Eat like the ‘super sexy athletes’ of Victoria’s Secret with Sakara Life

The models on the runway at last night’s Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show may have been wearing wings, but there is nothing magical about where their energy is coming from. ​

The new hot body is not a starved one, but a strong one that can handle motherhood (Karolina Kurkova), go boxing (Lily Aldridge) and be fit enough for the cover of Sports Illustrated (Chrissy Teigen). What do they have in common? Fueling up with organic plant-based meals delivered by NYC-based Sakara Life.

“These models aren’t just models anymore, they’re super sexy athletes!” says Sakara co-founder Whitney Tingle. “They’re not so obsessed with counting every single calorie anymore, they’re looking at nutrients and at what that food is doing for their body to fuel it, to give it energy.”

Food is no longer the enemy; these models want functional foods that make them feel good. “They know they can’t survive on juice alone,” Tingle says. “They don’t starve themselves or count every calorie, their bodies need to be fueled with the right stuff to function at top performance.”

Sakara, which Tingle co-founded with Danielle DuBoise and recently expanded to Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., serves up the models’ favorite nosh when they’re in town. Tingle says they especially like summer’s juicy berry-packed Sexiest Salad in New York City, Morning Oats with Yellow Pear + Rose Petals and the Balancing Macro Plate with Creamy Avocado Dressing. Aldridge has made her love of the Chia + Coconut Protein WafflesInstagram official, while ErinHeatherton credits Sakara’s melon soup with her healthy glow.

“More around the show, some of them might do something like no grains, or something more specific, but they really just trust us to really look at the nutrition of the meals and send them what is going to make them feel amazing,” she says.

Tingle gave us some tips on what to eat to look and feel like a supermodel.

Work it: “Adding superfoods to your meal, like hemp seeds and chia seeds, you get a little extra boost of nutrients,” says Tingle. Sakara’s daily meals work in several cups of leafy greens like spinach and kale (winter is its peak season, when it tastes best!) that are rich in sulfur, which cells use for energy production.

Glow like an Angel: “With the weather being as dry as it is and the heating systems turned on, you want to make sure that you’re staying hydrated; that’s a lot of where that glow comes from.” Leafy greens are also good for this, as well as good fats like coconut oil. Throw some seasonal beets, pomegranates and carrots in the mix, too.

Stay healthy: “When you eat a wide variety of clean whole foods that come straight from Mama Earth, they work as medicine in your body,” Tingle says, boosting metabolism, supporting immunity, balancing hormones and building and repairing cells. The Sakara philosophy is eating a rainbow of plant-based goodness the majority of the time, which allows for the occasional burger or slice of cake. “It’s supposed to be fun; it’s supposed to make you feel sexy.”