Jennifer Lopez likes to indulge in a cheat meal every 'once in a while' and refuses to beat herself up about it.
The 48-year-old singer and actress missed her Puerto Rican mother's home cooked Latin meals when she moved from her hometown New York to Los Angeles so her mum taught her how to recreate the comfort food over the phone for Jennifer to tuck into when she feels like a cheat meal.
In her cover star interview with Harper's Bazaar magazine, she tucked into a plate of fried pork chops with white rice and vegetables known as chuletas after a long day on set and said: "When I first moved to L.A., I called home and I was like, 'Mommy, I miss your cooking, I asked her to show me how to make the recipes, so she taught me over the phone."
The 'Jenny from the Block' singer - who has been dating former professional baseball player Alex Rodriguez for a year - likes to live a healthy lifestyle, and Alex credits her youthful looks to her strict routine to ensure her well-being.
He said: "She really leans in to the big fundamentals, like getting her rest, eight to 10 hours. She doesn't drink, doesn't smoke. She lives a very clean life."
Although 'The Boy Next Door' tries to maintain a balanced lifestyle, she doesn't beat herself up about indulging in a treat "every once in a while".
She explained: "We're all human. I don't think you should beat yourself up if you make a mistake or if you have a potato chip," she said. "Everyone wants a cookie or a piece of cake or fried chicken every once in a while. It's not about that. It's about consistently and always trying to be better and trying to do good."
And Jennifer admitted to finally reaching a place in her life where she feels happy to praise herself.
She said: "I know who I am and what I want. I also know my strengths and weaknesses. It took me a long time to get to a point where I could say something nice about myself. I'm glad I can do that now."