Intuitive eating runs in Katie Austin’s genes. Guided by her fitness icon mother, Denise Austin, the fitness personality and entrepreneur is carving out her own path by championing a balanced approach to food that prioritizes adding nutrition without sacrificing flavor.

In 2018, she created the Katie Austin app which has over 375 on-demand workouts and over 275 recipes that she says are “simple, healthy, yet delicious.” Although it was her mom who first introduced her to the fitness industry, Katie’s passion for fitness and healthy eating has been a constant throughout her entire life.

An athlete at all stages of life, she played lacrosse at the University of Southern California and later became a sports host for the likes of the Super Bowl and NBA Awards. In 2022, she was named Sports Illustrated Swimsuit’s co–Rookie of the Year. Yet, amid her busy life, Austin says she stays grounded by what she whips up in the kitchen.

Her popular TikTok account reaches over 743,400 people and regularly features recipes she creates herself that not only pack bold flavor and gratifying taste, but also balance the body’s needs for a healthy lifestyle.

Austin says, “My motto has always been, what can you add in to your day and not subtract? I see a lot of ‘what I eat in a day’ and a lot of food trends that promote cutting back food for dieting, but in my opinion, if you think more about what I can add to the food that I love that will go a long way for your mindset, mental health, and overall feelings around food.”

We spoke to Austin about her approach to meal additions versus subtractions, how to prioritize health needs while fighting a busy schedule or a persistent sweet tooth, and her top three favorite recipes out of the 275 she’s curated across her website and TikTok. Below, Austin answers questions about these topics and more.

PS: I’d love to talk more about your personal motto of looking towards food additions and not subtractions. In your recipes, you prioritize both health and flavor. How do you maintain that balance?
Katie Austin: The goal for myself is always keeping it simple: the simpler you keep it in the kitchen, the easier it is to stay consistent. For me, keeping it balanced is along the lines of sticking to five to seven ingredients and going back to weekly staples that you absolutely love about two to three times a week.

I like to choose a base – say, that’s either a leafy green, or a rice, or a pasta, or a noodle – and then a good lean protein. That could be something like salmon, chicken, or ground turkey. I then do at least two vegetables. My favorites are zucchini, spinach, broccoli, and tomatoes. Then I love to always add a little bit of flavor; that’s where the deliciousness comes in. It could either be a good sauce, parmesan cheese, avocado, or a good herb. The easiest way to keep it balanced is to simplify cooking.

PS: Many have the notion that healthy food doesn’t always taste the best. Are there any flavors or spices that you feel go a long way?
KA: I am a huge believer in herbs: everything from parsley, basil — anything that’s fresh and natural I love. And then, I also love garlic. Fresh garlic can always elevate a meal and is such an easy add.

When it comes to flavor, a lot of the time I will meal prep the protein with no flavor beforehand, or just with salt and pepper, and then add the spices and herbs later in the week to give it a fresh kick. It’s a really easy way to switch up a meal every time you sit down to eat and give yourself some flavor variety without going overboard or dumping a lot in during the prep process.

PS: What are your favorite additions that maybe balance out some food items that are considered less nutritious?
KA: I love adding avocado and arugula to everything, but my favorite right now has to be white beans. I’m obsessed with white beans. They’re so good and filled with great fiber. In soups, they’re amazing, in salads, they’re amazing, in bowls, they’re amazing. If you boil white beans for 45 minutes, they become so creamy. You can put a nice pasta in there, and although it wouldn’t be super low-carb, you’d still find a great source of protein and a plant-based healthy add. I love white beans and they’re so easy because you can keep cans of them without them going easily bad.

PS: What are your tips for someone who wants to prioritize healthy eating, but may have too strong a sweet tooth? Or may tend to crave “drunk food”? Or someone who feels too busy to set aside time to prepare food in the kitchen?
KA: Finding what works for you and determining how you feel about yourself is really important because I used to have a big sweet tooth and really craved drunk food at night, but I would find that if I had a bigger breakfast in the morning, I would be craving way less at night.

For a sweet tooth, I think that sugar is very addicting and so the less you have it, the less you’re actually going to crave it. Maybe you have to train yourself for two weeks or look towards healthy sweets — I love chocolate covered bananas and had some just last night. It’s all about finding what works for you and what continues to make your body feel good.

For busy people, I’d say a one-pan baking sheet recipe should be your number one go-to. You can chop up some veggies, like zucchini, potatoes, peppers and chicken sausage. Throw it all in a baking sheet, drizzle some olive oil and a little spice, maybe some chili powder, and then bake it for 30 minutes. There, you have a delicious, healthy, fast meal.

PS: What are your three favorite recipes on your page?
KA: My one-pan pasta is amazing. Any of my one-pan baked dishes are so yummy and so easy and delicious. My second favorite would probably be my egg salad. I had that for breakfast this morning and am obsessed with egg salad. It’s actually my number-one recipe on my website. Then the third recipe that I love is my pesto; you can sneak in other veggies like spinach or arugula. Pesto is such an easy way to get in those nutrients you need.

PS: Are there any pieces of advice or wisdom you’d like to end on for someone who wants to prioritize flavor and health in their diet?
KA: Intuitive eating is really important to me and it took me a while to understand what that actually is, but once you have that down, you’ll never diet in your life. I’m a huge believer in balance and when I don’t restrict myself, that’s when I’m healthiest.

The one time that I overthought my food was before my wedding. There is this stereotype to lose weight before your wedding, and so for two months before my wedding, I was overthinking my food, telling myself I couldn’t have a piece of toast, and it completely backfired.

I think when you don’t overthink your food, you eat intuitively, and allow yourself to have the things that you’re craving, while still thinking about the ways to fuel your body, that’s when you’re eating healthier. Don’t eat healthier in a way that’s like, “I’m doing this to lose weight.” Think about how the food is going to make you feel. Think about what will make your insides healthy and don’t worry about the outside because that will come.

Shahamat Uddin is a freelance writer largely covering queer and South Asian issues, but also related lifestyle topics and entertainment. His family hails from Sylhet, Bangladesh, but after growing up in Roswell, GA, he now lives in Brooklyn with his cat, Butter. Outside of PS, he also has bylines in Teen Vogue, Vogue, Vogue India, New York Magazine, Them, The Nation, and more.