Close: Lady Gaga’s personal chef Bo O’Connor is also her childhood friend, and both met in Catholic school. They are pictured at the opening of O’Connor’s restaurant in Queens

Energy: Gaga’s on-tour diet includes plenty of healthy foods such as quinoa, vegetables, fruit and smoothies, to make sure the star can withstand her rigorous schedule

A typical meal for the singer, O’Connor told Self, would involve ‘something like quinoa with black beans, grilled shrimp, beautiful veggies’.

When trying to decide what to put on the singer’s plate, the chef, who has her own restaurant in Queens, focuses both on taste and on nutritional virtues.

‘Being on tour or just performing all of the time, it’s exhausting. Being able to provide your body with good nutrients, including those that are in vegetables and fruit, is everything,’ O’Connor added.

The star’s diet also includes salads on a daily basis, although their composition can change.

‘She definitely will always have a salad throughout the day whether it’s for lunch or dinner,’ the chef told People. ‘The salad can be different and change; it doesn’t always have to be super lettuce-based, rather it can have other components that are a little bit more satisfying.’

The singer, who faced some body-shaming comments after her performance during the last Super Bowl – and promptly shut down the rude comments by saying she was proud of her body – also makes room in her diet for indulgences.

Balance: The singer, who faced body-shaming comments after her Super Bowl performance – and promptly shut down the rude comments – also makes room for indulgences

Bond: Gaga and O’Connor are so close that the chef asked the pop star to be the maid of honor at her wedding. O’Connor then spent nine months on the road with Gaga during her last tour

If Gaga craves a burger and fries, the chef, who met Gaga while both attended the same Catholic school, will prep a gluten-free turkey burger flavored with ‘lots of spices’ and serve with baked sweet potato fries on the side.

‘At least she’s feeling that she can indulge a little bit and have something similar to a real burger but is still good for you,’ O’Connor added.

While on tour, Gaga gets to experience some of the tastiest food the world has to offer – such as fruit so delicious, it can fulfill a craving for something sweet.

‘When we were in Tokyo, the fruit and produce was insane—it’s to die for—so she definitely has a sweet tooth sometimes and likes chocolate and such, but in Japan the fruit is so amazing that you eat that and that’s your indulgence,’ O’Connor added.

The star also enjoys her fruit and vegetables mixed in vegan smoothies, a regular offering on her on tour diet, according to the chef.

Traveling: While on tour, Gaga gets to experience some of the tastiest food the world has to offer – such as fruit so delicious, it can fulfill a craving for something sweet

Clever: If the singer craves a burger and fries, O’Connor will prep a gluten-free turkey burger flavored with ‘lots of spices’ and serve with baked sweet potato fries on the side

As for snacks, O’Connor, who spent nine months on the road with Gaga during the star’s last tour, makes sure they are always prepared by keeping nutritious offerings at the ready.

‘If Gaga gets really hungry, I carry little packs of almond butter, and that prevents us from grabbing something from like, a gas station,’ she told Self.

‘[I’ll] combine that almond butter with other things. Scandinavian crackers, full of fiber, may not be the most tasty on their own, but if you throw them together with the almond butter and some banana, you have something that’s filling and satisfying.

Hydration is also key, O’Connor said, to look and feel energized.

Although her regular offerings focus on providing the star with nutritious food, the chef is adamant that being overly strict is not her style.

‘For me, my philosophy is balance,’ she told Self. ‘I hear people say all the time, “Oh I never indulge,” or, “Oh I never have a cheat meal or drink wine or beer.” I think that’s very difficult to sustain, and I think finding that balance of being healthy and indulgent when you can is the best way to live life. Personally, I don’t think living life and always feeling deprived is a good thing. For me, that’s not who I am.’