Here's Exactly What Kristen Bell Eats in a Day to Make 39 Look Like 29

Kristen Bell just celebrated her 39th birthday this summer, and honestly I need to see her birth certificate to believe it. But then I remember Veronica Mars first aired when I was in elementary school, and I guess we've both grown up a lot. Either way, this gal knows how to age gracefully.

Bell is a huge animal activist and identifies as a vegetarian. She actually went vegan for several years, but reintroduced eggs and dairy back into her diet when she became pregnant with her first child. She can credit regular exercise (be it a fancy L.A. workout class or doing sprints in her driveway), meditation and a dedicated skincare routine—along with some good genes—to helping her look 10 years younger. Find out how she eats to stay strong, energetic and inspired, below:

Breakfast

Bell said that she often has to eat breakfast on set because she has two girls to take care of in the mornings. She'll drink a vegan matcha latte to get her through carpool, but opts for egg whites, spinach, tomatoes and extra feta from craft services once she gets to work.

Start your day off like Bell with our delicious, protein-packed Skillet Eggs with Tomatillos & Spinach with all of Bell's favorite breakfast ingredients, plus some fresh herbs and harissa.

Mid-morning Snack

Like many other healthy (and busy) eaters, the whole "three square meals a day" concept just doesn't appeal to her. She's always moving—be it on set, chasing her kids or taking pilates—and opts for lots of carbs to keep her energy up. Her to-go snack, you ask? A salt bagel with cream cheese. Yep, we didn't think bagels existed in Hollywood either.

"I have to eat carbs because I have to memorize 11 pages of dialogue, and I can't do that eating spinach and chicken," Bell told Women's Health. Bell told Shape that she also loves a protein-packed Chobani Greek yogurt to power her through 'til lunch.

Our Whole Wheat Bagel with Peanut Butter is a great healthy snack. Opting for a whole-wheat mini bagel is a great way to get a fiber boost and keep calories down.

Lunch

Bell typically prefaces lunch with some sort of plant-based protein shake before diving into what she calls "a garbage disposal salad," loaded with all kinds of tasty and healthy toppings. Her favorites are avocado (naturally), raisins, blue cheese, carrots and cucumbers. She told Grub Street that she always carries a little container of Maldon sea salt with her to ensure her food tastes amazing.

We have dozens of healthy vegetarian salad recipes that will fill you up and give you the energy you need to power through the second half of your day's duties. Some of our best vegetarian salads include our Fall Chopped Salad with Spinach, Butternut Squash, Apples & Cheddar and Vegetarian Taco Salad.

Afternoon Snacks

Bell loves bringing her daughters into the kitchen to teach them how to appreciate food and enjoy healthy eating. She told Delish that they love snacking on Greek yogurt, locally sourced fruit and popsicles made with Naked Juices. Bell is big on avoiding added sugars, so she enjoys nature's sweet treats.

Making popsicles with your kids is a great way to help them get comfortable in the kitchen and reap the rewards of making food together. Our Banana Buster Pops are a sneaky way to boost your child's whole fruit intake.

Dinner

Bell loves to prepare a hot dinner for her family whenever she can. She told Delish one of her go-to easy dinners is Banza pasta with olive oil, cherry tomatoes with either an egg for a carbonara-like meatless dish or Beyond Meat crumbles for a spaghetti and meatballs-esque dinner. She also loves to cook up lots of plant proteins to keep her family full, like lentils, black beans and tempeh. She currently serves as a spokesperson for Lightlife, a producer of healthy meat alternatives.

Vegetarian pasta recipes are a great way to help introduce your family into a flexitarian eating style. Simply cutting back on meat one day out of the week can make a big impact on the environment and your health. Our Pesto Ravioli with Spinach & Tomatoes is so creamy and satisfying, no one will complain about the lack of meat.

Favorite Treats

Bell steered clear of any kind of alcohol for 10 years, partially to support her husband's commitment to sobriety and partially to stop experiencing nasty hangovers anytime she drank. However, she discovered rosé while on vacation this summer and it has become a special treat for the actress.

Otherwise, she works hard to keep her diet balanced and allows herself to eat some more "indulgent" foods in her regular diet, just in small portions.

About noshing on some late-night pizza, Bell says, "I allow myself to do that, a) because it's delicious, and b) because 85 percent of my diet is healthy and thoughtful. I don't beat myself up when I eat foods that are indulgent. Also, if I can bribe my kids to eat vegetables by giving them pizza at a later point, I'll do it."

The Bottom Line

"It sounds like Bell gets a lot of variety in her diet," says Lisa Valente, M.S., R.D., and senior digital nutrition editor at EatingWell. "She eats lots of veggies and fruits—two of the healthiest food groups—and also balances out her diet with plant-based proteins and treats. She's eating a pretty great mix of foods and seems to know what works for her and her family. The one thing I might advise is for her to include whole eggs (instead of just the whites) in her breakfast. The yolks deliver important nutrients like choline, vitamin D and antioxidants."