Virat Kohli, who is currently playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the men’s Indian Premier League (IPL), is known for his fitness. The former captain of the men’s Indian cricket team is known for making centuries and half-centuries. In the World Cup 2023, he broke many records of sportsmen and made new ones. This would not have been possible if he did not practise, take care of his diet, and work out.
Kohli has often spoken about the strict diet that he follows and a few of his favourites that he hasn’t even touched in years. For years, the cricketer has managed to make everyone envious of his fitness. He has inspired many people to follow his footsteps and take care of their health, irrespective of the field they are working in. Take a look at the diet plan of King Kohli and what he absolutely avoids.
Virat Kohli’s High-Protein Vegetarian Diet
While playing in South Africa in 2018, Virat Kohli had a health scare post which he turned into a vegetarian. The cervical spine problem caused tingling sensations in his legs, making it hard for him to bat. “My stomach became a bit acidic, my uric acid went high, and my stomach started pulling calcium from the bones,” he was quoted saying in an interview.
Post this, he cut down on the consumption of meat and started promoting a vegetarian diet on social media. “I eat a lot of vegetables, two cups of coffee, quinoa, lots of spinach, and love dosas too. But all in controlled quantities,” he added.
Virat Kohli’s Restrictive Diet
In another interview, Kohli revealed that at least 90% of his diet consists of boiled and steamed food with no spices. He only adds pepper, salt, and lemon juice. “I am not a big fanatic about the taste of food, I don’t care about the taste. Salad, I enjoy with a bit of dressing,” he said in the interview. He prefers rice-based dishes, lentils, infertile eggs, and a lot of greens.
The sportsman only eats dal and no curries. He does enjoy rajma and lobhiya, which are considered good sources of protein for vegans and vegetarians. He also savours pan-grilled food in a bit of olive oil and limited seasonings. Though he follows a restrictive diet, the cricketer keeps experimenting with his options. As a true blue Punjabi, he once shared that has always loved to devour chole bhature from Ram Ke Chole Bhature in Rajouri Garden, New Delhi.
What Virat Kohli Does Not Eat
Though a vegetarian, the cricketer once conducted an AMA session on Instagram in which he said that he would never eat bitter gourd or karela. After his health scare, he has completely stopped eating meat and has even cut down on animal-based products and dairy.
He was a Punjabi boy who used to love relishing creamy and succulent butter chicken. However, since he has turned vegetarian, he has let go of all his meat-based indulgences. In 2023, an Indian hotel chef revealed in an interview that the cricketer has started to incorporate more soy-based and tofu dishes in his meals. He was once trolled for eating chicken tikka after renouncing meat, but later he clarified that he was enjoying plant-based tikkas.
