This Is Giada De Laurentiis' Exact Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner (2024)

Healthy eating is important to chef and author Giada De Laurentiis, but dieting isn't on the menu; in fact, she doesn't believe in diets. As she says in the intro to her book Feel Good Food, "I don't live my life on a diet. I just don't believe in them." Instead, she follows what works for her, "I have adopted a balanced way of cooking, eating, anhealtd living," she writes. Her number one philosophy on eating is to practice moderation: Eat a little of everything and not a lot of everything. She practices intuitive eating, listening to her own body responses to gauge what works for her.

Though after turning 50, she writes in her most recent book Eat Better, Feel Better, food quality and making time for self-healing have become very important, too. But overall, tons of vegetables, a little lean protein, good fats, and minimally processed grains make up the bulk of her diet. Here's what a day in the life of Food Network star and chef Giada De Laurentiis is really like and what she typically eats for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Plus, if you're looking to make healthy changes to your diet, check out Eating Habits to Lose Abdominal Fat As You Age, Say Dietitians.

Oatmeal for breakfast

This Is Giada De Laurentiis' Exact Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner (1)

You won't find a big plate of eggs on Giada's plate for breakfast, nor is Greek yogurt on the menu. "I am not a protein person for breakfast—it's not my thing," Giada told Food & Wine. In Italy, carbs are much more common or breakfast including cookies (yay!), cornetti (Italian croissants), or bread, "I'm a starch girl because that's the way I was brought up."

Cookies and fancy pastries are not usually on the menu, but, you will find a healthy staple: oatmeal. "Obviously I can't eat croissants and danishes every day, so I've found healthier ways of doing it," says Giada. "I'll do oatmeal with olive oil and sea salt. Sometimes I'll add Marcona almonds and spiced mandarin oranges. Or brown rice with olive oil and sea salt. I like my starch for breakfast." Giada's savory version of oatmeal is a must-try.

Warm lemon water is also a big part of her morning routine, she tells Delish. "You get dehydrated as you sleep and need to help your body rehydrate when you get up."

Lunch is lean and green

While eggs are not on the menu at breakfast, lunch is a different story. "We can eat eggs for lunch and dinner, like in a frittata, but not breakfast," she adds. "I can't do eggs for breakfast."

Although, often Giada opts for a salad, and of course, it's not just any salad. Giada told PopSugar that she typically eats her own Candied Lemon and Arugula Salad for lunch. "I always try to get in something green," she explained. "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." She also told Food Network that she likes to add walnuts to her salads. "The nuts give me some protein," she said. "And I like the combination of crunchy, creamy, and soft all together."

If Giada does crave pasta, she has it for lunch, she writes in Feel Good Food, "I have more time to use its fuel during the day."

Dinner is protein-focused

This Is Giada De Laurentiis' Exact Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner (3)

While the morning meal is light on protein and high in energy-producing complex carbs, dinner has got to be protein. "If I don't eat protein at night, I don't sleep well," she told Food Network via The List. What's on the menu? It could be simple baked salmon or meatballs made out of turkey instead of beef.

Also, she aims to have dinner three hours before she turns in for the night. "I always give myself plenty of time to digest before I go to bed," she writes in Feel Good Food. Additionally, the quality of protein is very important, she writes in Eat Better, Feel Better, "I try to make sure they are as clean as possible, meaning free-range and/or grass-fed, free of hormones, pesticides, and other chemical contaminants."

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She loves the occasional cleanse

This Is Giada De Laurentiis' Exact Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner (4)

While she doesn't diet, per se, an occasional cleanse helps her reset. If Giada has been traveling and healthy eating has been difficult, she turns to smoothies to even things out. "I turn to juices and smoothies to help rewire my body," she writes in Feel Good Food. In her newest books, she also details her 3-week, whole foods cleanse.

Treats and snacks

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Giada keeps roasted veggies in the fridge to snack on. But, in her food diary for Shape, reports The List, Giada also expressed her love for good French fries. "Fries are some of my fave comfort foods," she said. "I love the crispy indulgence, but I make sure they aren't a daily habit!"

And chocolate is never off the menu. Though she's scaled back her love of chocolate for the sake of health, she says in Eat Better, Feel Better, she often enjoys a "square of the real thing, stored in the fridge so that it melts slowly in my mouth." Occasionally, she told PopSugar, she'll also whip up her Avocado Chocolate Mousse.

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Hydration is key

This Is Giada De Laurentiis' Exact Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner (6)

As far as beverages, Giada stays hydrated with tons of water sometimes with lemon or cucumber slices. "I drink a lot of water throughout the day," she says. And wine, most likely a good Italian wine, is sometimes on the menu, "I've been doing that a lot more than before the pandemic," she says. Though it certainly isn't an every night thing, in Eat Better, Feel Better she says she limits any alcohol to once or twice per week. Caffeine is also a part of her day, but her double espresso days are long gone, she limits it and noon is her cutoff.

Yoga, walking, and biking.

You will never find Giada on a treadmill or pumping iron in the gym. "I am not a gym person. The idea of being strapped to a treadmill every day is my worst nightmare," she writes in Feel Good Food. "Exercise is important," she writes, "but I also think it's important that you enjoy it." In Eat Better, Feel Better she says she was introduced to yoga while pregnant with her daughter Jade and has since made it a nearly daily part of life. She also incorporates walking and biking when she can.

Giada De Laurentiis Reveals Her Exact 3-Day Weight Loss Plan

This Is Giada De Laurentiis' Exact Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner (2024)

FAQs

What exercises does Giada do? ›

De Laurentiis loves doing yoga with some additional core work. To keep her energy up, the chef likes to start her day with a sun salutation. Sunrise yoga was the perfect way to start my day. It helped stretch and wake up my body before I sat at my desk working.

What happened to Giada de Laurentiis' brother? ›

The chef opened up for The Cut's "How I Get It Done" column, and she revealed that her main source of inspiration came from a terrible family loss. As People reports, De Laurentiis lost her brother, Dino Alexander De Laurentiis, in 2003 to melanoma, and it changed the way that she lives her life.

Who is Giada married to now? ›

Personal life. On May 25, 2003, De Laurentiis married Todd Thompson, a fashion designer. The couple's only child, Jade Marie De Laurentiis-Thompson, was born on March 29, 2008.

How much does Giada de Laurentiis make? ›

Giada has become a household name for many home chefs, but if you aren't familiar with your home kitchen — or with Giada — let's recap this chef's background, career, and how she accumulated a net worth of $30 million!

How do chefs stay so thin? ›

The key to a healthful diet is to eat meals at regular times." Chef Odette, for example, unlike many chefs whose frig is empty, always keeps homemade soups in small, ready to heat, portions in her freezer, "This way I know I always have something delicious and healthy waiting for me at home after a long day of work," ...

How does Giada De Laurentiis stay so slim? ›

The chef also told Delish how she eats mindfully, focusing on eating many small meals throughout the day, not just huge plates of pasta. It sure seems that a healthy dose of fresh food, mindful exercise, and passion are at the center of De Laurentiis' great shape!

What happened to Giada De Laurentiis? ›

De Laurentiis admitted that it "felt like the world was crumbling" as she navigated her career, raised her daughter, and grappled with divorce. Ultimately, she decided to leave her life at Food Network behind to focus on new ventures.

Where did Giada get her money? ›

She gained her following from Food Network.

She has since appeared on a multitude of other specials and spin-offs on the Food Network including Giada at Home, Bobby and Giada in Italy, Iron Chef America, and Giada on the Beach. She also served as a judge on Food Network Star for many years.

What does Giada's sister do? ›

Where does Giada at home live? ›

Giada De Laurentiis moved into her Pacific Palisades bungalow after two years of renovations. Take a tour of her gorgeous home.

Why is Giada not on Food Network anymore? ›

She lives in California with her dog. Giada De Laurentiis opened up about the decision to step away from Food Network, citing burnout as the reason for her departure.

Does Giada have a new house? ›

She purchased a new residence in the same neighborhood for $4.86 million, according to Architectural Digest. The Giada Entertains host began two years of home renovations to create the perfect space for herself and her daughter. She was finally able to live in the space in the fall of 2021.

Does Giada eat any of the food? ›

She also doesn't eat all of the food she cooks on camera.

They added that, because of the number of takes and episodes filmed a day, De Laurentiis "doesn't always eat and swallow every time."

Does Giada have a culinary degree? ›

After graduating from UCLA with a degree in Anthropology, Giada's passion for cooking remained. She made the decision to commence a culinary career, and trained professionally at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, specializing in both cuisine and pastry.

How much is Bobby Flay paid? ›

What is Bobby Flay's current salary? Assuming he got the same type of deal as Fieri, he's probably looking about $26 million per year from the Food Network alone. This doesn't include his income from all of his other ventures.

Is Giada a runner? ›

Giada is, admittedly, not a runner, so she found other ways to get her fitness on.

What does Giada do now? ›

A mogul in her own right, she recently revived her catering business servicing Southern California, launched her own pasta line on her lifestyle and e-commerce site Giadzy.com and is preparing to open two new restaurants in 2024 at Arizona's Caesars Republic Scottsdale.

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