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Andrew Sun

I don’t know why so many people are obsessed with what celebrities eat.
A recent entertainment story pointed out that Gwyneth Paltrow had started to eat bread and pasta again. The poster woman for vainglorious health trends, and founder of the lifestyle brand Goop, is now less known for her acting and more for what she puts in her mouth. (And for promoting dubious wellness items such as body stickers that relieve anxiety, coffee enemas and the notorious jade vaginal egg, of course.)
Paltrow’s announcement that she no longer follows a strict Paleo diet and now enjoys sourdough bread, pasta and cheese was significant enough news that many legacy media outlets shared this titbit next to stories about Donald Trump and the wars in Gaza and Ukraine.
For some reason, many people assume celebrities, being rich and powerful people, have access to all kinds of expert information and advice that we normal folks don’t. From healthcare to diet, they are seen as getting all the inside scoop from all the top people.



 

 
 


 


View this post on Instagram

 


 
 
 


 
 


 
 
 



 
 

A post shared by Gwyneth Paltrow (@gwynethpaltrow)



That’s why we pay attention when Kim Kardashian starts a new weight loss programme, when Hugh Jackman ups his workout regimen for a new Wolverine role, or when Gwyneth expands her macrobiotic whole-foods diet to include focaccia and carbonara.
Even when it’s not a major lifestyle change, people still want to find out about A-list stars and their quirky eating habits. I recently read that film hunk de jour Glen Powell likes to put ketchup on his waffles. I wonder if this revelation makes him less or more sexy to women?
Did you know singer Dua Lipa has a fondness for drinking Diet Coke with jalapeño sauce and pickle juice? She shared it on Instagram, so I’m sure many of her Dula Peeps have given this unorthodox cocktail a try.



 

 
 


 


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A post shared by MuchMusic (@muchofficial)



When she was pregnant, Beyoncé redefined prenatal cravings by snacking on Oreo cookies with gherkins, ice cream with hot chilli sauce, and dipping bananas into ketchup. To lose weight for her role in the 2006 movie Dream Girls, Queen B also reportedly drank lemon juice with cayenne pepper.
But some celebrity eats are so weird, I can’t decide whether they are true or we are just being trolled.
Channing Tatum apparently said his go-to sandwich is a PBJC (peanut butter, jelly and Cheetos).
Lizzo definitely played us with a video trying out a TikTok trend of eating watermelon with mustard. No, she didn’t seem to love it in her clip.

To be fair, some celebrity flavour preferences actually make sense. Amanda Holden puts Marmite on eggs. It may seem strange, but anyone who understands umami will realise this is perfectly logical.
I’m also going to have to try Selena Gomez’s self-invented Texas popcorn, for which she seasons her popped kernels with Tabasco and salt. I also think singer Adele has done her British taste buds proud by splashing her crisps with Worcestershire sauce. Both of these examples are essentially pimped-up versions of salt and vinegar snacks. I guess some stars have gastronomic sensibility.


Not all famous people are Hollywood health nuts like Paltrow or whacked-out egomaniacs being bizarre for the sake of bizarre – I am thinking of rock band Van Halen and their strict “no brown M&Ms” touring clause.
I dare say some celebrity snacks have become classic foods.
Elvis Presley is not just the king of rock ‘n’ roll. He is also a legend for his peanut butter, banana and bacon sandwich. This timeless snack won’t ever go out of style – unlike everything on sale on Goop.


History of mooncake moulds and their designs, and those preserving the craft

Inside Bangkok’s World Gourmet Festival, where top chefs share the kitchen

How a Hong Kong-style milk tea shop in Tokyo has customers queuing out the door

A guide to Hong Kong’s bitter herbal teas and how Gen Z is reviving the health tradition

Food and Drinks

Why is what Beyoncé, Dua Lipa and Gwyneth Paltrow eat so interesting to people?

Beyonce eats spaghetti. When she was pregnant, the music star redefined prenatal cravings by snacking on Oreo cookies with gherkins, ice cream with hot chilli sauce, and dipping bananas into ketchup. Photo: Instagram/pettywednesday

Lizzo eats watermelon with mustard in a still from her TikTok video. Photo: Facebook/BreakfastTelevision

Mainland Chinese tourists miss the point of Hong Kong restaurant’s infamously curt service

Beef brisket noodles at Kau Kee on Gough Street in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. The restaurant recently came under fire on Chinese social media platform RedNote for its service and food. Photo: Instagram/aiqibabe

People queue to eat at Kau Kee on Gough Street in Sheung Wan in 2018. Photo: Shutterstock

People queue to eat at the Australia Dairy Company in Jordan. Photo: Australia Dairy Company

Stop trying to elevate my food. It doesn’t need it and it’s condescending to some cuisines

Pad Thai at Amporn Thai Food in Kowloon City’s cooked food centre. The Hong Kong neighbourhood’s Thai food is delicious, affordable and in no need of elevation. Photo: Sam Evans

Participants spray water during the Songkran festival at South Wall Road in Kowloon City in 2025. South Wall Road is essentially Little Bangkok now. Photo: May Tse

Grilled squid at Thai E-San Ram Mis, said to have been one of the first Thai restaurants to open in Kowloon City. Photo: Instagram/thai_h_san_ram_mis

Hong Kong’s Urban Renewal Authority has announced the redevelopment of part of Kowloon City. Photo: Yik Yeung-man

Pies around the world, from hearty British and Australian ones to a measly Hong Kong tart

A chicken pie at a Hong Kong cafe. Photo: eatlike852

The English and Australian version of the chicken pie is big and hearty, in contrast to Hong Kong’s tart-size version, which prompts the question: what makes a pie a pie? Photo: Natasha’s Kitchen

A Hong Kong chicken pie at a city cafe, much smaller than its English and Australian counterparts. Photo: eatlike852

Shepherd’s pie at the Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong hotel. Photo: Dickson Lee

Wagyu beef cheek and ox tongue pot pie at now-closed Hong Kong restaurant Sevva. Photo: Oliver Tsang

Anne Hathaway’s weight loss journey: anti-inflammatory diet, intense exercise key to actress’ transformation for Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises

Anne Hathaway at a Valentino fashion show in Rome, Italy, in 2022. The actresshas talked about how she lost weight for her various movie roles. Photo: Getty Images

Hathaway as Catwoman in a still from The Dark Knight Rises. Photo: Warner Bros

To control her blood sugar, Hathaway ate avocados, almonds, sesame seeds, plain chocolate, bright red and orange vegetables high in antioxidants like yams, dark leafy greens, plus ginger and turmeric. Photo: Shutterstock

Hathaway on the set of The Devil Wears Prada. Photo: Getty Images 

Hathaway in a still from Les Misérables. Photo: Universal Pictures

Lifestyle

Food & Drink

Entertainment

Culture

Film & TV

Music

From carbs to weight-loss diets to Diet Coke with jalapeño sauce, celebrity food and wellness trends are everywhere, but what do they know?


Fame and celebrity

Gwyneth Paltrow

Wellness

How to age well

Beauty

Icons and Influencers

TikTok

Social media

Beyoncé

Adele

Selena Gomez

Kim Kardashian

Channing Tatum

Glen Powell

Dua Lipa

Expresses the views, ideas and conclusions of the author. (Eg. Enough of Crazy Rich Asians, think of crazy poor Hongkongers.)


Column

Mouthing Off

Why is what Beyoncé, Dua Lipa and Gwyneth Paltrow eat so interesting to people?

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}From carbs to weight-loss diets to Diet Coke with jalapeño sauce, celebrity food and wellness trends are everywhere, but what do they know?

From carbs to weight-loss diets to Diet Coke with jalapeño sauce, celebrity food and wellness trends are everywhere, but what do they know?