Greek Australian fitness sensation Kayla Itsines - Her diet revealed
It's no secret that Greek Australian Kayla Itsines has an impressive workout regime which she regularly shares on social media.
But what are her diet secrets?
The international fitness guru has revealed her typical daily diet.
The 29-year-old mainly follows a Mediterranean-style diet that is packed full of Greek foods from her heritage. "This means a wide variety of vegetable and fruit as snacks, and a good mix of vegetables, protein and carbohydrates in my meals," she posted on her website.
Kayla Itsines also has the motto- "A little of everything in moderation".
Breakfast
For breakfast, Kayla said if she's at home, she'll often have "a lot of vegetables with two pieces of toast". This could be foods like tomatoes, capsicum, cucumber and avocado, which are all then drizzled with extra Virgin olive oil, fresh basil, dried oregano and salt and pepper.
"I eat my toast with olive oil (yes, that's even more olive oil - what can I say, I'm Greek!) as I prefer it to butter," international fitness guru said.
She added that she is lactose intolerant and tries to limit her intake of dairy where possible.
If she's out, Kayla said she loves to order scrambled eggs with chilli with a side of chilli kale as she 'loves' spicy food. Or she might get sauteed mushrooms, tomatoes and avocado with toast and a piccolo latte with dairy-free milk.
Lunch
Lunch for the busy 29-year-old is "really simple".
If she is at home, she makes herself a quick tuna salad. To replicate her go-to dish, all you need is some canned tuna, brown rice, fresh basil, cucumber, tomato, capsicum and red onion. For the dressing- olive oil, dried oregano, balsamic vinegar, salt and cracked pepper.
"It's a healthy lunch you can make in under five minutes - just chop up the vegetables and basil and put them in your bowl, add tuna and dressing and you're good to go!" Kayla said.
Other favourite lunchtime dishes include rice paper rolls, sushi, crunchy salad rolls with protein or a Greek dish like stuffed capsicum.
"My general approach is that I’ll eat some kind of protein with rice or pasta and salad or vegetables," she added.
Dinner
Dinner is where Kayla really varies her diet, however her basic principle is to "always include protein, carbohydrates, and LOTS of vegetables."
Most nights she has dinner with her family and lots of shared dishes which include pasta dishes, salads, roasted vegetables and meat including skewers, baked chicken schnitzel or gyros (kebabs).
Kayla also said she enjoys Thai food, curries and noodle dishes for dinner.
Snacks
The Greek Australian fitness sensation said she is not a massive snacker as her meals are her "primary concern for nutrition and as an energy source."
However, if her body tells her she is hungry, she eats something.
"There are so many easy healthy snacks you can eat throughout the day. I'll often have fresh fruit from Yiayia and Papou's garden, which always tastes amazing, and I might add some Greek yoghurt and a drizzle of honey and cinnamon on top," Kayla said.
She also recommends raw vegetable sticks with tzatziki.
Food should bring people together
"My philosophy on food is really simple: I believe in having a healthy balanced diet, the food you eat should make you feel good, it shouldn't feel like a chore to make it or eat it, and you should eat the foods you enjoy," Kayla said.
You should also never cut out entire food groups, as you'll end up craving them later.
"I also believe food should bring your whole family together. You shouldn’t have to cook separate meals for everybody — there should be dishes that everyone can enjoy and share!" she concluded.
Greek Australian Kayla Itsines one of the world’s leading fitness guru’s
Kayla Itsines is one of the healthiest role models for young women.
Not only is she a personal trainer, but she is also an author and entrepreneur, with a following of over 20 million people.
Proud of her Greek heritage, 29-year-old Kayla says her sense of family and willingness to always put others first is a big part of why she is a Personal Trainer. “I’ve always wanted to be able to help others, and now I get to do it through my love of health and fitness.”
The international fitness guru’s ‘fitspiration’ has transformed millions of lives, which Kayla is incredibly grateful for, especially being in a position to help so many women. “It actually makes me emotional when I think about some of the women I have met and the stories they have told me. I am just so proud of each and every one of them.”
