When you’re looking for inspo in the kitchen, Rachael Ray is always dishing up tons of it—and she’s happy to share her tips. The celeb chef’s most recent project? Cooking up some delicious dishes in Tuscany for AETV. Rachael says it all on her Instagram: “A waitress at heart and a cook in my soul; so long as I’m making you something good to eat, I’m happy.”
The author of several cookbooks and host of Rachael Rae, 30 Minute Meals, and $40 A Day is a connoisseur on all things healthy eating. Get ready to take serious notes, because the foodie icon shared some of her wholesome habits for living healthy.
Rachael Ray Limits Red Meat
Most of the time, Rachael and her husband John maintain a pescatarian and plant-based diet.
“John and I only have red meat maybe once or twice a week,” she shared with EatingWell. Rachael revealed that some of her favorite recipes are things like pasta with creamy pumpkin sauce, skillet ratatouille, and seafood. Yum!
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She Eats Healthy
Healthy eating has been a top priority for Rachael since she was young. She told EatingWell that this means sometimes eating some less popular healthy foods.
“We eat a very healthy diet and eat a ton of vegetables,” the celeb chef said. ” I got shunned in kindergarten because I was eating a sardine sandwich. I was eating kale before kale was cool.”
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She Cooks
Whipping up her own meals is one of the main ways that Rachael is able to eat healthy. She wants to use her several TV shows to encourage others to cook.
“Anything that encourages that step in life is great. This is a leg up for people who were intimidated by cooking, and helps them get them into the vibe of it.”
Rachael also has 1.2 million followers on Instagram, where she posts some of her most scrumptious dishes. She recently shared a video of herself preparing “Hella Mexa Suiza burgers,” and a divine seafood risotto with crab, scallops, and “the biggest shrimp I could get my hands on.”
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She Ditched Mayo for a Homemade “Special Sauce”
Rachael might limit her red meat consumption, but she still loves preparing plant-based burgers. She revealed to Tasting Table that she makes a healthier version of mayonnaise to put on her burgers.
“I don’t do mayo at all. When I make special sauce, I use sour cream or Greek yogurt. It’s thicker and tangier. Then [I add] ketchup, Worcestershire, relish, salt, [and] pepper. I make a lot of versions of that, some with more horseradish, some ranch style, all kinds of things. There are some burgers and patty melts that I’ll put mustard on one side and special sauce on the other. I rarely use mayonnaise, and when I do, it’s usually vegan because people eat burgers in [the] hot months of the year. I don’t want to be eating two-hour-old, baked-in-the-sun raw egg.”