Jessica Biel defends 'gross' eating habit

If you’re the optimising type, you might have found some little ways to combine jobs and save a little time.

When it comes to dragging yourself out of bed for the commute, you’ve got a few tasks that need resolving before you squeeze yourself onto a packed tube or resign yourself to slow-moving traffic towards your office: eat some breakfast, have a shower, brush your teeth.

Now, your routine may differ, particularly if you’re a breakfast skipper or an evening showerer, but let’s imagine you’re getting your day off to a perfect start by leaving the house both squeaky clean and well-fed.

Look how inefficiently she's showering! Where's the toothbrush? Where's the quiche? (Yana Iskayeva/Getty Images)

In that scenario, you could combine showering and brushing your teeth. And hey, you could even go for a morning wee at the same time; who's gonna know?

You might save a bit of time and you’ll almost certainly save on water, but you might think ‘Damn, if only I could eat breakfast in the shower too!’

Well, crazy as that idea might seem, that’s exactly how Jessica Biel approaches shower time.

The 43-year-old actor, model, full-time Justin Timberlake spouse, and star of The Better Sister among numerous other credits, has told Real Simple about her unconventional shower habits.

“Of course, if you're drinking coffee in the shower, you might as well have food in there, too,” she said, defending the unorthodox routine.

Biel went on: “Sometimes I’ll have cereal in the shower. Or yogurt and fruit. I’ve even had a piece of quiche in there.”

Admitting the habit is ‘gross’, she added: “Oftentimes, we’re all in there - me, the coffee, the food - doing the lymphatic massage."

Just imagine it: you’re a quiche on a plate in a steamy shower room that’s softening up your crust. Maybe there’s a bit of shampoo garnishing your now-room-temperature cheese, and you’re watching in terror as Jessica Biel finishes off her coffee and her bowl of cereal, knowing you’re next.

Biel has admitted that it isn’t a habit she would recommend to other people. “I don’t prioritize my food sometimes,” she said on The View in 2024. “I’m not saying you should do it. Don’t do what I do.”

Biel stars alongside Elizabeth Banks in The Better Sister (Jamie McCarthy / Staff/Getty Images)

Along with wolfing down some soggy breakfast, Biel said she uses shower time for lymphatic massages.

“I start by taking some deep breaths, touching my stomach, and then working down my neck and jawline, under my nose, and around my eyebrows. It only takes five minutes,” she explained. As far as shower activities go, this one’s certainly less concerning than the quiche.