Foods Meghan Markle Was Forbidden To Eat As A Royal

Royal life isn't as always as easy or glamorous as it may seem — and Meghan Markle may know this better than anyone else. Though Meghan grew up in America and even had a career in Hollywood at one point, she eventually found her way into the British royal family when she married Prince Harry in 2018. 

When Meghan took on the role of Duchess of Sussex, there were several aspects of her old life that she had to leave behind. First and foremost, she had to end her acting career, most notably ending her time on the hit show "Suits." She also shut down her lifestyle blog, deleted all social media accounts, and ended a design partnership with Reitmans, according to Elle Australia. Of course, all of these changes were pretty expected, and nearly everyone in the royal family has similar guidelines to follow.

While it was expected that Meghan might retire from acting or delete social media once she became a Duchess, there were also some more surprising changes that she had to adjust to, including her diet. As it turns out, the royal family is pretty picky when it comes to food that they can and cannot eat, and Meghan had some tough adjustments to make when she married Harry in 2018. Keep reading to learn all of the bizarre foods that Meghan could no longer eat after becoming a royal — she and Harry might just be enjoying them in California these days.

Along with ending her acting career and deleting social media, Meghan Markle also had some food-related lifestyle adjustments to make after marrying Prince Harry in 2018. While these food rules apply to every member of the royal family, Meghan was a newcomer in 2018, leaving her adjusting to some strict new food rules.

According to Insider, there were a number of foods that Meghan could no longer eat after her wedding. Two big ones are garlic and onion; apparently, Queen Elizabeth worries that both will leave royals with bad breath. Another surprising ban is foie gras, which is often seen as a very high-end dish. In 2008, Prince Charles banned royal households from serving it, per the Daily Mail, making it one delicacy that Meghan couldn't enjoy anymore (if she even wanted to). The royals also steer clear of shellfish because of the potential for food poisoning, Express reported.

Of all the foods the British royal family can't eat, the most surprising of all is one of Meghan's favorite foods: pasta! Royal chef Darren McGrady revealed (via Hello!) that Queen Elizabeth isn't a fan of starch-heavy dishes, meaning pasta, rice, and potatoes are seldom served at Buckingham Palace. While Meghan had some pretty strict food bans at one point, she and Harry have since stepped back from the royal family — and hopefully, they're enjoying all of the foods they previously couldn't have!

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry may have stepped away from their roles as working royal family members, but they are still public figures. But Meghan probably stays away from some forbidden foods, even though she's no longer a working royal. Queen Elizabeth ruled that the royal family couldn't eat rare meat and banned all foods containing raw meat, like steak tartare or sushi, per Hello. The monarch established these mandates for official engagements, which is a good rule, even for non-royals when it comes to food safety. Dr. Lee-Ann Jaykus, professor of food science at North Carolina State University, explained to Time that one package of ground beef contains meat from many cows. "One contaminated animal could corrupt dozens of batches," Jaykus said.

Meghan will likely continue following the queen's royal rules regarding tap water. According to the BBC, the beloved British monarch doesn't drink tap water when traveling to foreign countries. We imagine the Duchess of Sussex probably sticks with the no tap water rule while traveling abroad and may favor bottled water on foreign trips. The United Nations reported that "declining water quality has become a global issue of concern as human populations grow." Better safe than sorry when it comes to tummy troubles, which is why Queen Elizabeth also prohibited eating spicy foods while on official palace business, per Hello.

Meghan Markle is a busy mom of two small kids and on top of her demanding job. So, what does she eat to stay healthy? According to Best Health, Meghan eats vegan-ish. Before she was engaged to Prince Harry, Meghan explained to Best Health, "I try to eat vegan during the week and then have a little bit more flexibility with what I dig into on the weekends. But at the same time, it's all about balance." While many things have changed in Meghan's life since that interview, Insider also reported the Duchess of Sussex follows a mostly plant-based diet, but that doesn't mean she cuts out all the fun.

In a 2018 interview with Delish, the former actor revealed she chooses wine over dessert. "French fries and vino are my vices," Meghan explained. The Duchess added that she'd pass up a dreamy chocolate dessert for a "big, beautiful red" any day. Fun fact: in her pre-royal days, Meghan's blog, "The Tig," was named after her favorite wine, Tignanello. The Duchess revealed to Delish that she tried to cut gluten from her diet but loved to eat pasta as a treat. "I won't miss an opportunity to try great pasta. I come back from vacation every year with a food baby, and I've named her Comida," said Meghan. With the Duchess of Sussex now free from the queen's ban on pasta, we sense she may be digging in to more noodles these days.