Why Blake Lively cut soy, not sugar

When Blake Lively signed on to play a surfer in The Shallows shortly after giving birth to her (adorable) daughter, she knew her body had to be able to handle the grueling physical activity. So, time to cut back on the sugar, right? Not exactly. In Lively’s case, she ditched gluten and soy—and kept right on eating the white sparkly stuff.

In an interview with People, she says that cutting out soy kept her from defaulting to eating processed food. “Once you remove soy, you realize you’re eating no processed foods,” she tells the magazine. Even though Lively has a rep for baking delicious homemade treats, she says avoiding soy was harder for her than not eating gluten. “Everything you eat, there’s soy in it. Even the Whole Foods organic stuff,” she says.

Okay, so no tofu stir fry. What did she eat? Lively worked with a nutritionist (because, of course) to come up with a four-meals-a-day plan with a mix of carbs, protein, and veggies. Her go-tos: gluten-free oatmeal, rice, sushi, and sweet potatoes. But with filming over, she’s back on the gluten and soy train—if this beautiful dessert ‘gram is any proof.

Originally published August 17, 2016; updated August 8, 2018.

Want to eat like Lively? These five recipes are all gluten- and soy-free. And for dessert, try these fat bombs (fat is a good thing in this case, scout’s honor).