Padma Lakshmi Workout and Diet

Reality TV Host

Born: 1970

Padma Lakshmi was born in India and moved to the United States when she was 4. She was raised first in New York City and then California. At age 21 while studying abroad in Madrid, Spain, she was discovered by a modeling agent. She modeled for big-name brands including Armani, Versace, Ungaro and Ralph Lauren, and appeared on many magazine covers including Vogue India, Harper’s Bazaar and Elle. In 2001, Lakshmi hosted Padma’s Passport, a cooking show for the series Melting Pot. But she is probably best known for hosting Top Chef from 2006-2023, and for which she received multiple nominations for a Primetime Emmy for Reality Host. Lakshmi has written 5 books so far, including best-selling cookbooks, a spice encyclopedia, a memoir and a children’s book. She is an ambassador for the ACLU for women’s rights and immigration, and a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN. In 2023, she was on Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People list. Lakshmi was married to author Salman Rushdie and has a daughter with businessman Adam Dell. She has over a million followers on social media. Lakshmi is 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighs about 135 lbs.

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Padma Lakshmi’s Diet

Diet Summary

Lakshmi loves food. She loves Indian cuisine but also foods from around the world. She eats a lot of fruit and veggies every day in a rainbow of colors. Some her other staples include eggs, chicken thighs, rice, beans, spices and yogurt, which she eats at almost every meal. She doesn’t follow any particular diet, although she is mindful of portion size. For someone who loves to cook, she usually keeps thing very simple, whipping up rice and beans or a quick curry made with green mango and chicken thighs. She stays hydrated with plenty of water, and also drinks lots of chai tea every day — up to 10 cups.

Estimated Macros

Medium Fat

Medium Protein

Medium Carb

Diet Details

Eat the Rainbow

Lakshmi eats a wide range of foods, and focuses on getting plenty of fresh fruit and veg every day.

Rise & Shine

Lakshmi has papaya with yogurt and spices in the morning before heading out to the gym. She says she must eat before working out.

Go Yo

Lakshmi typically includes yogurt with almost every meal. She says it helps with digestion, and tames spicy foods.

Dinner: the K.I.S.S Plan

Lakshmi cooks a lot, but it’s not necessarily complicated. She often makes basic pasta or rice and vegetables with an egg.

The Holy Trinity

Lakshmi uses spices in every meal. Her holy trinity is garlic, ginger and onions.

Love the Leftovers

Lakshmi’s typical lunch is usually leftovers from dinner the night before, which might be dal (lentils) and rice, chicken soup or a turkey sandwich.

Time to Unwind

Lakshmi says her favorite cocktail involves tequila, but she keeps it simple as she doesn’t care for sugary drinks. The only thing she adds is some club soda and a squeeze of lime.

What to Eat

Whole, natural foods
Fresh veggies
Fresh fruit
Yogurt
Eggs
Bread
Rice
Lentils
Ginger
Garlic
Onions
Shallots
Chicken thighs
Apples
Peanut butter
Spices
Chai tea
Water

What to Avoid

Overeating
Empty-calorie foods
Junk food
Processed foods
Artificial ingredients
Chemical additives

Lakshmi on breakfast

‘I have to eat in the morning before my workout because I won’t make it through my workout if I don’t.’

Lakshmi on cooking

‘We cook 1 fresh meal a day in our home, and that’s usually dinner. I purposely cook extra so that I will have enough for lunch.’

Lakshmi on yogurt

‘It helps calm my tummy with spicy food. It also just makes me feel good…Have a little bit with every meal, or most meals, if you can.’

Lakshmi on her adult beverage of choice

‘I don’t like sugary mixed drinks, so I tend to have my spirits just with club soda and some lime.’

Padma Lakshmi’s Workout Routine

Workout Routine

Up & At ‘Em

Lakshmi likes to get her workout in first thing in the morning, after energizing with a little fruit and yogurt.

No Equipment Necessary

Lakshmi takes a k.i.s.s. approach to fitness as well as to cooking: she does simple body weight exercises that can be done anywhere, anytime.

Cardio Queen

For her cardio, Lakshmi likes to hit the Airdyne bike, which is great for endurance and easy on the joints. She also does battle ropes and skips rope doing 2,000 jumps and taking a water break every 100 jumps

Daily Dose

Lakshmi works out regularly for both the physical and mental benefits exercise offers.

Mix It Up

Lakshmi does a wide range of exercises, including weights, boxing, and Pilates.

Circuit Training

Lakshmi does circuits to get her cardio and weight training in a single session.

Exercise Style

A Padma Lakshmi Workout According to her Instagram

Exercise 90 min x 5 days a week
Circuit training including:

Weights
Donkey kicks
Leg raises
Airdyne
Battle ropes
Tire flips
Pilates
Boxing
Jump rope: 2000 jumps

Lakshmi on her Airdyne workout

‘My thighs are on fire!’

Lakshmi on battle ropes

‘I can’t even speak right now…It was, like, 20 seconds, but it killed me.’

Lakshmi on the many benefits of exercise

‘The mental benefits I get from exercise, like Pilates, weights, pvolve and especially boxing…far surpasses any physical benefits.’

Padma Lakshmi’s Supplements

Collagen

To keep her bones, joints, and skin strong and supple, Lakshmi starts her day with a scoop of collagen mixed with 4 oz of water.

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Bhringraj

Lakshmi also takes the Ayurvedic herb bhringraj along with her daily collagen. Bhringraj may lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and it’s also great for your hair.

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Vitamins & Me

Lakshmi endorses the Indian vitamin brand vitamins&me which offers a wide range of supplements to support energy, immunity, bone health, and to address deficiencies.

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Tea Tree & Honey

Lakshmi is all about natural beauty, and uses tea tree oil to control breakouts. She uses 5-6 drops in a bowl of steaming water to unclog pores. Another of Lakshmi’s DIY skincare choices: honey and jojoba oil.

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Padma Lakshmi’s Lifestyle

Early Bird

Lakshmi is up early, most days by 6:30 am. She kicks off her morning with a collagen and bhringraj beverage, followed by green tea with honey. After her daughter leaves for school, she’ll relax by reading the paper and catching up on email.

Really Bad Luck

When she was 14, Lakshmi spent 3 weeks in the hospital with Stevens-Johnson syndrome, a rare condition that is sometimes fatal. Just 2 days after being released, she was in a terrible car accident that broke her hip and shattered her arm. She developed scoliosis as a result, which Pilates helped to correct.

Nice Deal

After being discovered while studying abroad in Spain, Lakshmi was able to pay for her college by modeling and acting. She was a favorite of photographer Helmut Newton, who was known highlight the scar on her arm.

Not Just Another Pretty Face

Lakshmi speaks 5 languages: Tamil, Hindi, English, Spanish, and Italian.

Ardent Activist

Lakshmi was diagnosed with endometriosis when she was 36, but had suffered from the disease since she was a teen. She is the co-founder of the Endometriosis Foundation of America, as well as a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN and the ACLU.

Silent No More

Lakshmi says she was sexually assaulted as a child by a relative of her stepfather, and was shipped off to live with her grandparents for a year. She also says she was raped by her boyfriend at 16, and did not speak up for fear of being sent away again.

Lakshmi on her beauty routine

‘I use a lot of natural remedies. It’s my Indian heritage coming out.’

Lakshmi on Pilates

‘Pilates changed my body. It made me strong in places I didn’t know I needed to be. I have a butt now that I didn’t have during my modeling career!’

Lakshmi on sexual assault

‘The lesson was: if you speak up, you will be cast out…I am speaking now because I want us all to fight so that our daughters never know this fear and shame.’

Lakshmi on her modeling career

‘I was the first Indian model to have a career in Paris, Milan and New York. I’m the first one to admit that I was a novelty.’