For Karolina Kurkova, a model who hails from the Czech Republic, staying in shape is a 24/7 occupation. To her, food is an energy source, but she is still human, and she likes to enjoy her source of energy just like the rest of us. The 33-year-old, 5’11” Kurkova, who was recently interviewed by People magazine regarding what she eats in a day, said, “My philosophy is yes, I want great tasting food that I want to eat, but also I look at food as vitamins and fuel for my body and energy.” After appearing on at least 25 international covers for Vogue, including Italian, French, German, UK, Russian, Korean, and Greek editions, Kurkova’s incredible work ethic has taken her through many shows and many contracts, making her a top-earning, world-renown supermodel within the industry.

“I am constantly doing things and traveling, so I’m very aware of what I’m putting in my body. I don’t want to be consuming bad things — I want it to have nutritional value,” Kurkova said. Kurkova also suffers from hypothyroidism, a condition where a person’s thyroid is either not active or is very under-active. This often leads to a person developing a heavier physique, and Kurkova actually faced criticism in 2008 from fashion critics for such a physique, as this was before her diagnosis. However, despite this, Kurkova remains dedicated to staying healthy and has control over her condition to this day.

A Nutritious Diet

Sticking to nutrition, Kurkova’s diet consists of many fresh-picked vegetables and fruits. “The food I grew up on as a child came from my grandparents’ house where they grew everything,” Kurkova said. “They had cherry trees…They had apples, pears, carrots, cucumbers, strawberries, and raspberries. I didn’t realize back then how lucky I was, having that kind of food and being able to taste it straight from the ground and the nature.”

As a mother of two, however, Kurkova still believes in treating herself every now and again and not being incredibly strict every moment of every day, saying, “If you’re in a moment or in a great place where certain foods are made with love, even if it’s fried, you should have it!” To get an idea, here is a quick example of Kurkova’s daily meals, often totaling to around 1,800 calories:

Breakfast: Yogurt (Greek), plus four strawberries, pumpkin seeds, ¼ cup blueberries, cacoa nibs, maple syrup, and shredded coconut. Also, hot water, plus lemon juice, Manuka honey, and ginger.
Lunch: ¼ cup white rice with grilled salmon and steamed asparagus — sprinkled with lemon juice and olive oil — as well as half of one avocado.
Snack: Smoothie, with cacao nibs, coconut milk, cacao powder, chia seeds, and one half frozen banana.
Dinner: Potato, zucchini, and leek soup.
Dessert: Several cubes of dark chocolate, berry hibiscus tea, raspberries, or peach tea plus lemon juice and Manuka honey.
Daily Water Intake: 1.5 liters.