ROMELU LUKAKU kicked pineapple on pizza and carbonara pasta from his diet in pursuit of Inter Milan glory.
With the Nerazzurri sitting pretty atop Serie A, he is on the verge of a first piece of silverware since leaving England.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, key to Inter’s rise has been losing 16lbs of weight under the guidance of the nutritionist Matteo Pincella, who began his career in rugby.
In 2012, he joined up with Antonio Conte at Juventus and now combines his club role with working for the Italian national team.
Under Pincella, Inter stars are studied and handed unique diet plans that rarely feature pasta dishes.
Instead, chicken, sweet potatoes, shirataki noodles, and fish all feature heavily and a single cheat meal a week is allowed.
For 27-year-old striker Lukaku, that has meant ditching some of the bad habits he took with him from Manchester United.
Pineapple on pizza and carbonara pasta are just two of the guilty pleasures given the boot, helping him drop from 15st 11lbs to around 14st 9lbs.
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I have reached another level, physically and mentally.
Romelu Lukaku
Earlier this month Lukaku detailed his diet, which does not include a breakfast, on a club podcast: “When I joined Inter we did an analysis of my body and a lot has changed.
“I eat a lot of salad and fish, which has a great effect on me. I take carnitine, it makes me feel good, and I take vitamins.
“I eat salad for lunch, a lot of chicken breast, shirataki noodles. Since following this lifestyle I feel better on the pitch, more responsive and faster.
“I love sweet potatoes and black rice, I don’t eat pasta.
“I have reached another level, physically and mentally. The day before the game I can go overboard with carbohydrates.
“After most matches I eat two packs of gnocchi. They get into my circulation quickly, they help me a lot.
“I drink and eat at the stadium, in our canteen, or I take my food home, then recover with lots of ice.”
The results have been substantial with Lukaku hitting 25 goals in all competitions this season, including a strike in the weekend win at Torino.
It was Inter’s eighth in a row in Serie A, pushing the team six points clear of AC Milan with a game in hand.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
