Jordin Sparks has tried it all. The star has been a pescatarian, a vegetarian and a vegan.
“I like to kind of push myself to see if I can do something, like, ‘OK, I’m going cut all this out and go as long as I can, and see what happens,” the star of the upcoming “The Pout-Pout Fish” film tells TODAY.com.
One thing that has stayed consistent is the snack she has kept in rotation since her teens: a simple salad her aunt taught her how to make.
“It could be a lunch or like a little, small snack,” Sparks says. Over a bed of mixed greens, she piles chicken breast — Sparks prefers hers shredded because “it’s just easier” — sunflower seeds, champagne vinaigrette and vegetables, including onions and cucumbers.
“Actually, I made it for myself the other day” after going a while without eating it, she recalls. “I was like, ‘Why am I not making this for myself more?' It was so good,” she adds. “And it was so easy to make, like, within five minutes.”
Since 2014, Sparks has been dealing with gut issues, which prompted her to cut out certain food groups and see which eating patterns would help her feel her best. She started abstaining from meat and eventually all animal products. After about six years, she worked them back into her diet and now she’s “back to eating everything," she says.
One food in particular was worth the switch, she admits. “Man, my husband cooks a mean steak,” she laughed. And now, her aunt's salad is back in rotation, too.
Not one for health trends, Sparks is all for finding what works for you. In trying out various eating habits, workout routines and products, she has zeroed in on her tried and true practices.
“Nobody is the same. We don’t work the same. … Let’s do away with the trends and do what works best for your body,” she said.
