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    Former Royal Chef Says it “Sounds Crazy,” But Princess Diana Used to Eat One Surprising Meal Before Working Out

    Darren McGrady shares the late royal's quick and unusual breakfast.

    Kristin Contino's avatar
    By Kristin Contino
    Published 16 August 2026 In News

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    A split photo of Princess Diana in two different sweatshirts and shorts leaving the gym
    (Image credit: Getty Images)
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    The first thing that comes to mind when most people picture Princess Diana going to the gym is her iconic biker shorts and sweatshirts, but former royal chef Darren McGrady said that she had a lesser-known morning routine.

    According to McGrady, Diana, who was frequently photographed at London gym the Chelsea Harbour Club in scrunchy socks and lycra, had a slightly odd favorite breakfast that helped fuel her workouts.

    “I used to cook beans for breakfast at Buckingham Palace and Princess Diana loved them,” the chef said in a video on his YouTube Channel. “She'd actually eat a whole tin of beans for breakfast.”

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    Princess Diana wearing bike shorts and a sweatshirt leaving the gym

    Princess Diana was a fan of beans before working out, says her former chef Darren McGrady.

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    Princess Diana wearing bike shorts and a sweatshirt leaving the gym

    Diana is pictured at the Chelsea Harbour Club in 1994.

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    “Sounds crazy, but when you think about it, there's only seven grams of sugar in the English-style baked beans, they're rich in protein, high in fiber, very low in fat,” McGrady explained.

    He continued that beans were “perfect” for the late princess to get “that really big carb boost ready for going to the gym and doing a workout.”

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    Another fiber-packed favorite of Diana's was overnight oats, and McGrady noted that his former boss was way ahead of the trend. “She actually went to a Swiss health clinic, and there she had these overnight oats,” McGrady said on YouTube, adding that they "were actually called bircher muesli, they were invented by a Swiss nutritionist.”

    “She stole the recipe, came back, and said Darren, I want these for breakfast every day,” he recalled.

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    Diana
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    Food and Cocktails
    Kristin Contino
    Kristin Contino
    Senior Royal and Celebrity Editor

    Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

    Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

    Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.

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