Cristiano Ronaldo avoids milk completely, and former chef reveals strict diet behind elite longevity / Image: Instagram
Although milk is often touted as a drink rich in protein, calcium and essential vitamins, and widely used by athletes for recovery and muscle support, Cristiano Ronaldo has avoided it as part of his long-term diet, according to his former private chef, a choice in keeping with the discipline behind his longevity in his 25th professional season. The 41-year-old, who now plays for Al Nassr, is closing in on 1,000 career goals after scoring his 969th goal in last weekend’s win. Across his spells with Manchester United and Real Madrid, Ronaldo has consistently cited diet discipline and recovery as key elements in maintaining optimal physical condition.
Why is milk excluded from his diet?
Ronaldo’s former chef, Giorgio Baroni, explained that milk was completely removed from his routine, not for performance reasons alone, but because of a broader point of view on consumption. “No milk,” Barron told Covers.com, before detailing the reasons: “Humans are the only animals that drink other animals’ milk. No other animal drinks milk after three months. Calves don’t drink milk after three months. “It does not exist in nature. Only humans continue to drink milk until they are 30, 40, 50 and 60 years old, and in my opinion this is wrong. We are breastfed by our mothers, just like dogs, wolves, cows and donkeys.”
This is normal. “After childhood it becomes unnatural. It is against nature.”
The structure of Ronaldo’s daily diet
Baron described Ronaldo’s diet as controlled but varied, and built on consistency rather than restriction per se. He said: “Cristiano Ronaldo’s diet is balanced.” “He eats a little bit of everything, but it’s always healthy.” He then detailed how this happened throughout the day: “Starting with breakfast, he would have an avocado with coffee and eggs and no sugar.
There is no sugar at all. Lunch can be chicken, fish and always vegetables. If he needs carbohydrates, he gets them through vegetables, so he doesn’t need anything made with flour. “Nothing like pasta, bread and other types of food. In the evening, he eats light foods, usually fish or meat in slices. It is always accompanied by vegetables.” This approach completely eliminates refined sugar and avoids flour-based carbohydrates, relying instead on protein, vegetables, and healthy fats.
Ronaldo maintains less than 10% body fat, avoids refined sugar and milk, and focuses on strict recovery routines.
Physical condition and recovery routine
This structure is reflected in Ronaldo’s physical condition, with his body fat levels maintained below 10 per cent. His routine extends beyond diet, incorporating recovery methods such as saunas and ice baths, which he and partner Georgina Rodriguez are known to use regularly.
Ronaldo’s recovery routine includes intense sauna sessions and ice baths to maintain peak levels of fitness and longevity
The same discipline was demonstrated in public moments as well. During the 2021 European Championship, Ronaldo moved a Coca-Cola bottle away from the press conference table and told viewers to “drink water”, a moment that wiped billions off the company’s market value.
Comparison with the diet of other players
Baron also addressed comparisons to Erling Haaland, who has spoken about drinking raw milk as part of his own routine. While Barron rejected milk, he agreed with other elements of the approach, particularly the inclusion of organ meats: “I agree with that [Erling Haaland’s diet of] Eating organs. Liver, heart and brain are all healthy foods. They are superfoods. Cristiano also loved liver. I love him. It is very rich in iron, which is important in the diet, so I approve of it for organs, but not for milk.
