Kate Middleton's active lifestyle hasn't changed much since she joined the royal family, and her healthy diet full of veggies, fruits, and lean protein likely has something to do with it. The 37-year-old mother of three has a palace full of staffers looking out for her, but the Duchess of Cambridge seemingly takes a very hands-on approach when it comes to the kitchen.
In fact, she apparently whips up most of the meals for Prince William and the kids herself, according to British chef Carolyn Robb, who worked at Kensington Palace for more than two decades.
"Kate does quite a lot of the cooking at the moment," she told Racked in 2015. "You have to remember that she’s not royal. She comes from a normal background and a normal home where she’s always cooked for herself. And what I’ve always heard is that William enjoys spending time with her family because they just eat together at the kitchen table like a normal family. I’m sure that that’s what they still do."
The Duchess seemingly confirmed this fact at a 2016 charity gala: "William has to put up with my cooking most of the time," she told the chefs there, according to People. Added William, "It’s the reason I’m so skinny."
That's not necessarily a dig at Kate's cooking. The Duchess clearly favors healthy, produce-filled diet, based on palace reports over the years. Here's what you might find her (and Prince William!) eating at their Kensington Palace apartment:
Breakfast
To get going in the morning, the Duchess supposedly plugs in the blender and makes a smoothie with spirulina, kale, matcha, spinach, romaine, cilantro and blueberries, according to a 2016 story in the Daily Mail. FYI: Matcha is a concentrated green tea powder, while spirulina is a type of blue-green algae that some people attribute with "superfood" status.
It's not a far cry from Meghan Markle's A.M. routine. Before she married Prince Harry, the former actress shared her love of making green juice in her Vitamix blender, except she used a blend of apple, kale, spinach, lemon, and ginger.
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge takes part in preparations for a community lunch on March 22, 2018 in London, England.
Lunch
The same Daily Mail scoop suggested that the Duchess of Cambridge follows an organic diet "rich in antioxidants," so salads and "bowls of seasonal fruits" regularly appear on her plate.
Some past favorite dishes included watermelon salads, gazpacho, goji berries, tabbouleh, and ceviche, the Daily Mail reported in 2014. The Duchess supposedly picked these recipes and snacks as a way to eat more raw foods. "Kate already has the perfect figure but her motivation is to achieve radiant skin," an anonymous source told the tabloid.
Eyewitness accounts can confirm that the Duchess does shop for some of this produce herself. Paparazzi snapped pictures of her at the British grocery store Waitrose last year — relatable.
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge attempt to make pretzels while visiting a traditional market in Heidelberg, Germany, on July 20, 2017.
Dinner
When it comes to family dinners, Kate Middleton has a well-documented go-to dish: roast chicken.
"In the evenings she indulges her hobby of cooking William’s favorite supper, roast chicken," royal correspondent Katie Nicholl wrote in a 2012 Vanity Fair profile. An anonymous friend told her, "That’s their idea of the perfect night."
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge sample Indian food cooked by Vikram Vij on September 27, 2016 in Kelowna, Canada.
Before he married Meghan Markle, Prince Harry also frequently stopped by the Cambridges' Kensington Palace apartment for roast chicken dinners, Newsweek stated in a 2017 exclusive. (For what it's worth, Meghan confirmed to Good Housekeeping that she also makes a mean roast chicken and the couple later revealed that's what they were cooking when Prince Harry proposed.)
Besides expertly roasted chicken, Kate has another favorite in her rotation. At a Canadian food and wine festival in 2016, the Duchess revealed she especially likes cooking curries, the Mirror reported. She must have to rein in the heat though, because Prince William also let slip at the same event that he can't handle a super-spicy vindaloo.
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge takes part in a cooking workshop at the Institut De Tourisme et D’hotellerie Du Quebec on July 2, 2011 in Montreal, Canada.
It's no surprise then that the Duchess also makes her own chutney, a spicy or savory condiment with origins in India. The skill came in handy when she celebrated her first Christmas with the Queen. " I was thinking, 'Gosh, what should I give her?'" the Duchess remembered in the ITV documentary, Our Queen At Ninety. "I thought, 'I'll make her something.' Which could have gone horribly wrong. But I decided to make my granny's recipe of chutney." The gift must have gone over well, because the next day Kate noticed it was on the table.
As for treats, Kate apparently has a least one vice. The royal is reportedly partial to a glass of white wine in the evenings, according to Vanity Fair and Daily Mail. And right on — she totally deserves one.
Caroline Picard
Contributing Writer
Caroline is a writer and editor with almost a decade of experience. From 2015 to 2019, she held various editorial positions at Good Housekeeping, including as health editor, covering nutrition, fitness, wellness, and other lifestyle news. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism and dreams of the day Northwestern will go back to the Rose Bowl.