Christina Anstead is known for her sunny SoCal disposition on hit HGTV show Flip or Flop
and its spin-off, Christina on the Coast. For anybody wondering what the busy mother
does to stay in such good shape, the answer can be found in the kitchen.
If you've ever watched an episode of one of Christina Anstead's shows, you've probably
noticed that she's always on the move.
"You know, we did the squat challenge —" "Oh no!" "Oh, my god!" "—which I smoked him
on, so I'm definitely not afraid to challenge him again."
But according to Anstead's nutritionist Cara Clark, when Anstead first sought her services,
she needed to make a serious adjustment to her diet.
When Anstead first met the woman who would become her nutritionist, she wasn't eating
nearly enough.
That meant that Clark had to create a customized eating plan that ensured Anstead was getting
the proper nourishment for her non-stop and always active lifestyle. Thinking back on
the new plan, Clark wrote,
"I upped her calories probably like 800 calories immediately, and she had a ton of success
with my methods of more calories, combining your macros correctly and eating your fats
and proteins with carbs."
Putting someone who really knows what they're doing in charge of nutrition must have been
a big relief for Anstead — as it would probably be for most people. It also freed Anstead
from having to worry about counting calories, which meant there's also room in her diet
for the occasional margarita.
If you're a working mother with multiple commitments, chances are you know how difficult it can
be to squeeze in healthy meals throughout the day. But that's something that Christina
Anstead has on lock, according to her nutritionist. As Cara Clark put it in a blog post, quote,
"Even with two kids and a popular hit TV show, Christina manages to stay healthy and strong."
Hey, if the busy Flip or Flop star can do it, perhaps there's hope for the rest of us!
One of the major reasons that Anstead has the stamina required for her active lifestyle
is because of the diet plan that Clark has her follow. According to her, Christina is
hitting the kitchen for meals more often than you might think. Clark wrote,
"Christina eats four to five times a day every three to four hours to allow her blood sugar
to stay stable all day long. With the proper balance of carbs, fat, and protein at each
meal, her body is a fat burning powerhouse!"
That also explains why Anstead has such a rocking body, too. She's prioritized her nutritional
needs, and she doesn't let anything get in the way of that.
Even Christina Anstead needs a bit of a kickstart before she can greet the day in the morning.
That's why she reaches for the same thing that 64 percent of Americans do every day: coffee.
She explained in an interview with Cara Clark Nutrition,
"I start my day with a cup of coffee with some cream and Stevia. I need that coffee!"
Once she's sufficiently caffeinated and ready to face the world, Anstead chows down on her
morning meal, which is super healthy and honestly sounds pretty tasty. She said,
"For breakfast I always have overnight oats. Currently it's [half a cup of] oats, one cup
unsweetened almond milk...[one tablespoon] chia seeds, [one teaspoon] cinnamon, and one
sliced banana."
She added that sometimes she'll mix it up with the addition of either berries or peanut
butter.
"I like to keep a pretty healthy, organic fridge -- a lot of overnight oats, different
kinds of water, a variety of milk."
What's a meal that's healthy, easy to prepare, and convenient for folks with super busy schedules?
Why smoothies, of course. That's what Christina Anstead reaches for when it's time for a snack
or a meal. She told HGTV,
"I meal prep my smoothies. I cut up all the ingredients except milk and put [them] in
plastic baggies in the freezer or fridge and just throw them and milk in the blender when
I'm ready."
That way she can have a nourishing snack or meal in about five minutes.
"Nutrition and wellness have always been super important to me, and because I'm usually on
the go, my favorite on-the-go-recipe is a smoothie."
One of the main reasons that Christina Anstead is so careful about what she eats is because
of her medical conditions. She discovered that she had them after seeking the advice
of a naturopath doctor, while struggling with her health during pregnancy.
Specifically, she was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome and Hashimoto's Disease, which
made her feel sluggish, foggy, and stressed.
That's why Anstead makes sure to stick to her diet plan at all times, as the consequences
of veering off just aren't worth it for her. As she revealed in an interview with Parade,
"I just make sure that I'm constantly getting my bloodwork rechecked and eating the right
foods. If I go to dinner [...] and I eat badly, I feel horrible the next day."
It's often said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, as it kickstarts
your metabolism and keeps you healthy. But that doesn't mean you should sleep on a healthy
lunch, either. Nutritionist Cara Clark wrote in a blog post,
"With a full filming schedule and being a mom to two littles, lunch can often be overlooked,
but Christina is prepared with go to salads or simple one pan or crockpot dishes."
She added that combining lean meat, grains, and vegetables are a surefire way to get the
nutrition you need from your afternoon meal.
Specifically, Anstead prefers a classic lunch staple with a bit of a healthy spin. Clark
continued,
"Her fave is a traditional Cobb salad with extra veggies or a quinoa salad loaded with
veggies."
That way Anstead doesn't hit a slump in the middle of her long work day, and she can power
through until her next snack or meal.
Nothing quite hits the spot like your number one comfort food.
So what is the one food that Christina Anstead simply can't live without? She revealed in
an interview with Cara Clark Nutrition,
"The only thing I really crave (which is the only thing I craved during pregnancy too)
is peanut butter. I am obsessed!"
Given that it's creamy, versatile, and satisfying, that's a pretty healthy pick.
Of course, she's not chowing down on peanut butter cups or cookies every day — far from
it. While she still has space for an indulgent snack, she tends to do it in a smart, nutritious
way. These days, she says,
"I have a peanut butter 'perfect bar,' and also ... a snack of rice cake with peanut
butter. I don't know what it is, I've never [liked] peanut butter this much before."
With important medical conditions to consider and energy levels to balance out properly,
Christina Anstead has to be very careful about the kinds of food that she consumes on a daily
basis. That means that some foods are completely off the menu at all times. She said in an
interview with Parade,
"I don't eat fast food, I don't eat fried food, I don't eat anything processed."
That's not all that Anstead cut out of her diet, either, as she had to ax yet another
item when she started feeling poorly again. Turns out, there was a new roadblock to her
wellness that she needed to work around. She recalled,
"I went back to my naturopath doctor and we discovered that I have an intolerance for
gluten now, so I cut that out. Things are constantly evolving for me, and I think that's
kind of how it is for everyone."
Hey, whatever makes you feel your best is best for you, right?
Some people like to have a ton of variety in their diet, noshing on different foods
for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day. That ensures that they won't get tired of
any one specific food.
But when it comes to Christina Anstead's approach to her daily menu, nutritionist Cara Clark
says that's just not the case. She explained in a chat with E! News,
"She could eat the same thing every day."
Cook says that Anstead is especially a fan of one super healthy, lean protein. Clark
observed,
"If she didn't eat salmon at lunch, she's eating it for dinner. She pretty much eats
salmon every day. I don't know how she doesn't get sick of it!"
Maybe she just likes it! Nothing fishy about that.
According to Harvard Medical School, people who cook at home a lot are more likely to
have a healthier diet than folks who dine out at restaurants or eat takeout food on
the regular. They're also less likely to have conditions like obesity and type 2 diabetes.
But that doesn't mean that dining out has to be unhealthy, as we can customize our orders
to suit our nutritional needs. Nutritionist Cara Clark advised Anstead to assert herself
at restaurants to customize dishes to suit her needs. She told E! News, quote, "We all
have the rights to order the way we want."
So there's no shame in asking for your dressing on the side, or opting to have something grilled
instead of fried. And while some people might resist being a squeaky wheel, Anstead isn't
concerned. According to Clark,
"Most people don't take advantage of it, but she does."
We get it. Shopping for, preparing, and cooking a healthy and nutritious meal for everyone
in your household can sometimes seem like a monumental task. That's why Christina Anstead
has some go-to recipes that take the guesswork out of nightly meal prep, Her nutritionist
wrote up her dinner routine in a blog post, sharing,
"Typically for dinner, she alternates between a vegan chili recipe she loves, salmon and
quinoa with veggies, or another lean protein with veggies."
That way Anstead is never caught off guard, stuck eating whatever random foods are in
the house.
That being said, there's one thing that Anstead loves even more than her usual dinner staples,
and that's a nice meal whipped up by her nutritionist and friend. According to Clark,
"She's totally a sucker for any dinners I make her."
Christina Anstead is a mother three times over. She has three kids: two with ex-husband
Tarek El Moussa and one with Ant Anstead.
Interestingly enough, when Anstead was pregnant with her first child, she developed a food
aversion that stuck around for a while.
She explained in a chat with Cara Clark Nutrition that she lost her taste for meat while she
was pregnant with her son Brayden, and the aversion stuck around for some time after
the birth of her child.
Given that meat is a common food aversion experienced during pregnancy, as noted by
Healthline, that's not all too surprising.
Fortunately, some of Anstead's protein-packed food favorites didn't make her ill during
pregnancy. She went on to say,
"Fish is still on my list of things I love, so luckily I'm still getting my protein in
there."
Anstead also became a diehard fan of peanut butter while pregnant, so it's doubtful that
a lack of protein was ever much of an issue.
It's pretty clear that Christina Anstead has her day-to-day diet on lock. With an incredible
body and enough discipline to stick to a regimented yet healthy meal plan, Anstead's eating habits
are goal worthy. But all of that being said, Anstead isn't just doing all of it for herself
— she very much has other people in mind.
She revealed in an interview with People,
"Nutrition is very important to me for both my own health and wellness, but also for my
children. It's all about everything in moderation."
That means a few nights a week Anstead lets her hair down and indulges in a sweet snack
or a beverage to help her unwind. She revealed,
"If I want a glass of wine I'm going to have it, or some chocolate — sure why not! For
me, my nutrition routine is a way of life, and I have so much energy when I exercise
and eat a healthy balanced diet."
That's plenty of motivation for Anstead to treat her body like a temple, which she very
much does.
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