Honestly, the internet has a weird obsession with how Jenna Ortega looks. Whether it’s her height—she’s 5’1", by the way—or her style, everyone seems to have an opinion. But if you actually listen to what she says, her relationship with her body is a lot more practical than the "Hollywood glam" narrative suggests.
She isn't spending six hours a day in a gym. She's not living on celery juice. In fact, one of the biggest misconceptions about the jenna ortega body and lifestyle is that she’s still a strict vegan. She isn't.
She actually had to quit.
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The Romania Shift: Why She Added Fish Back
For a long time, Jenna was a committed vegan. She’s talked about it in plenty of older interviews, but things changed fast when she moved to Romania to film Wednesday. If you've ever been to that part of the world, you know the food is... heavy. Lots of meat, lots of dairy, and not a whole lot of plant-based protein options that can sustain a 12-hour filming day in the cold.
She realized her body was hitting a wall.
"I don't think I was meeting my nutritional requirements," she told Wired in a 2023 interview. "I started eating fish again, so I’m currently pescatarian."
It was a health decision, plain and simple. When you're the lead in a massive Netflix production, you can't afford to be lightheaded or lethargic. Her diet now focuses on what she calls the 80/20 rule. Basically, 80% of the time she eats whole, nutrient-dense foods—think avocado rolls (her favorite), broccoli, and lean protein—and the other 20% she lets herself breathe.
She's even viral for eating kiwis with the skin still on. Yeah, the fuzzy part. Apparently, it’s great for fiber and antioxidants, though most of us would probably find the texture a bit "unhinged," as some fans put it.
The Reality of the Jenna Ortega Body and Fitness Routine
You won’t find her doing heavy bodybuilding. It just doesn't fit her frame or her goals. Instead, Jenna sticks to a mix of yoga and light strength training. It’s about being functional.
- Yoga: She aims for about three sessions a week. It’s as much for her head as it is for her hamstrings.
- Circuit Training: She does high-rep, low-weight movements like squats, lunges, and planks.
- Walking: She’s a big fan of just... walking. If she can walk to a set or a meeting, she does.
She’s also been really vocal about the "pressure to be perfect." There was a time when she’d look in the mirror and not like what she saw. She’s mentioned on social media that reading comments about her body "looking weird" or not being "pretty enough" actually hurts. It’s a reminder that even when you’re a global superstar, the noise of the internet still gets under your skin.
Mental Health and Physical Tension
One thing she’s mentioned in Elle is that she holds a lot of physical tension in her jaw and neck. Acting, especially in horror or dark comedies like Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, involves a lot of "dropping the face" or holding specific, stiff poses.
To counter this, she’s turned to meditation. It’s not just a "wellness trend" for her; it’s a necessity to stop her muscles from locking up after a long day of playing a character who never smiles.
She keeps it simple. No 10-step skincare routines that break her out, no fad diets that leave her starving. She’s even called out the industry for its unrealistic standards, noting that for a long time, she felt like she didn't "fit the bill" for what Hollywood wanted a lead actress to look like.
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Actionable Takeaways from Jenna’s Philosophy
If you’re looking to adopt a similar mindset, it’s less about a specific "workout" and more about these three shifts:
- Listen to your biology over your ideology. If being vegan makes you feel weak, it's okay to pivot to pescatarianism or vegetarianism. Jenna did it because her body needed the fuel.
- Focus on "micro-movements." You don't need a gym membership. Bodyweight squats and long walks are the backbone of her routine.
- The "80/20" Rule works. Restriction usually leads to burnout. Allowing for treats or "non-perfect" meals keeps the lifestyle sustainable.
Ultimately, the way she handles her public image is pretty refreshing. She knows she’s small, she knows she has "imperfections," and she’s increasingly okay with that. She’s focused on being capable of doing the work, not just looking the part.
For anyone trying to find balance, her move away from strict veganism is a great example of choosing health over a label. It’s about longevity, not just a red-carpet moment.