Chris Hemsworth‘s trusted personal chef has revealed what the superstar really eats when he’s bulking up for the big screen.
The Thor actor consumes about 4500 calories per day when he’s getting ready for his action-packed roles – usually consisting of ten 450-calorie meals.
And according to Dan Churchill, the chef behind Chris Hemsworth’s successful fitness app Centr, he’s not afraid to sacrifice flavour to ‘get the job done’.
The Australian chef has worked with the Marvel star for three years, and has also cooked alongside several other mega stars like Blake Lively and Drew Barrymore.
Named one of Forbes’ 30 under 30 in 2019, the chef told FEMAIL that Chris has a ‘heart of gold’ and puts his soul into every aspect of his life – be it daily fitness training or dedication to his family.
He revealed Chris’ favourite meals include steak, rice-based dishes, broccoli, chicken, and banana protein shakes.
‘Chris is an unbelievable ambassador to Australia, and I’m so blessed to work with him,’ Dan said.
Dan Churchill [pictured] has worked with the Marvel star for three years now, and has also cooked alongside several other mega stars like Blake Lively and Drew Barrymore
An Australian chef behind Chris Hemsworth’s successful fitness app has shared the actor’s dietary secrets and revealed how Aussie home cooks can get the most out of their daily meals
‘Chris is truly a top bloke with a heart of gold,’ the Aussie chef added.
‘He leads by example, he’s just a really cool person and he’s very relatable.’
Dan is in charge of recipes, bonus workouts, and challenges for Chris’ app, which means the two men work closely together.
‘Chris is a really good man, and he’s not just a face – he’s very involved in Centr and wants to lead the team.’
Dan revealed that, when training for movies like Thor and Extraction, Chris typically eats ten meals with 450 calories per dish.
‘One of Chris’s go-to drinks is a protein shake with banana, two dates, almond milk, and a scoop of protein,’ he revealed in a video for Centr.
Chris typically consumes 4,500 calories a day when he’s training for action movies that need him at his peak, and Chris’s favourite meals include steak, rice-based dishes, broccoli, chicken, and banana protein shakes
The chef told FEMAIL: ‘It takes a lot of discipline to adhere to Chris’s schedule – he often has to sacrifice taste and flavour to get the job done.’
Dan is obsessed with everything food and fitness, making them the perfect team.
He has a Masters degree in Exercise Science and turned to the culinary arts after realising he could share a deeper connection with people and have a stronger impact on the world through food.
‘There are so many facets to the industry and it’s constantly evolving every day,’ he said.
‘My impact as a chef in the media space really excites me – I love being able to speak to thousands of people directly about their health, the planet, and what’s good for them.’
Dan is the Creative Culinary Director of Chris Hemsworth’s app ‘Centr’ and is in charge of recipes, bonus workouts, and challenges
Dan is extremely plant-forward and admitted to never being interested in fried foods.
He also championed professional cricketer Steve Smith’s ‘OMG’ milk – which is free of industrial seed oils.
‘OMG oat milk is my go-to when it comes to cooking and protein shakes,’ he said. ‘Seed oils have negative impacts on your health so I tend to shy away from them.’
Seed oils are known to become toxic to the human body because they contribute to an imbalance in our omega-3 to omega-6 ratio which can result in severe inflammation.
Dan also shared his top tips for home cooks, and biggest mistakes people make in the kitchen.
‘A big mistake home cooks make is adding salt too early. For example, if you’re making a soup or anything with sauce, your dish will concentrate as the liquid evaporates – and then you can make it too salty.’
The chef uses blitzed tofu instead of dairy for a lactose-free sauce.
‘Tofu is amazing and creamy, and extremely high in protein. I use it to make mac and cheese and aioli all the time.’
Dan also suggested grating garlic into a paste before cooking.
‘You can bring out more flavour that way, and the process will extract all the extra oils.’
One of Dan’s top tips is to incorporate more lemon juice into your cooking.
‘Don’t sleep on lemon juice,’ the chef said. ‘If salt brings out flavour, acid keeps it sticking around.’
He added, ‘If salt is the invitation to the party – lemon juice is the DJ.’
‘You should always add garlic to your pan before oil,’ the chef said for his last tip.
‘Doing this on medium heat will ensure that the garlic will infuse into the oil better.’
Dan’s typical day on a plate
FIRST THING (05:15) – Brewed coffee
PRE-WORKOUT (06:00) – English muffin with honey and banana OR chocolate and banana protein shake
BREAKFAST (08:00) – Peanut butter oat meal with homemade raspberry chia jam
LUNCH (12:30) – Oat Thai green curry with rice
SNACK (15:00) – Avocado toast
DINNER (19:30) – Earthy sweet potato stew with grilled chicken