We’re used to seeing First Ladies dazzle on the world stage in designer gowns, their every move scrutinised and celebrated. But what happens when the spotlight dims and it’s time for breakfast—or dinner?
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It turns out, their eating habits are just as fascinating as their fashion choices, and sometimes even more surprising.
Melania Trump’s diet: Smoothies, fruits and a strong no to sushi
Melania Trump is particular about her food, and she doesn’t make exceptions—even on official state visits. As revealed in her best-selling memoir Melania, the former First Lady wrote:
I made it known that I do not eat raw fish.
This firm stance became especially relevant during her trip to Japan with Donald Trump in 2019, where sushi was conspicuously absent from their imperial banquet.
Instead, the Trumps were served a six-course meal at the Imperial Palace including consommé a la royale, turbot a la meunière sauce tomate, cote de boeuf rotie, and glacé Mont Fuji. Not a single piece of sushi in sight. Even during a more casual dinner with then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the menu included wagyu beef steak and baked potatoes—again, no raw fish.
Beyond international dinners, Melania’s regular diet, as reported by Hola!, is health-conscious and fruit-forward. She reportedly starts her day with a smoothie of blueberries, carrots, spinach, fat-free yogurt, and apple juice. She’s also known for eating at least seven pieces of fruit daily—apples and peaches being her favourites. While her diet is mindful, she still leaves room for indulgences like dark chocolate and ice cream.
Interestingly, Hola! also reported that she has been trying to influence Donald Trump’s eating habits. As an insider told Page Six:
RFK Jr. and Melania are ‘ganging up’ on the President-elect to eat in a more healthy way.
Jackie Kennedy’s glamorous yet restrictive regimen
When it comes to First Ladies and food, few stories spark as much fascination as Jackie Kennedy’s. According to New York Post, her famously strict eating habits have stirred up online debates, particularly after being highlighted by content creator @mindofmarisa on TikTok.
According to @mindofmarisa, Jackie’s breakfast was toast and honey with orange juice and coffee with skim milk. Lunch included a cup of broth and a ‘slim sandwich,’ and dinner was typically cold poached salmon followed by lamb with potatoes, string beans and ice cream.
In another instance, Kathy McKeon recounted in her memoir Jackie’s Girl, Jackie’s meals were minimalist. Breakfast might consist of a single boiled egg with tea, while lunch was cottage cheese with fruit. Dinner was typically poached chicken or fish with vegetables or salad. Her snacks? Often just plain yogurt.
What really got people talking, however, was her alleged obsession with Beluga caviar. According to New York Post, legend has it that Jackie went through a phase of eating just one baked potato a day topped with caviar—specifically Beluga caviar, which reportedly cost around $10,000 per kilogram.
Michelle Obama’s love for peanut butter and jelly
And now for a complete pivot: from caviar and poached fish to something much more relatable. Michelle Obama’s go-to meal growing up might surprise you with its charming simplicity.
Michelle Obama has become an icon of healthy living, spearheading the 'Let’s Move!' campaign and starring in food-focused kids’ shows. But her own childhood breakfast habit was surprisingly low-key. On the podcast Your Mama’s Kitchen, she revealed that for years, she ate the same thing every single morning: a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
She admitted:
I didn't like bacon, sausage, all of the breakfast food. So what did I eat? Peanut butter and jelly. Every morning until I went to college.
Growing up in a household that valued hearty breakfasts, Michelle made a compromise with her mum.
I really like peanut butter and jelly. It was sort of a compromise that I made with my mother because I thought, well, it's got peanuts, it's protein, a little bit of oil.
She explained:
Nothing's wrong with bread. If we're having toast, why can't I have it in a sandwich form? And jelly. Everybody was having jelly on their toast. Let me just put it on my peanut butter. She gave up. And I literally ate peanut butter and jelly every morning for most of my life, literally until I was in college.
Though she’s since diversified her morning meals—especially due to her daughter’s peanut allergy—Michelle’s early diet is a refreshing reminder that not all iconic women grow up on extravagant or restrictive menus. Sometimes, a simple PB&J does the trick.
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Sources used:
Daily Mail: Melania Trump's very specific menu: Former first lady reveals the food she absolutely would not eat during foreign travel
Hola!: A look inside Melania Trump's healthy diet and her desire to improve Donald Trump's eating habits
New York Post: Jackie Kennedy’s shocking strict diet stirs up controversy: “Imagine being that rich and still denying yourself the pleasure”
Eating Well: Michelle Obama Shared the Surprising Breakfast She Ate Every Day for Years
