The Unhealthiest Foods Taylor Swift Loves To Eat (And How To Make Them Healthier)
Taylor Swift needs a lot of energy to power her onstage for more than three hours. She prepared for The Eras Tour by singing her songs while on the treadmill, amping up the speed during her faster numbers. It also meant giving up alcohol so her mind and body would be fully prepared for training and her shows. She also fuels her body with healthy foods to balance her energy levels.
When Swift has time off, she gives herself a little room to indulge. For example, she told Time that she allowed herself a few drinks at the 2024 Grammys. She also knows that a few unhealthy foods are worth it in moderation. Although her favorite drink is coffee, she allows herself a pumpkin spice latte on the weekends. While the world was on lockdown during COVID-19, she posted her homemade cinnamon rolls on Instagram. During Vogue's 73 Questions, she said her favorite order at a drive-thru was a cheeseburger, fries, and a chocolate shake. Let's take a closer look at the nutrition of these foods.
What makes these foods unhealthy?
When hunger hits, a quick trip through the drive-thru is sometimes your only option. A cheeseburger, fries, and a chocolate shake from In-N-Out Burger pull together those fabulous flavors that satisfy your hunger and your guilty pleasure. At 1,400 total calories, this meal comes in with 28.5 grams of saturated fat, 1,590 grams of sodium, and 61 grams of sugar. It'd take a lot of Taylor Swift songs to burn off this meal on the treadmill.
A grande pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks is a fall favorite, but you might want to save it for special occasions. At 390 calories, you're also getting 9 grams of saturated fat, 230 milligrams of sodium, and 50 grams of sugar. Although Taylor likes her cinnamon rolls homemade, Starbucks cinnamon rolls have 420 calories, 7 grams of saturated fat, 400 milligrams of sodium, and 32 grams of sugar.
If these foods are the only things you eat in a day, you'll still come in at 2,210 calories. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest no more than 10% of your total calories come from saturated fat, but these foods together put you at 18%. These same guidelines also say to limit added sugar to 10% of your calories, and you'll find yourself overdoing it at 26% of your total calories. The American Heart Association advises a maximum sodium amount of 2,300 milligrams per day, and these foods add up to 2,220 milligrams. But there's hope.
Healthy swaps for Taylor Swift's unhealthy favorites
We asked dietician Stephanie Olton at Seraphim Wellness if there were some ways to make these foods a little more healthy. She suggests swapping a fast-food burger with a sirloin, which is a leaner meat. Some places don't have healthy swaps for fries, but Smashburger has Brussels sprouts and sweet potato fries that provide more nutrients and fiber.
Unfortunately, Olton says a milkshake doesn't have a healthy swap unless you want to nix it for a low-sugar iced tea. But that doesn't mean you can't have your shake. Rather, she suggests having it before your meal. "We digest carbs and sugars faster than proteins so having dessert a little while before the meal can aid in the digestion of that meal," she said. As for that pumpkin spice latte, Olton recommends swapping out the milk. "Milk can cause inflammation and mucus production, which is not great for our immune systems. If milk is a must, then at least go for the fat," she said. "The fat in milk helps the absorption of vitamin D and minerals like calcium." Instead of going for the decadent syrups, Olton suggests adding agave nectar for sweetness and good digestion.
Olton sides with Taylor in making the cinnamon rolls at home, but she found a way to improve on a basic recipe. As she told Health Digest, "Using yogurt instead of butter or oil in cinnamon rolls is a healthier and higher protein way to make them. It also makes them very fluffy!"