The Foods Marilyn Monroe Ate Every Night For Dinner

A true icon, Marilyn Monroe is revered to this day for her explosively successful career in film, music, and modeling. The star's beauty secrets have always been highly sought-after, and fans may wonder: What did the blonde bombshell eat to maintain her physique and give her enough energy for hectic filming commitments? Unlike modern Hollywood stars, Monroe had no private chef or tailored meal delivery plan. She was an accomplished cook who liked to prepare her own meals, and many of her recipes were none too simple — and some might call her everyday dinners quite unusual.

One of Monroe's handwritten recipes for homemade stuffing used no less than 18 ingredients, including boiled eggs, Parmesan, raisins, and chicken or turkey livers. It produced a whopping 20 cups — perhaps the 1950s equivalent of meal prep. But for everyday dinners, Monroe liked to keep things simple with a combo of meat and carrots, though they were prepared in a way you might not expect. The star liked to pick up meat from a market close to where she was staying at the time and cook it in her hotel room. And while carrots can be cooked in a variety of ways, Monroe preferred to eat them raw.

Marilyn Monroe admitted in a 1952 interview with Pageant magazine that some people found the way she ate "utterly bizarre" (via Into The Gloss). "I must be part rabbit," she said about her habit of downing four or five raw carrots at dinner time, adding that she never grew tired of the unconventional side dish. Fiber- and nutrient-rich raw carrots are more commonly eaten as part of a salad, or as a snack dipped into hummus, but Monroe enjoyed them 100% plain alongside red meat.

The star revealed that she would grab steak, lamb chops, or even liver, and broil it using an electric oven in her hotel room — a pretty ingenious way to prepare dinner without a kitchen, in the days before instant ramen and other convenience-based foods. Like most of us, Monroe also appreciated an indulgent sweet treat after dinner now and again. She named the hot fudge sundae from Wil Wright's ice cream parlor in Hollywood as a favorite. Perhaps she ran into other celebs during her visits, as Wil Wright's also hosted famous patrons like Cary Grant, Rita Hayworth, and Frank Sinatra. And when she wasn't tucking into ice cream, Monroe was partial to a recipe for comforting rice pudding.

Marilyn Monroe was clearly a fan of protein for dinner, and the same went for her go-to breakfast. The actress liked to start the day with a cup of milk, which she warmed up in her hotel room using a hot plate. Then, she would crack in two raw eggs, and froth up the bodybuilder-style drink using a fork. She also enjoyed a bowl of hot cereal now and again.

Historians learned even more about Monroe's favorite foods from a cookbook that belonged to her. Some of her handwritten notes suggest that she was a fan of other meaty dishes like beef bourguignon. Another protein-and-veg combo which appealed to the star was corned beef served with cabbage, and she even liked to make her own marrowbone soup, which is similar to bone broth. Ever the trendsetter, it seems like the iconic star was ahead of today's fitness influencers.

When it came to drinks, it's no secret that Monroe liked to sip Champagne, and some of her most famous photos show her holding a glass of bubbly. An old shopping receipt shows that she especially liked the Dom Perignon brand, buying its products by the case. In 2011, almost 50 years after Monroe's death, Norwegian drink company Rosmersholm paid homage to her love of Champagne by creating a special bottle named after the star.