Cristiano Ronaldo’s exceptional fitness does not lie in expensive food or a secret recipe that is difficult to imitate, but rather in a habit that is much simpler and more difficult at the same time, which is strict adherence to a healthy eating pattern without interruption, according to what Spanish sports nutritionist Johnny Ondina reported.
The captain of the Portuguese national team and the Saudi Al-Nasr striker, who has reached the age of 41, is still playing matches at the highest level and is approaching his declared goal of scoring a thousand goals in his career. Ronaldo reached 979 official goals after scoring for Al-Nasr against Abha on September 9, making him 21 goals away from the 1,000 mark.
Ondina believes that explaining Ronaldo’s ability to maintain his fitness does not require searching for a hidden nutritional component, as he told the Spanish newspaper “AS” that the real secret is continuity and regularity.
He explained that the foods in the Portuguese star’s home are within reach of most people, and that his diet, in contrast to the common image of the diet of great athletes, appears simple and even “monotonous” at times.
Ondina said that what distinguishes Ronaldo is his ability to repeat correct habits day after day, warning against the tendency to search for quick solutions and popular recipes on social media platforms, while many people overlook the basis that makes the difference in the long term.
He added that Ronaldo’s kitchen relies mainly on natural foods, mocking the belief of some young athletes that buying unfamiliar ingredients or following harsh regimes will suddenly give them better performance on the field.
The 95 percent rule
Ondina gives an example of Ronaldo’s dietary pattern, which, according to his description, is based on adhering to healthy food about 95 percent of the time, while leaving a little room for less strict choices.
He says that Ronaldo on rare occasions eats some simple sugars or ultra-processed foods, so that discipline does not turn into an unhealthy relationship with food. The difference, according to Ondina, is that the exception remains an exception and does not become a rule.
This point is the essence of his talk about Ronaldo. It is not a matter of completely abstaining from everything considered unhealthy, but rather the ability to maintain the best lifestyle throughout most of the year.
What does Cristiano Ronaldo eat?
Ondina’s vision intersects with the testimony of Italian Giorgio Baroni, Ronaldo’s former personal chef, who worked with him during a stage of his career and this year revealed details about his eating habits.
Baroni said that the belief that football stars rely on rare and expensive foods is inaccurate, explaining that Ronaldo’s meals were based on familiar ingredients, but they were carefully selected and cooked in a healthy manner.
The list of foods he mentioned includes eggs, avocado, chicken, fish, vegetables, and black or red rice. He explained that breakfast could have consisted of eggs, avocado, and coffee without sugar, while lunch depended on chicken or fish with vegetables, and the evening meal was lighter, and often included fish or a piece of meat with vegetables.
The former chef, in turn, emphasized that the food was neither strange nor extremely expensive, and that the real value lay in its quality and the discipline in eating it, which is the same idea that Ondina placed at the forefront of his explanation of the length of Ronaldo’s career.
A quarter century of repeated habits
The importance of talking about Ronaldo’s diet is that his results do not appear in one season. The Portuguese player began his professional career with Sporting Lisbon in 2002, and after nearly a quarter of a century, he is still able to participate regularly and score goals.
He turned 41 years old last February, and is still playing with Al-Nasr and the Portuguese national team, after competing in the 2026 World Cup. He is one of the oldest players in the history of the tournament.
This continuity seems even more significant when combined with Ronaldo’s football career. The Portuguese not only maintained his presence on the field, but throughout his career he remained subject to high physical requirements as a player who relies on running, jumping and moving inside the penalty area.
This is why Ondina believes that the most important lesson in Ronaldo’s case is not about trying to copy his menu verbatim, but rather about understanding what he constantly does. One healthy meal does not make an athlete, just as a week of discipline does not make up for months of bad habits.
In this sense, Ronaldo’s ‘secret’ is less exciting than his physical condition might suggest, but more difficult to implement. There is no hidden food or strange diet, but rather many years of repeating the same choices, until consistency turned from a daily decision into a way of life.