topic Re: FOOD PREFERENCES OF JACKIE ONASSIS in Community Chat

FOOD PREFERENCES OF JACKIE ONASSIS

Oznell — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 23:10:44 GMT

Among the many sites devoted to the lifestyle of Mrs. Onassis, several have noted her disciplined food habits.

I remember years ago reading that in later years, when she spent much time at her coastal retreat, she would eat a breakfast of one-half cup of bran flakes and coffee.

Most sites report her food preferences thusly:

Breakfast-- Poached egg. Toast-- sometimes dry toast (gack), but would have honey. Coffee with skim milk.

Lunch-- Cottage cheese with fresh fruit. Or, sometimes a sandwich, such as grilled cheese, and broth.

Dinner-- Poached chicken or fish. Vegetables, sometimes potato.

As an occasional indulgence, she loved baked potato with caviar.

Snack-- Plain yogurt. She recommended this as a snack also, to a favorite employee who wanted to lose weight. When the employee understandably balked at the "plain" part, Jackie recommended stirring instant coffee into it, which the employee welcomed.

That sounds so endearingly "Sixties" to me!

She would break out of this occasionally by raiding ice cream from the freezer late at night.

Of course, when she ate out or had special dinners, she would also depart from this regimen.

It's an aspect of the fascination that she still exerts after all these years, that there is much interest in all aspects of her life.

I've not been that interested in what she ate, but remember being agog that one of her favorite French scents was "Vent Vert" by Balmain. It is, or was, a cool, grassy scent.

Re: FOOD PREFERENCES OF JACKIE ONASSIS

AuntG — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 23:22:09 GMT

As meal plans go, hers seems somewhat sensible.

Re: FOOD PREFERENCES OF JACKIE ONASSIS

Trinity11 — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 23:23:25 GMT

It was known, in her inner circle, that she smoked up to 3 packs of Salem per day. That alone would be an appetite suppressant. Sadly, most days she was eating only 600 calories per day.

Re: FOOD PREFERENCES OF JACKIE ONASSIS

piperbay — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 23:26:14 GMT

If I remember correctly from reading the book, Jackie's Girl, her breakfast would sometimes be black coffee and a boiled egg. I think Jackie also kept her weight down by being a heavy smoker.

Re: FOOD PREFERENCES OF JACKIE ONASSIS

Sooner — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 23:32:23 GMT

And sadly she probably still wouldn't be thin enough for today's celebrity circuit.

Re: FOOD PREFERENCES OF JACKIE ONASSIS

Oznell — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 23:37:31 GMT

Yeah for sure, her lifestyle seemed to be a mix of healthy habits-- the sparse eating, regular exercise-- and unhealthy, the smoking.

A shame that so many of that generation succumbed to various maladies associated with heavy smoking.

Re: FOOD PREFERENCES OF JACKIE ONASSIS

pdlinda — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 23:44:00 GMT

@Trinity11 That diet sounds extremely deficient in very important nutrients, most especially protein and good fat.

I was born and bred in NYC. JKO was always in the news. I went to high school with many "notable New Yorkers."

The subject of JKO was prevalent. It was known that she had a standing reservation at the noted Manhattan French restaurant, Lutece.

A little anecdote that made the rounds was her stating: "If you ever see me ordering a dessert at Lutece, please understand my death is near."

Re: FOOD PREFERENCES OF JACKIE ONASSIS

Trinity11 — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 23:49:14 GMT

@pdlinda wrote:
@Trinity11 That diet sounds extremely deficient in very important nutrients, most especially protein and good fat.

I was born and bred in NYC. JKO was always in the news. I went to high school with many "notable New Yorkers."

The subject of JKO was prevalent. It was known that she had a standing reservation at the noted Manhattan French restaurant, Lutece.

A little anecdote that made the rounds was her stating: "If you ever see me ordering a dessert at Lutece, please understand my death is near."

How interesting @pdlinda ! I grew up on Long Island but visited Manhattan often. Also worked in the city. I love what she said about ordering a dessert.🍨

Re: FOOD PREFERENCES OF JACKIE ONASSIS

JudyL — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 23:50:26 GMT

Sounds pretty boring to me.

Re: FOOD PREFERENCES OF JACKIE ONASSIS

Kachina624 — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 23:57:43 GMT

She had a very bland, unimanagative diet. Nothing really of interest.

Re: FOOD PREFERENCES OF JACKIE ONASSIS

Sooner — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 00:18:53 GMT

@Oznell wrote:
Yeah for sure, her lifestyle seemed to be a mix of healthy habits-- the sparse eating, regular exercise-- and unhealthy, the smoking.

A shame that so many of that generation succumbed to various maladies associated with heavy smoking.

@Oznell My mom was a heavy smoker and eater of gobs of sweets. Lived to 102. No major illnesses. Had some dementia up in the 90's. . .

Re: FOOD PREFERENCES OF JACKIE ONASSIS

spumoni99 — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 00:24:33 GMT

@Sooner wrote:
@Oznell wrote:
Yeah for sure, her lifestyle seemed to be a mix of healthy habits-- the sparse eating, regular exercise-- and unhealthy, the smoking.

A shame that so many of that generation succumbed to various maladies associated with heavy smoking.
@Oznell My mom was a heavy smoker and eater of gobs of sweets. Lived to 102. No major illnesses. Had some dementia up in the 90's. . .

@Sooner I think genetics are the most important factor of our health, your lucky!

Re: FOOD PREFERENCES OF JACKIE ONASSIS

Spacrazy — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 00:58:17 GMT

@Oznell Thank you for sharing these photos ~ I find them delightful.

Re: FOOD PREFERENCES OF JACKIE ONASSIS

shoekitty — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 01:22:03 GMT

@Sooner genetics and life styles play a huge factor. Also, luck of the draw, lol! Smoking was so socially accepted until the mid1980's. Then health benefits came into play in health advertising. Then smoking laws. I love California for that alone. I am a reformed smoker44 years ago. I hate the smell. I am 78, and I know back then as a kid we had to endure smoke filled restaurants, cars, homes. It was everywhere, certainly my age bracket. I can still see mothers feeding babies with cigarettes going, babies and children riding in cars filled with smoke. I remember complaining as a little kid, it smells, while riding in car, lol Parents would yell, roll the window down lol. I think many of my generation did suffer from second hand smoke as adults for sure.

Re: FOOD PREFERENCES OF JACKIE ONASSIS

DottieBlue — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 03:12:06 GMT

Her dietary intake sounds like starvation rations. How do people who eat like that handle the feeling of being hungry all the time?

Good, well-prepared, nutritious food is one of the joys in life. A person can maintain a healthy weight without deprivation. I personally don't think that degree of vanity is anything to admire. JMO.

BTW, I love the blue and white dishes on their table.

Re: FOOD PREFERENCES OF JACKIE ONASSIS

Tinkrbl44 — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 06:22:02 GMT

She was also a smoker, which she probably relied on to help keep her thin.

Re: FOOD PREFERENCES OF JACKIE ONASSIS

songbird — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 11:50:51 GMT

She had a not so nice figure. She was small on top but her hips were very wide. I never saw her with cigarettes. Maybe she did smoke. She was very conscious of her weight, as it went to her hips. Her sister was thin naturally and small/short. She was very athletic. Jackie was a "blue stocking" (the expression for academically gifted women who came from high society. Her socially minded mother might have been embarrassed by it, but Jackie excelled academically. She was a talented writer.

Re: FOOD PREFERENCES OF JACKIE ONASSIS

jellyBEAN — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 12:17:11 GMT

If some consider Jackie's diet a little sparse at home, she often attended affairs outside the home, went to the finest restaurants, etc...I was so surprised to learn that she smoked - a lot - because she was never shown in photos smoking.

Re: FOOD PREFERENCES OF JACKIE ONASSIS

nevergivesup — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 13:09:58 GMT

It amazes me now to realize that Jackie was only 34 years old when JFK was murdered. The most recent biographies of her reveal that she suffered from undiagnosed PTSD, anxiety,depression and crippling flashbacks her entire life. She married Onassis thinking that she and her children would be safer abroad after RFK was assassinated.

She was fiercely private, never gave interviews spilling her emotions to the press, which I always admired. Despite the money and seeming glamor, her life was not an emotionally easy one.

I like to remember her at 31 years of age with JFK in Paris at a state dinner. She stunned President DeGaulle with her fluent French and deep knowledge of French history and literature. She also had a conversational ability to speak Italian and Spanish which charmed those countries on her official visits to them as First Lady. Different times.

I'm sorry for deviating from the topic of her diet but just adding that she was indeed an interesting figure.

Re: FOOD PREFERENCES OF JACKIE ONASSIS

Sooner — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 13:13:15 GMT

@spumoni99 wrote:
@Sooner wrote:
@Oznell wrote:
Yeah for sure, her lifestyle seemed to be a mix of healthy habits-- the sparse eating, regular exercise-- and unhealthy, the smoking.

A shame that so many of that generation succumbed to various maladies associated with heavy smoking.
@Oznell My mom was a heavy smoker and eater of gobs of sweets. Lived to 102. No major illnesses. Had some dementia up in the 90's. . .
@Sooner I think genetics are the most important factor of our health, your lucky!

@spumoni99 I pretty much agree. I HOPE you are right!