Tess Daly, 56, Shares Daily Diet Secrets and Confesses to ‘Naughty Snacks’

Tess Daly has revealed exactly what she eats in a day to keep maintain her incredible figure.

The Strictly Come Dancing presenter, 56, gave an insight into her routine as she spoke in a new video with vitamin company Vitabiotics this week. 

The star – who has been the front of the Wellwoman supplement ads for years – gave a detailed breakdown of her three meals a day but did admit she occasionally loves a ‘naughty snack’. 

She said in the clip: ‘Breakfast I never ever skip, so I usually have Greek yogurt and berries with seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds for fibre and maybe sliced banana.

‘Lunch, for lunch I try and get some protein in at lunchtime, something like a tuna mayonnaise wrap and some salad, but I need a decent lunch, just to keep going.

‘Dinner, I really look forward to dinner, I make an effort to cook something nice for dinner, maybe tuna in a teriyaki sauce or a roasted salmon with a bit of chili, coriander and lime and maybe some sweet potatoes and lots of vegetables.

‘With snacks I treat myself, I have a sweet tooth I can’t help it, so I need a bit of chocolate on a daily basis, a little treat is great, we deserve a bit of pleasure in our lives. 

‘I love healthy whole foods but I also love naughty snacks occasionally and I think why not, I love chocolate.’ 

Tess is often seen showing off her sensational figure on social media to promote her swimwear line Naia Beach.

Back in July the Strictly host insisted a quirky fitness regime is to thank for her ageless beauty – not dieting. 

Tess revealed this summer that she still fits into the same size jeans she wore in her 20s in an interview with The Mirror.

She told the publication: ‘I’m wearing the same size jeans I was wearing in my 20’s, but that’s not from dieting – it’s from maintaining.’

And the former model has previously given fans an insight into the varied ways she achieves her impeccable figure, from running on the treadmill while she watches her favourite Netflix shows and morning skipping circuits to trampolining in her back garden. 

Tess has also credited daily yoga for both keeping her physically fit and maintaining her mental wellbeing, and shared her love for swimming.

She told The Daily Mail in 2021: ‘For me personally, I do an online yoga class every morning, 20 minutes, which is a little act of self-love as well. 

‘A game changer for me has been doing yoga. It keeps you young, it keeps you flexible, it keeps away the aches and pains – and it’s free online on YouTube!

‘I have been into fitness for quite a while and I work out a couple of times a week, an online session with a trainer and that’s great because it strengthens your body physically but mentally, as well as physically keeping your flexible, yoga is brilliant because it forces you into the moment. In the moment there is no anxiety and uncertainty.’ 

But it’s not just yoga that Tess includes in her fitness regime – as she revealed her secret tip to guilt-free Netflix-watching.

She told Women’s Health UK in 2021: ‘I’ve got a treadmill, where I’ve realised I can watch Netflix and run 5k at the same time. 

‘I would never sit down and watch TV in the day but, on the treadmill, I can justify it.’

As well as running, Tess is also a big fan of swimming, trampolining and skipping – which she says is a ‘joyful’ exercise and reminds her of being a child again.

Speaking to Health & Wellbeing in 2020, Tess said: ‘I do really enjoy swimming, and I like skipping and trampolining. We’ve got a little trampoline at home outside, and that’s great for getting your lymphatic system moving and for your circulation.

‘Sometimes I’ll do five minutes of skipping at the start of the day – one minute on and one minute off, and it’s great, it really wakes up the system. If you’re feeling a bit sluggish in the morning, it’s a brilliant way to wake up – better than a cup of coffee I’d say! And it’s cheap and cheerful – just buy a skipping rope from Amazon, it’s there the next day for a couple of quid. 

‘You can skip inside if the weather is bad, it’s an all-weather exercise that really gets your circulation going, it wakes you up, and it keeps you trim. I like skipping, it’s a joyful exercise that puts a smile on your face. 

‘I recommend it to everyone I know because it’s easy and it reminds you of being a child again. It gets part of the body moving that you haven’t moved for a while. Everything is moving at the same time, it feels good, it boosts the endorphins and it’s quick.’

Tess has also credited a health diet, telling the Daily Mail in 2021: ‘For me, food is sugar fuel. We either use it or abuse it. I will not pretend to be some kind of dietary saint, yes I love chocolate and I have a sweet tooth and no afternoon is complete without sitting down with a cup of tea and a sweet treat.

‘But the meals I cook for my family, they’re healthy, whole foods, gut friendly, vegetable rich, protein balanced meals. I am into that and I love cooking. Yes, we have a tuck drawer during home schooling full of treats, which they’re allowed one off towards the end of the day when they’ve done seven hours of online schooling, they deserve a treat. 

‘But treats aside, we eat healthily as a family and I enjoy creating those healthy meals.’

Tess shares daughters Phoebe, 20, and Amber, 16, with Radio 2 DJ husband Vernon Kay, 51.

This summer she said she believes she’s cracked the formula to both feeling and looking great. 

She said: ‘I will do planks in my living room every day because core strength is really important to me at my age now, plus I’m also very tall and do a lot of running around in heels, so I need to support my back.’ 

The star added that although she’s now in her 50s, she feels as energetic as she did in her 20s.