Who doesn’t love Zendaya? She’s been a star ever since her Disney days on “Shake It Up,” and now she’s shining in movies like “Spider-Man” and “The Greatest Showman” and “Dune”.
She also became the youngest woman to win best actress of a drama series at the Emmys for her role in “Euphoria”! She’s young, but she’s already accomplished so much!
I loved seeing her star in the Malcom and Marie movie. The movie was filmed in just two weeks, but it gave Zendaya the opportunity to grow, which is very important, as she says in her interview with GQ.
Zendaya is such a great actress and dancer, and she’s only 26, so I expect that we’ll be hearing about her for a long time!
She’s not only extremely talented, but she is also a style icon, designer and occasionally a model.
ZENDAYA’S AGE AND BODY TYPE
Okay, before we dive into this, I want to remind you all of two things. :)
One, Zendaya is pretty young. She can get away with a lot of treats and a less-than-perfect diet. I know, I know, it isn’t fair. :)
Everybody’s metabolism slows over time. Someday, I think she’ll really have to refine her diet if she wants to stay slim.
Two, Zendaya is an ectomorph body type. Basically, this means that her body is naturally slim and that she struggles to gain weight and muscles. It also means that she can eat a lot of carbs. Again, she’s pretty lucky!
If you don’t know your body type, I really encourage you to take my free body type quiz or read more about it. Your body type plays a huge role in your fitness journey. Understanding mine really changed my approach to eating well and exercising!
WANT TO KNOW YOUR BODY TYPE?
WHAT DOES ZENDAYA EAT
ZENDAYA’S A VEGETARIAN
Zendaya became a vegetarian at 9 years old according to The Beet. However, she likes to joke that she tolerates vegetables, but she’d much rather have a pizza.
She loves animals, and she says that she became a vegetarian mainly for ethical reasons. She isn’t a vegan though, so she can still eat dairy and some other animal products.
Zendaya doesn’t expect to change any time soon. She doesn’t miss meat (except her mom’s turkey burgers!), and she feels committed to her lifestyle. Good for her!
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WHAT ZENDAYA EATS FOR BREAKFAST
Zendaya struggles with breakfast. She loves breakfast food, but she doesn’t like eating first thing in the morning. She said that usually, her assistant or a family member will remind her to eat. Zendaya tellsHarper’s Bazaar, “I’ll eat breakfast food, but it must have some Nutella on it: pancakes, berries and Nutella.” Yum!
It’s important to mention that skipping breakfast (or any meal really), is not good for your metabolism or your hormones, so it’s something I definitely wouldn’t recommend. When it comes to healthy and balanced nutrition, I always like to recommend the 80-20 rule, which I’ve personally been following for a couple of years now.
ZENDAYA’S FAVORITE LUNCH
Being very busy, Zendaya says she often ends up forgetting meals and snacking instead.
Zendaya used to be a big fan of cup ramen noodles, but in a recent interview she says she stopped eating them once she realised that chicken powder wasn’t just an artificial flavoring in ramen noodles, but that cup ramen noodles actually contain chicken. This is why, as a vegetarian, she decided to cut it out of her diet completely!
Ironically, Zendaya admits that she is a vegetarian who doesn’t really enjoy eating veggies :) In her interview withCosmopolitan she said, “I’m a vegetarian who doesn’t like vegetables too much—makes it challenging!”
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AND WHAT ABOUT DINNER?
Zendaya isn’t a big cook, so she usually ends up ordering dinner on Postmates. Her favorite meal to order is … ice cream! But she says her assistant tries to encourage her to eat healthier.
She also loves to order a salad or another vegetarian option from Chick-fil-A, an American fast-food restaurant.
ZENDAYA’S GO-TO SALAD
Let’s be real. Zendaya has an amazing body, and she doesn’t just eat junk food, ramen, and pancakes. She makes sure to sprinkle in some lighter options (and veggies!) too, even if they aren’t her favourite choices.
She likes to make this rice salad during the summer months. It’s perfect to bring to a BBQ or picnic to eat instead of a carb-heavy potato salad or casserole.
Here’s how you make it:
- 2 cups instant brown rice, dry
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- A small onion, diced
- 1 small zucchini, diced
- one 8-oz. package mushrooms, sliced
- 2 carrots, julienned
- 2 tsp. lemon juice salt and pepper
Cook the rice, then sauté all of the ingredients together. Chill for 30 minutes, and serve cold.
ZENDAYA’S WORKOUT ROUTINE
SHE GREW UP PLAYING SPORTS!
Zendaya grew up playing soccer, basketball, and running track. She continued doing these things into her teen years.
However, she doesn’t have a regular exercise routine at this point in her life. She says she hates the gym, and she doesn’t go on a daily basis (though she does show up to workout sometimes!).
Zendaya wanted to be more active during quarantine and work out, as she felt it would be good for her. She made it fun for herself by putting on wigs and exercising as different characters and making up skits, which I think is a lovely idea! :)
However, Zendaya only managed to last about five days, but she admits she realizes the importance of being active in her life.
SHE’S VERY ACTIVE
Zendaya may not love the gym, but she is still a very active person. A lot of her acting work requires her to be dancing, performing choreographed moves, or just up on her feet.
The different movies or TV shows she’s in require different types of training too. For example, while training for “The Greatest Showman,” Zendaya had to develop a lot of upper body and core strength in order to do the circus moves.
She did this by just going for the acrobatic stunts. For her, practice makes perfect.
During quarantine, she enjoyed spending time outside on hikes, with her assistant Darnell and her dog, where there was no one around her. This also helps her relax and release some of the stress that working hard can cause!
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ZENDAYA’S FITNESS ADVICE
1. MAKE FITNESS FUN
Zendaya tells everybody to make fitness fun. She knows she won’t enjoy her workouts unless they help her have a good time!
If she doesn’t have any activity in her day through her work, Zendaya likes to join a dance class or even dance by herself. She says exercise has to be fun for her to stick with it. :)
2. MAKE FITNESS A PRIORITY
I see a lot of young ectomorphs avoid working out. They’re able to stay slim because of their high metabolism. But a lot of them will need to work out as they get older to stay trim and avoid looking skinny fat.
As Zendaya gets older, she’s making fitness more of a priority. She shared a workout she does on her website.
Here are some of the moves she does:
- Arm raises with TRX Straps
- Bicycle crunches
- Laps
- Pushups
- Leg raises
- Pop quats
- Wacky jacks
- Russian crosses
- Wide leg squats
- Lunges
3. TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF
Zendaya isn’t the healthiest person I’ve ever written about. She doesn’t always choose the healthy option, and she’s happy to indulge in ice cream on a regular basis. :)
Her body type, age, and active lifestyle allow Zendaya to get away with not being very structured in her diet and workout routine. I expect that, as she gets older, she’ll become more disciplined when it comes to eating well and sticking to a workout routine.
For now, though, Zendaya still leads an active life and tries to get in some healthy meals and good exercise. She looks amazing, has the energy and athleticism to perform stunts in her films, and seems happy!
As a big fan of her acting and her work so far, I’m so excited to see all the interesting things Zendaya will do in her life!
Love Rachael xx
Featured Image credit: Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock.com
