Dolly Parton’s Diet Plan: What the Country Singer Eats to Stay in Shape

Dolly Parton’s diet is all about low-carb meals, egg salads, and plenty of protein. Here are all the deets about the country singer’s diet and fitness regimen.

Sanchari Bhattacharya
Written by Sanchari Bhattacharya , Health & Fitness Expert
Updated on Jul 24, 2024 | 04:59 PM IST | 566.1K
Everything You Need to Know About Dolly Parton Diet Routine
(Image Source: Getty Images)

An incredible singer, a ferocious person, and a kind-hearted woman — yes, it’s none other than Dolly Parton, one of the most renowned country singers. From getting recognition for giving massive hits like Jolene and I Will Always Love You to receiving love from her fans for doing notable charitable work, she has done it all with her hard work, resilience, and determination. Amidst all this, Dolly Parton’s weight loss is another noteworthy aspect of her life that fans sought after. 

Dolly has always looked ravishing and there is no denying the fact that her diet regimen plays a pivotal role in helping her stay in shape and maintain a healthy weight. The 78-year-old actress openly admitted that she has struggled with weight issues from time to time and once when her confidence was shattered due to gained weight, Sylvester Stallone, her co-star from the 1984 movie Rhinestone motivated her to ditch processed food items and get healthier and fitter. 

In 1984, she lost confidence, and today in 2024, she is known as an epitome of bravery and optimism. But at the age of 80, how does she stay healthy and fit? The answer is Dolly Parton’s diet regimen, which consists of low-carb foods, eggs, veggies, and much more (more on that later). 

We know you are curious to know about your beloved star’s secret to living healthily. But before we get to it, let’s take a quick look at the personal and professional highlights of Dolly Parton.

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Who Is Dolly Parton?


Dolly Parton, a veteran singer and actress was born in Pittman Center, Tennessee, U.S. Her mother used to entertain her and her siblings by singing ancient ballads, which made Parton become interested in music. 

She has always been assiduous in bringing life to every song she sings and began performing as a child. She appeared on The Cas Walker Show and at the age of 13, and then started appearing at the Grand Ole Opry, which changed her life. This was when she met Johnny Cash, a late singer-songwriter who motivated her to focus on her instincts when it came to her career. 

Today, she is celebrated as one of the most talented singers and has many famous songs to her name, including Joshua, Love is Like a Butterfly, Here You Come Again, and many more. She is the recipient of various prestigious awards, including Grammy awards, which she has won 11 times. 

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Apart from being a musician, Parton is also a successful entrepreneur and is the co-owner of The Dollywood Company, a themed entertainment company. Being a philanthropist, Parton has also spent her hard work voyaging various charitable ventures and has founded various charitable organizations including the Dollywood Foundation. 

From working diligently to taking good care of her health, Dolly Parton does it all, effortlessly. Below are all the details of Dolly Parton's food plan. 

 

Dolly Parton’s Diet Regimen


Although Dolly doesn’t stop herself from satisfying her taste buds and indulging in her favorite dishes on the weekends, a low-carb diet is what she follows most days to fuel her energy and have the envy-worthy figure she has. Here’s a glimpse of what Dolly Parton eats in a day:

 

Breakfast

To kickstart the day with a boost of energy, the 9 to 5 singer consumes Folgers with a bit of cream. Alongside coffee, she happily indulges in homemade egg salads, as they are quick and easy to make. Egg salad on a toast with tomato as well as scrambled eggs are two breakfast options she cherishes. Sometimes, to curb her cravings, she also eats bagels with cream cheese, tomatoes, and cucumbers. 

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Read More: Jennifer Lawrence’s Weight Loss: Here’s Why She Swore Off Diets

While she follows a low-carb diet most of the time, on the weekends, she cuts herself some slack to enjoy the food items she loves. However, she doesn’t compromise on moderation and mindfulness when it comes to eating meals. 

Coffee is known to possess dietary antioxidants that help improve overall health and reduce the risk of various diseases (1). Eggs, on the other hand, are a storehouse of protein along with other nutrients like vitamins D, B12, and iodine (2). 

Eggs being high in protein and other nutrients help build muscles, aid weight loss, decrease malnutrition, and lower the risk of heart disease (3). Hence, adding eggs to breakfast is a great way to get protein and up your energy levels. 


Lunch


Whether she is at home or on a tour, Dolly makes sure to eat healthily and packs a variety of homemade low-carb meals in the bus freezer. 

Although the exact lunch meal plan of Dolly is not known to the public, she once revealed in an interview that she stays on a low-carb diet during the week. However, when she has a day off, she doesn’t mind eating cornbread along with baked potatoes. She also loves consuming seafood and salad for lunch. 

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Even though potatoes have a reputation as food that makes one gain weight, a moderate consumption of baked potatoes once in a while is not detrimental to one’s health. Besides, potatoes are rich in vitamins, fiber, and minerals; the skin of potatoes too, are known to be rich in antioxidants and vitamins, which makes this humble vegetable less of a villain than people believe it is (4). 

 

Dinner

In an interview, she stated that she loves cooking chicken and dumplings for dinner. Southern recipes like green beans, okra, and roast pork are some other food items that regularly get added to her dinner meal. 

Chicken, just like an egg, is a great source of protein and offers a plethora of health benefits including improved heart health, muscle endurance, immunity, and much more (5). She confessed that she loves trying different cuisines and is a fan of Indian, Italian, and Mexican food. 

Apart from this, Dolly Parton’s cabbage soup diet gained a lot of fame, which consists of consuming cabbage soup as a part of the main meals along with veggies. 

 

Does Dolly Parton Drink?

When it comes to drinks, red wine is Dolly’s favorite drink. Red wine offers antioxidant properties and consuming it moderately can help lower the risk of cardiovascular disease (6). 

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From the diet, it can be seen that Dolly includes lots of proteins in her diet while limiting her carb intake. Although this diet works for her and can definitely push you to eat healthily, it’s crucial that you don’t follow any kind of diet blindly. Always see what works for your body and upgrade your diet accordingly. 


Having said that, there are definitely various things that Dolly Parton does right, which reflects on the body she has. 

For those trying to take a count of their calories, Dolly Parton’s weight loss tips and tricks can motivate you to push yourself and upgrade your diet plan. 

 

Key Takeaways from Dolly Parton’s Diet


  • Balanced Diet

As mentioned above, Dolly believes in eating everything in moderation. She once revealed that because she is short and gains weight easily, she watches out what she eats, and although she gives into cravings, she makes sure not to overindulge in anything, especially something that’s harmful to the body. 

That’s actually a fantastic long-term approach to staying healthy and fit and even research proves that. A balanced diet offers you good fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals and protects you from various diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, etc. (7). 

  • Low-carb Diet

One of the major highlights of Dolly Parton is following a low-carb diet — according to a study, a healthy low-carb diet helps in weight control and better glycemic regulation (8). It can help you achieve your ideal weight loss goal and get a slimmer figure. 


A low-carb diet basically includes more proteins and non-starchy veggies into your diet. Although there is evidence that the diet supports weight management, it’s important to talk to a medical practitioner before going on a strict low-carb diet. 

 

  •  Inclusion of Veggies And Fruits

The philanthropist includes tomatoes and cucumbers regularly in her meal plans. Tomatoes contain an abundance of vitamins C and K, folate, and potassium and help keep various health issues at bay (9). 

Cucumbers, on the other hand, are high in water content, are full of fiber, and have potent antioxidant and potential antidiabetic properties, making them a superfood for many (10). Even when not on a weight loss diet, adding veggies and fruits to your diet is one of the best ways to boost your energy and get fiber and nutrients. 

 

  •  No Starvation

Although the Jolene singer is cautious about what she eats, she doesn’t like depriving herself of her favorite foods. Occasionally, she makes biscuits, milk gravy, and sausage patties for herself and her husband. 

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But does Dolly Parton maintain that slim and slender figure only with a diet plan or does she exercise too? Below is the answer!

 

Does Dolly Parton Exercise?


Even though Dolly Parton has a distaste for exercise, she knows the importance of it, which is why she tries to make her exercises fun. She isn’t a fan of hitting the gym and does squats to be fit. Squats are one of the most effective exercises to improve core strength, lower body strength, tone glutes and thighs, improve posture, and burn calories (11). 

The talent, charm, poise, and candor that the veteran singer has is unmatchable. Dolly Parton’s diet and fitness routine is a testament to hard work that shows in her energy — even at the age of 80, she can make heads turn with her grace and ravishing persona. People looking for a sustainable solution to weight loss and eating healthily can for sure take motivation from her and incorporate healthy meals into their diet and improve their health and fitness levels. 

 

Sources:

1. Antioxidant Property of Coffee Components: Assessment of Methods that Define Mechanisms of Action - PMC

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6270823

2. The Impact of Egg Nutrient Composition and Its Consumption on Cholesterol Homeostasis - PMC

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6126094/

3. The Health Benefits of Egg Protein - PMC

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9316657/

4.Nutritional composition and health benefits of potato

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342477867_Nutritional_composition_and_health_benefits_of_potato

5. Role of poultry meat in a balanced diet aimed at maintaining health and wellbeing: an Italian consensus document - PMC

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4462824/

6. Contribution of Red Wine Consumption to Human Health Protection - PMC

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6099584/

7. Defining a Healthy Diet: Evidence for the Role of Contemporary Dietary Patterns in Health and Disease - PMC

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7071223/

8. Low-Carbohydrate Diet - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537084/

9. Tomatoes: An Extensive Review of the Associated Health Impacts of Tomatoes and Factors That Can Affect Their Cultivation

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8869745/

10. Phytochemical and therapeutic potential of cucumber

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23098877/

11. Effects of Body Mass-Based Squat Training in Adolescent Boys - PMC

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3761779/ 

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FAQ's

Does Dolly Parton cook meals for herself?Does Dolly Parton cook meals for herself?
Yes, sometimes Dolly cooks her own meals.

Does Dolly Parton have any dietary preferences?
Yes, she follows a low-carb diet to stay healthy and fit.

How does Dolly Parton handle food cravings?
She doesn’t starve herself and satisfies her taste buds by occasionally indulging in food items she loves.

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About The Author
Sanchari Bhattacharya
Sanchari Bhattacharya
Health & Fitness Expert

Sanchari, a certified Health & Nutrition Life Coach

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