I followed Victoria Beckham's strict diet for a week - and spent 45 just on avocados

May 2024 · 8 minute read

Victoria Beckham may have 90s pop icon, acclaimed fashion designer and devoted mother-of-four on her list of talents, but she certainly can't add chef, according to her daughter, Harper. 

In 2023, Victoria and David Beckham's youngest child exposed her mum's lack of cooking skills. "Mummy you can't even make cereal…" the 12-year-old said in an Instagram clip. 

Perhaps her lack of culinary talents is why VB is said to have eaten the same meal for dinner for the last 25 years. "Since I met Victoria, she only eats grilled fish, steamed vegetables; she will very rarely deviate from that," her husband revealed on the podcast.  

Aside from being nutritionally boring, eating the same foods every day isn't actually that good for us, explains Reema Pillai, Private Dietitian at Dietitian Fit. 

"Having a varied diet is important to support diversity within our gut microbiome, which play an important role in digesting food and helping us to absorb nutrients, as well as other key roles in our mental and physical health," she explains. 

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On top of her daily dose of fish and steamed veg, the former Spice Girl's day on a plate is full of nutrient-rich superfoods with very little allowance for heavily processed foods or refined sugar. 

She's also proud of her "very, very disciplined" fitness routine, explaining that working out at 5.30am, at least five times a week, is what keeps her at her happiest. 

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There's no denying that Victoria's impossibly lean silhouette, glowing skin and radiant complexion is the envy of many. 

Keen to discover just how strict her daily diet really is, I followed Victoria's 'Posh' diet for a week.

The apple cider vinegar shot at 7am was tough to stomach

Victoria previously shared with her 33 million Instagram followers that she takes two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (ACV) on an empty stomach every morning. 

She follows this with a mug of warm lemon water, relying on acidity rather than caffeine to give her a morning boost. 

While I wasn't keen to imitate Victoria's 5am wakeup call, I did stick to her dedicated apple cider vinegar morning routine - and hated every moment of it. The sheer acidity of the vinegar felt like it was burning my throat, and left a horrible taste in my mouth for hours afterward. 

The naturally fermented drink, which contains acetic acid, is said to include a cocktail of bacteria and yeast that are natural probiotics for the gut.

A recent study published in BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health found that clinically overweight and obese participants who consumed at least 10ml daily saw a drop in their BMI, blood sugar and cholesterol levels. They also lost an average of 15 pounds.

"There is some research to say that apple cider vinegar can help reduce the effects of blood sugar spikes after eating, which in turn supresses appetite," explains Rima. 

"I'd be very wary of drinking ACV without diluting it in water first," she adds. "Its high acidity level means it can easily erode tooth enamel and even cause nausea in some people, especially if consumed every day."

Breakfast was my favourite meal of the day… but it's expensive

Much like the Princess of Wales, Victoria is said to kick start her day with a "monster green smoothie" consisting of apples, kiwi, lemon, spinach, broccoli, chia seeds, and coconut water. 

I'm a big fan of leafy greens and citrus fruits, and even enjoyed them when I drank Princess Kate's green smoothie every day for a month. 

Aside from not being very filling, VB's nutrient-dense green smoothie was surprisingly refreshing thanks to the coconut water giving it a naturally sweet kick. 

If greens aren't on the menu, Victoria opts for avocados on toasted Ezekiel bread, a nutritious bread made of whole grains and sprouting legumes. I'm not a fan. 

My first experience with the sprouting, flour-free bread was not an entirely positive one. I found it dry and lacking in flavour, even when loaded with several smashed avocados. 

Speaking of avocados, Victoria's 'Posh' diet is remarkably costly. She told in 2019 that she eats three of four avocados a day to promote a "glowy" skin complexion. Not only did I find eating three avocados in one day excessive and hard to stomach, it was also expensive at £6.35 per day, totalling £44.45 per week, which is usually the price of my entire weekly shop.

"Avocados are rich in many nutrients, including dietary fibre and folate, Vitamins B6, C, E and K, as well as potassium. It is a good source of fats, in particular monounsaturated fats, which can help to support healthy cholesterol levels and contribute to good skin health," says Rima. "However, eating three to four avocados for skin health specifically can be excessive, especially due to the levels of fats that would be consumed."

Upon Rima's recommendation, I soon gave up on the avocado overload and tried to add healthy fats into my diet elsewhere, using an extra virgin olive oil on salads and snacking on nuts between meals. 

Dinner was delicious, but painfully repetitive

Luckily I love eating fish, so searing a honey-glazed salmon and enjoying it with Mediterranean vegetables was a delightful dinner option - though I did get bored soon after day two. I switched it up with a crispy fillet of sea bass on day three, served with garlicky leeks and tenderstem broccoli, but by day four I was going to bed with a rumbling stomach. 

While I don't claim to exercise anywhere near as much as Victoria, I was training for the London Marathon when I trialled her diet, and I quickly found that the lack of carbs proved tricky for fueling my long run days.

While a low carbohydrate diet has been cited as being hugely beneficial for improved heart health, better blood sugar control and lower blood sugar, I felt extremely fatigued by day four. 

Carbs are your body’s primary source of energy, so being restrictive with this can lead to lower energy levels - not ideal when I had a 18km run on the cards for the weekend!I soon added a portion of rice or a portion of potatoes to my daily fish dish, and enjoyed it so much more. 

Will I continue to eat like a Spice Girl?

Following Victoria Beckham's daily diet for just seven days required a huge amount of brain power due to how restrictive it was. I found myself thinking "what would Victoria Beckham do…" when browsing the meal deal options at Pret during office lunch breaks, opting for brothy soups and protein-rich salads rather than my usual go-to chicken caesar baguette.

I did notice by the end of the week I was far less bloated, my skin appeared to be radiant and glowy and I actually found I wasn't as hungry as I expected to be - but it wasn't all positive. 

Though drinking a gut-friendly vinegar may work wonders for someone like Victoria, drinking what can only be described as liquid acid just isn't my jam. I also felt far more fatigued after exercise, and slept fairly badly during the night. 

"Low blood sugar at night can give people nightmares, disrupting their sleep," says Rima. "The lack of carbohydrates in your diet could explain why your cortisol was spiking at night."

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Rima's key tips for those looking to follow a healthy, balanced diet are simply to have a mix of foods rich in proteins, carbohydrates and healthy fats, while also eating foods with vitamins and minerals, fibre and fluid. 

"Aiming to consume more fruits and vegetables will help to support our micronutrient requirements, as well as providing a source of fibre, which is essential to our health. Along with this, opting for a regular protein intake can help support muscle retention as well as satiety factors, and then having wholegrain carbohydrates will provide a steady release of energy throughout the day, again with additional fibre.

"Aim for around half your meals to be based around fruits, vegetables or salad, with equal quantities of lean proteins and wholegrain carbohydrates. Include several sources of healthy fats in each meal, such as olive oil, avocado or nuts, to help with satisfaction and other micronutrient consumption." Noted!

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