What does the Queen eat? All the weird things Her Majesty likes and dislikes

The Queen enjoys a varied and expensive diet, but there are some things that she refuses to eat because of weird royal protocols. 

• The Queen is not a fussy eater and her chefs have often spoken about her varied diet.
• However, there are many foods that the royal refuses to eat.
• In other royal news, The adorable way the Queen ‘shows her love’ to the Cambridge children on sleepovers.

The Queen has never revealed her favorite meal, so it can be a bit of a mystery piecing together which cuisines Her Majesty enjoys and which foods the Queen would rather stay away from.

It's also well known that there are common foods the royal family is banned from eating because of weird royal protocols. So here is what we do know about what the Queen likes and dislikes.

Foods the Queen refuses to eat

Garlic

Royal chef Darren McGrady, who worked at Buckingham Palace for more than 15 years confirmed that Her Majesty doesn't enjoy eating garlic or onions.

The chef revealed to Recipes Plus (opens in new tab) that he "can never serve anything with garlic or too many onions."

However, Duchess Camilla suggested that rather than not enjoying garlic and onions, the royals are discouraged from eating this type of food because it may cause them to have bad breath.

When the Duchess appeared on MasterChef Australia she was asked what the royals won't eat, Camilla said, "I hate to say this, but garlic. Garlic is a no-no." 

Masterchef judge Gary Mehigan asked if it was discouraged "because you're talking, and chatting all the time," to which she responded, "Yes, exactly. So you always have to lay off the garlic."

Shellfish

The royals tend to shy away from eating shellfish. This is because shellfish is commonly associated with food poisoning and can easily be cooked incorrectly.

This of course would not be good for royals who often have busy schedules and need to be ready for work or royal engagements at any moment.

Pasta

Reportedly Her Majesty doesn't eat too much pasta or rice or potatoes as she prefers to stay away from starchy foods.

Apparently, the royals will only have pasta, potatoes, and rice on rare occasions and the Queen prefers to have lighter meals that are less filling than typical dishes that include these items.

Crusts

It may sound a little childish but reportedly the Queen refuses to eat the crusts of her sandwiches. A royal chef, Owen Hodgson told the Telegraph (opens in new tab), "A chef told me off for serving the sandwiches with crusts."

Apparently, the Queen enjoys sandwiches for her afternoon tea and specifically likes cucumber, smoked salmon, egg mayonnaise, and ham and mustard sandwiches as an afternoon meal—but certainly without any crusts! 

Foods the Queen does like

Strawberries

The Queen reportedly loves strawberries, but she refuses to eat them if they are not in season and locally sourced.

Darren McGrady revealed that when she is in Balmoral for the Summer, she adores eating this tasty fruit.“You can send strawberries every day to the Queen during summer at Balmoral and she'll never say a word. Try including strawberries on the menu in January and she'll scrub out the line and say don't dare send me genetically modified strawberries,” said Darren.

Burgers

It's well known that the Queen eats hamburgers in the weirdest way. Her Majesty prefers to have her burgers deconstructed and served with cranberry sauce.

Darren McGrady told Insider (opens in new tab) that as well as dressing her burger with an interesting sauce, the Queen also eats her burgers with a knife and fork. "Her Majesty's Victorian upbringing dictates that the only thing you would pick up and eat with your fingers is afternoon tea,"  said the chef.

Tuna sandwiches

Reportedly, Her Majesty loves sandwiches and has a particular penchant for tuna mayo sandwiches. The Queen likes to have thin slices of cucumber and a light dash of black pepper in her tuna sandwiches.

The Queen also likes to have buttered bread, but without any crusts. A former royal chef, Owen Hodgson, told The Telegraph (opens in new tab), “A chef told me off for serving the sandwiches with crusts."

Cereal

Instead of having a patriotic breakfast like a full English, the Queen prefers a small bowl of cereal every morning.

Katie Nicholl, a royal biographer, told Cosmo (opens in new tab) that the Queen has the same meal every morning and likes to make sure that her cereal retains its crunch.

"HRH typically starts [the day] with a simple cup of tea and biscuits, followed by a bowl of cereal, famously served from Tupperware." said Katie.

Rather than opting for Coco Pops, Cornflakes, or Froot Loops, the Queen prefers the plainer option of Special K. Reportedly if Her Majesty is still peckish she will enjoy a slice of white toast with marmalade and another cup of tea.