What is Erling Haaland's favourite food? Restaurants, cheat meals & recipes favoured by Man City star

Erling Haaland has been stealing the spotlight since his days at Borussia Dortmund, but he’s reached a new level of stardom after getting to the Premier League with Manchester City.

The Norwegian goal-machine has taken English football by storm since arriving at the Etihad Stadium and has already been considered one of the best players in the world. He netted 52 goals last term to help City to the Treble, and he is once again leading the way in Premier League goal-scoring charts this season.

Haaland's penchant for scoring goals recently saw him scoop the Gerd Muller trophy at the 67th edition of the prestigious Ballon d’Or awards. His incredible talent has impressed even his most fervent detractors and has made everyone wonder how he does it. Thankfully, the Norwegian striker has let out some details of his special diet that keeps him in beast mode on the pitch.

Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about Erling Haaland's eating habits, including his favourite food, restaurant and cheat meals.

What is Erling Haaland's favourite food to eat?

Like many elite footballers these days, Haaland employs a personal chef to prepare specific meals for him. While a diet high in protein is expected of footballers, the Nordic man mountain has taken it a step further by making sure his meal plan is full to the brim with a multitude of meats.

In the recent documentary "The Big Decision," Haaland confessed that, in addition to vast amounts of beef, he adds the livers and hearts of the animals for an extra kick of protein and iron. Haaland also spoke about his water filtration system and the importance of sunlight for circadian rhythm.

"Most people won’t eat those parts, but I care about my body. I believe it’s essential to eat high-quality foods that are locally sourced," Haaland stated. "People say that beef is bad for you, but which one? What you get at McDonalds? Or the meat from the cow roaming right outside your home?," Haaland claimed.

"It’s an old-school diet where parents and grandparents would feed hearts and livers to children to avoid malnutrition since these are foods that are high in iron, which is a nutrient that most people’s diets are lacking nowadays," sports nutritionist Andrea Buceta states.

Overall, Haaland eats about 6,000 calories a day to stay in peak physical condition, which is more than double the recommended daily amount for men. However, it isn’t out of the ordinary for someone of Haaland’s size, with his Norway teammate Joshua King quite famously remarking: "He just eats like a bear".

However, while bears will often be seen having a fish-heavy diet, Haaland's preferences are a little lower down on the healthy scale. Many fitness enthusiasts may be surprised to learn that Haaland's favourite food is actually kebab pizza.

"My favourite meal is things we can never eat, things we only eat once in an occasion ... I love kebab or kebab pizza, I absolutely love it, it’s one of the best things I have to say but I can never eat it. Sometimes I sit home like ‘it would be so good’ then I go to the fridge and make something else, that’s my life," Haaland said in a Sky interview.

Yet while his ideal choice may prove controversial, he doesn't eat it all the time. He enjoys tucking into a homemade Lasagna made by dad, Alfe-Inge, the night before matches to fuel his goalscoring exploits.

Lasagna is a type of pasta made of very wide, flat sheets. It is originally an Italian dish made of stacked layers of lasagna alternating with fillings such as ragu (ground meats and tomato sauce), bechamel sauce, vegetables, cheeses (which may include ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan), and seasonings and spices.

As for his favourite drink? Haaland is a big fan of pina colada, and is a regular consumer of a unique milk smoothie laced with spinach and kale, labelling it his "magic potion" on Instagram.

How to make Homemade beef lasagna- step-by-step recipe

List of ingredients:

• Meat: This lasagna recipe starts with a pound of ground meat (½ pound ground pork, ½ pound lean ground beef).
• Onion & Garlic Cloves: A diced onion is cooked until translucent with the ground meat.
• Canned tomatoes: You'll need a can of tomato sauce and a can of crushed tomatoes. You can also use marinara sauce, and add red wine or beef broth to amp up the flavor of your sauce.
• Fresh herbs: For fresh flavor, chop two tablespoons of parsley and crush one clove of garlic.
• Sugar: A dash of sugar balances out all of the acidity from the tomatoes.
• Spices and seasonings: This homemade lasagna is seasoned with dried basil, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper.
• Noodles: Of course, you'll need lasagna noodles! This recipe calls for uncooked noodles, but you can use the oven-ready variety to save time.
• Cheese: The cheese layer is made up of cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, and Parmesan. You'll also need shredded mozzarella.
• Eggs: Eggs make the cheese layer extra creamy. Plus, they help hold the cheese layers together.

How to make:

1. Cook the meat: Add oil to a deep pan and sauteed onion and cook the ground meat in a skillet until browned and crumbly. Add the garlic and continue cooking until it's translucent. Stir in the canned tomato products, half of the parsley, garlic, basil, 1.5 teaspoons of salt, oregano, and sugar.
2. Make the magic sauce: Pour in 1/4 cup of wine and stir until almost evaporated. Add marinara (or canned tomatoes), salt, pepper, thyme, sugar, and parsley; bring to a simmer, then cover and cook 5 minutes.
3. Cook the noodles: Preheat your oven to 375ºF and cook the lasagna noodles in a pot of well-salted water until al dente.
4. Make the cheese layer: Mix cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, the remaining parsley, the remaining salt, and pepper in a bowl.
5. Assemble the lasagna: Layer the ingredients according to the recipe (starting with sauce and ending with mozzarella) until the lasagna is assembled.
6. Bake the lasagna: Cover with foil and bake in the preheated oven for about half an hour. Remove the foil and continue baking until the top is golden brown.
7. Rest: Let the lasagna rest for about 30 minutes before cutting and serving.

Which restaurants does Erling Haaland eat at?

Since moving to Manchester from Dortmund, Haaland has made it his personal mission to settle into his new home and endear himself to the supporters.

Often spotted walking around the streets of Manchester, serving fans ice cream scoops and buying a bag of Percy Pigs from M&S, Haaland has found a favourite haunt at Vero Moderno, which is situated at Vimto Gardens, Chapel Street, Salford M3 5JF, and is known for its Italian cuisine.

Haaland was so pleased with the meal at Vero Moderno that he invited the restaurant's owners to watch City's Champions League game against FC Copenhagen from an executive box.

The Norwegian also enjoyed a break from training with entire City squad with a meal at swanky Italian restaurant San Carlo, which is one of Manchester's most famous restaurants where various A-listers have chosen to party over the years, including the likes of Rihanna, David Beckham, Russell Crowe and Michelle Keegan.

He also had a lavish New Year's Eve celebration with his rumoured girlfriend Isabel Haugseng Johansen at Manchester's upscale Ivy restaurant. The pair were also spotted together at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, enjoying a romantic meal after the Ballon d'Or awards.

Despite following a strict diet, Haaland can't resist to some sweet and sour chicken when he travels back to his home country of Norway to visit his family.

Ahead of the 2023 Champions League final, he popped into Chinese restaurant Wen Hua House to enjoy sweet and sour chicken and peking duck, which has been a haunt of the Haaland family ever since Erling was a youngster.

Another restaurant that Haaland stops off at in Norway is Yummy Time, where, according to the owner, the 23-year-old likes to treat himself by ordering a kebab pizza. After winning the Champions League, Haaland treated himself and Jack Grealish to a small dinner at MAMO Italian restaurant in Antibes, France.

Does Erling Haaland eat cheat meals or junk food?

Haaland is a sucker for the occasional cheat meal, just like all of us. When the chance arises to have a break from his strict nutritional regime, the 23-year-old opts for kebab pizza, which is also his favourite food.

That means Haaland could eat in one sitting a 1,415 calorie meal, with 41.5g of fat, 21.3g of carbs, 18-20g of sugar, and 52.6g of protein.

Pizza is typically high in calories, fat, and simple carbohydrates, which may not be the best choice for replenishing the muscle recovery and replenish energy stores after a training session.

However, an occasional indulgence is not likely to completely negate the benefits of a strict regular diet, and Haaland is mindful of overall dietary choices. He is also said to love a bag of Percy Pig sweets, spicy Indian food, pasta, duck and sweet and sour chicken.