased anxiety and better sleep."
Pilates complements Meghan’s yoga practice by focusing on core strength and overall muscle tone. Engaging in Pilates is a way to elongate and strengthen muscles without adding bulk.
Sample Workout Routine
Craig McNamee shared an exclusive circuit routine with Women’s Health that’s typical for the actress. Complete all exercises of this circuit in a row, resting for 45 seconds at the end.
- Dumbbell Split Squat with Overhead Press: Hold a dumbbell in each hand, arms in goalpost position at shoulder height. Stand about two feet in front of a step or bench and place the top of your right foot on it. Bend your knees to lower into a lunge until your right knee grazes the floor, keeping your chest upright and hips directly under your body. Push through your left heel to stand, pressing the dumbbells directly overhead.
- Kettlebell Deadlift: From a standing position, holding the kettlebell in front of your thigh with your right hand, shift your weight into your left leg, and lift your right foot off the ground just behind you. Your planted left leg should have a slight bend in the knee. Push your hips back and extend your right leg straight back behind you. Your chest will drop as you reach the lifted leg back. When you reach the end of the range of motion-typified by tension in the hamstrings-reverse the movement to return to standing.
- Bench Jump: Stand in front of a bench. Bring left foot to the bench, then press all your weight into that foot, and explode your body upward. As you come back down, return safely and with control to the bench or box.
- TRX Triceps Extension: Grab a TRX, and attach it to a stable anchor. Facing away from the anchor, grip one handle in each hands, and lean your body forward until it’s at a 45-degree angle. Arms should bend backward to a 90-degree angle, elbows near ears. While engaging your triceps, push your body back to a nearly upright position, and extend your arms until they’re completely straight.
- Hanging Knee Raise: Grab a chinup bar, and let your legs fully extend toward the floor. Bend elbows to 90 degrees, engaging the upper body. Using your lower abs, bring your knees up, until they’re tucked into your chest.
- Weighted Glute Bridge: Rest your body on a incline bench, with a weight placed across your pelvis. With your hips a few inches off the floor, contract your glutes and elevate your hips until they’re in line with your knees. Hold at the top for a one to two second count before safely lowering. Do 20 reps.
- Stability Ball Hamstring Curl: Lie flat on a mat with your left ankle and heel positioned on a stability ball, hips elevated, and the right leg extended straight up into the air, perpendicular with your mat. Using your hamstring muscles, drag the stability ball toward your body, until just the tip of your heel is resting on the ball.
Integrating Fitness into Daily Life
For Meghan, balancing motherhood and fitness involves finding ways to incorporate physical activity into her daily routine without compromising family time. Pilates and running are favorites, as they offer flexibility and can be adjusted according to her schedule.
Meghan Markle’s Approach to Mental Wellness
Meghan considers mental wellness a vital part of her fitness routine. Integrating practices like meditation and yoga, she prioritizes these for their calming and centering effects. These practices help her manage stress and maintain focus. Engaging in activities that promote mindfulness is key to Meghan’s routine. "I give myself the luxury of downtime," she told Women's Health UK. "We are all so incredibly busy and juggling so many things but I always take an hour to just decompress, watch mindless TV, snuggle with my dogs and enjoy a glass of wine. That's all part of the investment. It's a balance."
Meghan Markle’s Weight Loss Journey
Meghan Markle’s weight loss journey highlights her commitment to maintaining motivation and managing the natural changes in metabolism that accompany aging.
Motivation and Accountability
Motivation is a key component in Meghan’s approach to weight loss. Staying motivated involves setting achievable goals and maintaining a positive mindset. Accountability plays a vital role in her routine. Having a personal trainer or a supportive partner helps keep her goals in check. Additionally, incorporating activities she enjoys, like yoga or pilates, makes it easier for her to stay committed.
Addressing Age-Related Changes
As individuals age, metabolism can naturally slow down, posing challenges for weight management. Meghan’s weight loss journey involves addressing these changes through strategic lifestyle choices. Age-related hormonal changes can also affect weight. By adopting a balanced diet and engaging in regular physical activities, she mitigates these effects. Attention to healthy eating habits, such as consuming nutrient-dense foods, supports her body’s needs.