The Queen's Former Chef Reveals Her Basic Go-To Breakfast

Suzy Strutner

When it comes to breakfast, it turns out Queen Elizabeth is just like many of us.

Earlier this month, former royal chef Darren McGrady spoke with Marie Claire magazine about the royal family’s food preferences during his time at Buckingham Palace.

“Breakfast was very simple for Her Majesty,” he told Marie Claire. “Some Kellogg’s cereal from a plastic container, which she’d serve herself. And some Darjeeling tea.”

Cold cereal and tea?! That is not the full English breakfast we imagined.

(Photo: Getty Images)
(Photo: Getty Images)

In 2012, McGrady gave a more detailed description of the Queen’s breakfast to The Telegraph, noting that she specifically preferred Special K and Corn Flakes and topped her bowl with apricots, prunes or macadamia nuts from a Tupperware. She added fresh strawberries when on vacation at Balmoral, Scotland and would occasionally request a boiled egg or toast and marmalade, he added.

Breakfast fit for a queen, apparently. (Photo: Chaloempol Sinlapa / EyeEm via Getty Images)
Breakfast fit for a queen, apparently. (Photo: Chaloempol Sinlapa / EyeEm via Getty Images)

Overall, the Queen is a disciplined diner who eats to live instead of the other way around, McGrady told CNN in a recent interview.

According to his personal website, McGrady worked at Buckingham Palace for 11 years and served as personal chef at Kensington Palace for four years. After Princess Diana’s death in 1997, he moved with his family to the U.S. The current royal chef, Mark Flanagan, has been serving for over a decade.

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Nature’s Path Qi-a! Chia, Buckwheat & Hemp Cereal

<strong>Mueller says:&nbsp;A. Simple whole ingredients, nothing added.</strong><br /><br />60g per serving<br />140 calories<br />7g fat (.5g saturated fat)<br />4g fiber<br />6g protein<br />0g sugar<br /><br /><i>Ingredients: chia seeds, buckwheat groats and hemp seeds.</i>
Mueller says: A. Simple whole ingredients, nothing added.

60g per serving
140 calories
7g fat (.5g saturated fat)
4g fiber
6g protein
0g sugar

Ingredients: chia seeds, buckwheat groats and hemp seeds.

Barbara’s Bakery Shredded Wheat

<strong>Mueller says:&nbsp;A. One ingredient, nothing added!<br /></strong><br />40g per serving<br />140 calories<br />1g fat<br />5g fiber<br />4g protein<br />0g sugar<br /><br /><i>Ingredients: 100 percent whole wheat.</i>
Mueller says: A. One ingredient, nothing added!

40g per serving
140 calories
1g fat
5g fiber
4g protein
0g sugar

Ingredients: 100 percent whole wheat.

Ezekiel 4:9 Flax Sprouted Whole Grain Cereal

<strong>Mueller says:&nbsp;A-. Probably does not need the added sea salt.</strong><br /><br />58g per serving<br />180 calories<br />2.5g fat<br />6g fiber<br />8g protein<br />0g sugar<br /><br /><i>Ingredients:&nbsp;Organic Sprouted Wheat, Organic Malted Barley, Organic Flax Seeds, Organic Sprouted Barley, Organic Sprouted Millet, Organic Sprouted Lentils, Organic Sprouted Soybeans, Organic Sprouted Spelt, Filtered Water, Sea Salt.</i>

Fiber One

<strong>Mueller says:&nbsp;B+, because of fiber.</strong><br /><br />30g per serving<br />120 calories<br />1g fat<br />14g fiber<br />2g protein<br />0g sugar<br /><br />Ingredients: Whole Grain Wheat, Corn Bran, Modified Wheat Starch, Guar Gum, Color (caramel color and annatto extract) Salt, Baking Soda, Sucralose, Natural Flavor.
Mueller says: B+, because of fiber.

30g per serving
120 calories
1g fat
14g fiber
2g protein
0g sugar

Ingredients: Whole Grain Wheat, Corn Bran, Modified Wheat Starch, Guar Gum, Color (caramel color and annatto extract) Salt, Baking Soda, Sucralose, Natural Flavor.

Post Grape Nuts

<strong>Mueller says: B, because of the sugar and salt.</strong><br /><br />58g per serving<br />calories 210<br />1g fat<br />7g fiber<br />6g protein<br />5g sugar<br /><br /><i>Ingredients: whole grain wheat flour, malted barley flour, salt, dried yeast.</i>
Mueller says: B, because of the sugar and salt.

58g per serving
calories 210
1g fat
7g fiber
6g protein
5g sugar

Ingredients: whole grain wheat flour, malted barley flour, salt, dried yeast.

Cascadian Farm Organic Hearty Morning

<strong>Mueller says: B, because of the added sugar and salt.</strong><br /><br />48g per serving<br />170 calories<br />2.5g fat (.5 saturated fat)<br />8g fiber<br />4g protein<br />8g sugar<br /><br /><i>Ingredients:&nbsp;Whole Grain Wheat, Whole Grain Oats, Cane Sugar, Rice, Wheat Bran, Oat Fiber, Sunflower Oil,&nbsp;Honey, Sea Salt, Invert Cane Syrup,&nbsp;Molasses, Vanilla Extract, Annatto Extract Color, Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) Added to Preserve Freshness.</i>

Cheerios

<strong>Mueller says:&nbsp;B-, because of the added corn starch, sugar and salt.</strong><br /><br />26g per serving<br />100 calories&nbsp;<br />2g fat (.5g saturated fat)<br />3g fiber<br />3g protein<br />1g sugar<br /><br /><i>Ingredients: whole grain oats, corn starch, sugar, salt, tripotassium phosphate, Vitamin E.</i>
Mueller says: B-, because of the added corn starch, sugar and salt.

26g per serving
100 calories 
2g fat (.5g saturated fat)
3g fiber
3g protein
1g sugar

Ingredients: whole grain oats, corn starch, sugar, salt, tripotassium phosphate, Vitamin E.

Kashi Cinnamon Harvest

<strong>Mueller says:&nbsp;B- , because it's high in added sugar.<br /></strong><br />55g per serving<br />180 calories<br />1g fat<br />5g fiber<br />6g protein<br />9g sugar<br /><br /><i>Ingredients: organic whole grain wheat, organic dried cane syrup, organic cinnamon, natural cinnamon flavor.&nbsp;</i><strong><br /></strong>
Mueller says: B- , because it's high in added sugar.

55g per serving
180 calories
1g fat
5g fiber
6g protein
9g sugar

Ingredients: organic whole grain wheat, organic dried cane syrup, organic cinnamon, natural cinnamon flavor. 

Nature’s Path Millet Rice Flakes

<strong>Mueller says: B, because there's added sugar (barley malt extract) and salt.</strong><br /><br />30g per serving<br />120 calories<br />3g fiber<br />4g protein<br />4g sugar<br /><br /><i>Ingredients: whole oat flour, concentrated grape and/or pear juice, brown rice flour, whole millet, oat bran, barley malt extract, sea salt.</i>
Mueller says: B, because there's added sugar (barley malt extract) and salt.

30g per serving
120 calories
3g fiber
4g protein
4g sugar

Ingredients: whole oat flour, concentrated grape and/or pear juice, brown rice flour, whole millet, oat bran, barley malt extract, sea salt.

Kashi GoLean

<strong>Mueller says:&nbsp;B-, because it's high in added sugar and salt.</strong><br /><i><br /></i>58g per serving<br />180 calories<br />2g fat<br />13g fiber<br />12g protein<br />8g sugar<br /><i><br />Ingredients:&nbsp;Kashi Seven Whole Grain Honey Puff Cereal (Hard Red Wheat, Brown Rice, Honey, Cane Syrup, Barley, Triticale, Oats, Rye, Buckwheat, Sesame Seeds), Degerminated Yellow Corn Flour, Expeller Pressed Soy Grits, Ground Degerminated Corn, Cane Syrup, Expeller Pressed Soy Protein Isolate, Oat Fiber, Wheat Bran, Expeller Pressed Soy Flour, Corn Bran, Kashi Seven Whole Grains &amp; Sesame Flour (Whole: Oats, Hard Red Wheat, Rye, Brown Rice, Triticale, Barley, Buckwheat, Sesame Seeds), Salt, Natural Flavors, Annatto Extract Color.</i>

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