Riddhima Kapoor reveals diet secrets; know her exact meal plan for toned body: ‘It is not just about weight'

Riddhima Kapoor attributes her fitness and slim figure to eating frequent meals throughout the day. In an interview with HT Lifestyle, she shares her tips.

Eating frequent meals is considered a popular approach to weight management and overall health, and several celebrities swear by it. In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Riddhima Kapoor reveals she, too, eats small, frequent meals throughout the day to manage her weight. But here's the best part — she indulges in chocolate twice a day. Yes, you read that right!

Riddhima Kapoor relies on power yoga to feel more flexible, relaxed, and refreshed. (Instagram/ Riddhima Kapoor)

Riddhima prioritises moderation and balance

While she relies on power yoga to feel more flexible, relaxed, and refreshed and to restore her body and mind, the jewellery designer and Fabulous Lives vs Bollywood Wives star also believes in eating right to maintain her weight. She likes balancing her diet with small, frequent meals, and satisfying her sweet tooth with a daily dose of chocolate. It's refreshing to see a celebrity embrace their love for chocolate as part of their daily diet. After all, life is about balance, right?

Riddhima says, “I have dark chocolate, like 2-3 pieces every single day. I cannot not have chocolate in the afternoon, post lunch, and also post dinner. So, I have chocolate twice a day.”

It's refreshing to see Riddhima Kapoor embracing her love for chocolate as part of her daily diet. (Representative picture: Pexels)

She refuses to diet in a world obsessed with dieting

Instead of dieting and trying to shrink parts of you, Riddhima hopes you'll join her in embracing and celebrating your body as there's no one else on this earth that has it.

She says, “I don't follow any of the fad diets like intermittent diet or no-sugar diet. I don't believe in the word diet. I believe one should not deprive oneself. Eat everything in moderation. You need sugar, your body needs sugar. Sugar is not your enemy. Just have a little bit. Your body needs certain things -- little bit of salt, little bit of sugar. Have everything but don't lose control and let go. As long as I have the ability to do my work, take care of my family and be active, that matters the most to me. I am a very active person. I don't have a sedentary lifestyle. I am always on the move and try to make my daughter Samara also do a lot of physical activities.”

She adds, “I eat everything. I don't believe in dieting, or eating certain things and avoiding certain things. I believe in a balanced diet. I eat whatever I want and also have my binge moments or have cheat meals once or twice a week because I think you should eat what you want and not deprive yourself. You know the Kapoor family loves food, so there is no escape from that.”

Warns against obsession with weight loss

You've probably heard that losing weight is the easy part — it's keeping it off that's difficult. And while that's not necessarily true (losing weight in and of itself takes hard work and dedication!), Riddhima warns that many people lose weight, and gain it back, thus starting a cycle of losing and gaining it over and over; this wreaks havoc on their body and metabolism in the long run, she says.

Instead of focusing on the number on the scale, she recommends focusing on sustainable behaviours. Riddhima wants people to stop obsessing over weight, and look at the big picture. She says, “I don't know why people give so much importance to weight now. First thing people say when you go to a house is 'Oh my God, you have gained weight' or 'Oh my God, you have lost weight' as if there is nothing else to talk about. As long as you are looking great, you have energy, your skin is glowing, your hair is great, I think that is what counts. People are obsessed with weight. They need to understand, it is not just about weight loss. You can lose weight easily, but you have to maintain that weight. you don't want to a yo-yo. That is very unhealthy.”

She adds, “There are many fad diets that you can follow, but what they are doing to you in the long run is important. Once you lose weight, the lifestyle needs to be healthy, more than anything.”

Riddhima is a fan of parboiled rice

Riddhima says parboiled rice can be a nutritious addition to a balanced diet, offering several potential health benefits as it makes the nutrients more easily absorbed by the body. She says, “Over the years, I have aged. Of course, I follow a balanced diet and eat everything in moderation. In fact, I have also switched from having regular rice to matta rice, which is parboiled rice. That is something I recommend and promote because it has really worked for me. It helps regulate blood sugar and is very healthy for you.”

“I eat my regular 1-2 chapati as well as rice. But if I am eating roti, I will not eat rice. I will have either one of them. I can also have a paratha during lunch. I prefer being a vegetarian; so I get my proteins from peas, sabzi, dal, hug curd and rice. I have everything, but I do not over do,” she adds.

First thing she has when she wakes up is a teaspoon of virgin cold-pressed coconut oil. (Representative picture: Pixabay)

Here's Riddhima's daily meal plan

Riddhima has a very structured and ritualistic approach to her daily eating habits. Eating small, frequent meals throughout the day, like Riddhima, can be beneficial for weight management, metabolism, and overall health. It can also keep your energy levels stable and help avoid overeating.

She also prioritises traditional Indian foods, fruits, and vegetables, as well as some specific rituals like having a teaspoon of cold pressed coconut oil and amla prash in the morning. She says, “First thing I have when I wake up is a teaspoon of virgin cold-pressed coconut oil. Then I have my amla prash.”

It's also interesting to note that she prioritises her ‘morning tea and Marie biscuits’, even when travelling! Riddhima says, “I need my morning tea around 7.30 am, regular milk tea. I don't put sugar in it, but I need my two Marie biscuits with it. Even if I am travelling, no matter where I am. I was recently in Phuket (to ring in New Year 2025 with her family), and I carried my teabags and my Marie biscuits as these are my morning stapes.”

With amla, fruits, and fresh juice, she is getting a good dose of Vitamin C throughout the day. Riddhima says, “After a shower, I have my bowl of fruits around 9 am. Then I have a cut amla with black pepper. So that is a lot of Vitamin C. Then I also have two dates and two prunes plus a glass of beetroot, pomegranate and carrot juice; and this is something I do every day.”