Giada De Laurentiis is known for decadent Italian cooking. But because she looks so fit,
fans can't help but wonder about this chef's daily diet. Hold on to
your spaghetti fork — from sun-up to sun-down, here's what Giada typically eats in a day.
Even though De Laurentiis is known for her impeccable talents in the kitchen,
one of her most important habits has nothing to do with preparing a feast. As the chef wrote in
her bestseller, Feel Good Food, she starts every day with warm lemon water. She shared,
"You get dehydrated as you sleep and need to help your body rehydrate when you get up."
She says that the warm lemon water helps her wake up and feel refreshed;
it can also help to beat any bloating. It's how the famous chef stays healthy and full of energy.
While De Laurentiis might go for lemon water first thing, that doesn't mean she's skipping
breakfast. In fact, she's pretty particular about her first meal. As she told PopSugar,
her number one choice isn't anything that will spike her blood sugar. She said,
"I like a carb for breakfast, and I like a savory breakfast.
If you start your day with sugar, you're jacked for the rest of the day.
I get up really early in the morning, so I need a carbohydrate."
De Laurentiis explained that she likes having oatmeal for breakfast,
describing her go-to, adding,
"At my restaurant I do oatmeal, olive oil, salt, and marcona almonds for protein."
Given that many say breakfast is the most important meal of the day,
De Laurentiis knows that it's a great opportunity to lock in some key nutrients.
And since she has a tendency to lean more towards complex carbs,
it makes sense that a typical early-morning choice for the chef is unexpected and simple:
brown rice, salt, olive oil, and sometimes a sprinkle of almonds. She told PopSugar,
"So I'll do 1/4 cup of brown rice, with warm olive oil and salt."
And, as she tells it, there's always room for coffee on the side.
For a celebrity chef who spends the majority of her time cooking,
it would be understandable if there were times when she wanted to skip making a gourmet meal,
for convenience. But even when De Laurentiis whips up a batch of pancakes, she does it big.
"I think people forget how easy it is to make pancakes from scratch."
On her website, De Laurentiis shared her recipe for lemon buttermilk pancakes, and revealed that
she tends to indulge on the weekend, while also making plenty for the entire family. She said,
"When I make pancakes on the weekend I like to make a few extra and freeze them.
That way, I can defrost a few in the toaster oven on weekday mornings
so Jade can have a hot breakfast without [me] having a lot of kitchen cleanup."
One key to those famous pancakes is that they aren't sweetened,
which allows plenty of room for syrup and other toppings.
It's no secret that food is the focus for this chef. But there are times when De Laurentiis takes
a break from heavier dishes. On some occasions, she'll choose a green juice or smoothie in the
morning to help fuel her body. As part of a food diary for Shape, De Laurentiis shared that since
she's so busy and travels so often, green juices are a part of her regular routine. She explained,
"I try to eat lightly and often when on the road to keep my energy up and my system not overworked.
My favorite combo for juices are kale, spinach, a little apple, lemon, ginger and cayenne."
When De Laurentiis feels less than balanced in her gut,
she likes to do a green smoothie for breakfast to ward off the bloat.
"Cin cin! It's a great pick-me-up. Healthy and yummy."
No matter what time of day it is, there is one thing that De Laurentiis can't live
without — and, no, it's not pasta. In an interview with Cooking Light,
the chef explained why she chose one particular staple to always have on hand, revealing,
"You're probably thinking I would say garlic or olive oil, but for me,
it's lemons. I use their juice or zest to bring out the flavors of almost everything I make."
She went on to add that lemons aren't just delicious, but they're also non-fat, super
flavorful and excellent for brightening up light dishes. And she shared a useful tip for anyone who
doesn't like to cook with alcohol; It turns out that lemon juice is a great substitute for wine.
There's no denying the fact that just about everyone loves to snack. And for De Laurentiis,
snacking is a realm where she still makes healthy choices. As she told Eating Well,
in addition to adding a green smoothie to her daily eating routine when she's feeling peckish,
the chef also enjoys munching on some yummy nibbles. She said,
"[At] 11ish, I have some fruit, like blueberries, or apples and almond butter."
"Why is it called a pineapple when it's not pine or apple?"
"I just work at a fruit stand."
As it turns out, De Laurentiis doesn't limit herself to just fruit and nuts. As she told
PopSugar, her lifestyle sometimes demands that her snacks be on the robust side. She explained,
"If I'm in my restaurant or testing recipes for my cookbook, I'm constantly tasting as I cook.
A few bites of pasta here, a brownie there...it's always different! I keep roasted vegetables and
pasta in the fridge to snack on, too." De Laurentiis may be an Emmy award-winning
TV chef, but for as much as she enjoys creating new recipes, she also values routine.
And, as she's shared many times, her lunches typically consist of the same
kind of salad. But — she puts her own spin on it to make it more interesting and fun to eat.
She told PopSugar that she typically eats her own Candied Lemon and Arugula Salad for lunch, adding,
"I always try to get in something green. I love arugula and this salad recipe
is the one I reach for 90 percent of the time. The dressing is from my restaurant,
but it's simple enough to use every day."
The chef also told Food Network that she likes to add walnuts to her salads, revealing,
"The nuts give me some protein. And I like the combination of crunchy,
creamy, and soft all together." Apparently, De Laurentiis would love
to eat nothing but pasta every day — just as much as everyone else. But this chef
keeps her health a top priority, no matter what the day brings her way.
And for De Laurentiis, that means always getting her protein. She explained to Food Network,
"If I don't eat protein at night, I don't sleep well."
Protein is so important to De Laurentiis,
she even makes sure she gets some when she's in the middle of a fast. She shared in her book,
"I always incorporate some protein when doing a juice cleanse. For me,
it's an important component in getting my strength back and feeling balanced."
Clearly, De Laurentiis lives a fabulously healthy lifestyle. She eats a lean diet,
which has obviously helped her stay healthy and fit over the years.
Still, there's one guilty pleasure that the chef has no intention of ditching any time
soon. And it's one that most of us would probably agree on. In her food diary for
Shape, De Laurentiis wrote that she'll always make room for French fries. She admitted,
"Fries are some of my fave comfort foods. I love the crispy indulgence,
but I make sure they aren't a daily habit!"
Even though she might treat herself to an order of fries on rare occasions, De Laurentiis also
made it clear to the outlet that she orders a small plate of fries,
so she never truly overdoes it. Once again,
she proves that you can eat just about whatever you want and still keep your health in check.
For most people, the end of a long, hard day at work means it's time for a hearty dinner.
Whether you cook and stay in, or order some restaurant take-out,
dinner is when most folks typically go all out with their food. For De Laurentiis, the last meal
of the day means experimenting and truly enjoying every bite she takes. She told Eating Well,
"Dinner is lighter and healthier."
She also explained that some of her most typical dinners are baked salmon,
turkey meatballs, or chicken cordon bleu. De Laurentiis revealed in a chat with Delish
that she eats intuitively at the end of the day, no matter what she happens to be craving.
Obviously, De Laurentiis was lucky enough to score some awesome genes when it comes to her body type,
but she's also pretty smart about her food choices. Dinner might be a time
when she eats more, but it's still always healthy and — most likely — homemade.
Because De Laurentiis prides herself on being an authentic Italian chef — and from Italy
no less — it's not shocking to learn that she appreciates a beautiful glass of wine.
Of course, that doesn't mean the chef pops open a bottle every day, but she does treat herself
to a few sips every so often in the evening. She explained to Eating Well in October 2020,
"I drink a lot of water throughout the day. Plus wine in the evening
occasionally — I've been doing that a lot more than before the pandemic!"
"Cheers"
"Woo!"
Since De Laurentiis is well-hydrated — which we can clearly see, thanks to her
glowing skin — she can definitely afford to indulge in a little wine on occasion.
And as for what brands De Laurentiis prefers, she's happy to offer the answer.
Apparently, the chef enjoys Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc, adding,
"[It's an] inexpensive white wine [that] is light, buttery, and pairs with a wide variety of dishes."
Cheers! We're sold. Now we just need to figure out how to cook these so-called "dishes."
In addition to a glass of vino, one of this chef's favorite treats to indulge in from time to time
is a favorite of health-conscious sweet lovers: dark chocolate. Yes,
De Laurentiis is just like most of us out there when it comes to chocolate, although
she has a couple of longtime favorites that we might want to try mixing into our candy drawer.
In an interview with Health, De Laurentiis revealed that
she always keeps dark chocolate chips in the freezer for a very specific reason. She said,
"They're cold, so it takes longer to melt in your mouth."
But no matter how long it takes to eat it, she's not giving up chocolate any
time soon. De Laurentiis also revealed that if she could eat only one thing,
it would also be chocolate. Well, chocolate cake to be exact. She said,
"I would eat all of the frosting on the outside, then I would peel
off the cake and eat the layers in between. I like a scavenger hunt. It's more fun,
and it takes longer to eat, so you get more pleasure out of it."
"It's chocolate cake and it is divine."
From frozen chocolate chips to decadent chocolate cake,
De Laurentiis has all the right answers when it comes to an indulgent treat.
So, say we've overdone it on the chocolate. What do we do to get back on track? If you ask any
celebrity, you'd probably hear the word "cleanse." Still, no one likes a juice cleanse, even if they
do make you feel a little better afterwards. So for De Laurentiis, resetting her system doesn't
mean only drinking smoothies throughout the day. Instead, she focuses on healthy whole foods.
And the chef's version of a "cleanse" sounds totally doable for us normal people. As she shared
on Twitter, she implements a cleanse several times throughout the year, when she needs a reset. And
on her website, De Laurentiis shared that her cleanse is all about fresh meals. She wrote,
"I stock the week with lots of veggies and fish,
moderate amounts of olive oil and other tasty treats (even pasta!), and big, bold flavors."
Wait — pasta on a cleanse? We're totally down! Still, there are some ingredients
that De Laurentiis avoids when she's really honing in on her health. She said,
"There's no dairy, alcohol, or refined sugar,
but you'll find you barely notice they're gone because you're eating so well."
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