Despite milk often being touted as a superdrink 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-standing diet, according to his former private chef, a choice that has aligned with the discipline behind his longevity into a 25th professional season. The 41-year-old, now at Al-Nassr, is closing in on 1,000 career goals after scoring his 969th in a win last weekend. Across spells with Manchester United and Real Madrid, Ronaldo has consistently pointed to discipline in diet and recovery as central to maintaining peak physical condition.
Why milk is excluded from his diet
Ronaldo’s former chef Giorgio Barone explained that milk is completely removed from his routine, not for performance reasons alone but because of a broader view about consumption. “No milk,” Barone told Covers.com, before outlining the reasoning in detail: “Humans are the only animals that drink the milk of other animals. No other animal drinks milk after three months. Calves don’t drink milk after the age of three months. Animals don’t drink the milk of other animals. “It does not exist in nature. Only human beings continue to drink milk up to 30, 40, 50, and 60 years, and in my view it is wrong. We breastfeed from our mothers, like dogs, wolves, cows and donkeys. It is normal. “After infancy it is not normal. It is against nature.”
Structure of Ronaldo’s daily diet
Barone described Ronaldo’s diet as controlled but varied, built around consistency rather than restriction for its own sake. “Cristiano Ronaldo’s diet is balanced,” he said. “He eats a little bit of everything, but it’s always healthy.” He then detailed how that plays out across the day: “Starting with breakfast, he would have an avocado with coffee, eggs and no sugar. Absolutely no sugar. Lunch could 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 the form of fillet. It’s always accompanied by vegetables.” The approach removes refined sugar entirely and avoids flour-based carbohydrates, relying instead on protein, vegetables and healthy fats.
Ronaldo maintains under 10% body fat, avoids refined sugar, milk, and focuses on strict recovery routines/ Instagram
Physical condition and recovery routine
That structure is reflected in Ronaldo’s physical condition, with 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 his partner Georgina Rodriguez are known to use regularly.
Ronaldo’s recovery routine includes intense sauna sessions and ice baths to maintain peak fitness and longevity/Instagram
The same discipline has been visible in public moments as well. During the 2021 European Championship, Ronaldo moved a bottle of Coca-Cola away from a press conference table and told viewers to “drink water,” a moment that wiped billions off the company’s market value.
Comparison with other players’ diets
Barone also addressed comparisons with Erling Haaland, who has spoken about drinking raw milk as part of his own routine. While rejecting milk, Barone agreed with other elements of that approach, particularly the inclusion of organ meats: “I agree with [Erling Haaland’s diet of] eating the organs. The liver, heart and brain are all healthy foods. They are superfoods. Cristiano liked liver too. I love it. It’s very rich in iron, and it’s important in the diet, so for the organs, I approve, but not for the milk.”
