Here's What We Learned About Chefs' Diets This Month
In honor of Food Republic's annual Healthy Living Month, we reached out to chefs about their diet and fitness routines and featured interviews — 13 of them, to be exact — throughout January. While we confirmed our far-fetched hypothesis that it's difficult for those spending the vast majority of their days in a kitchen to stay in shape, we were surprised at the wide range of avenues that chefs took to achieve their goals. From consuming fried chicken and chocolate babka on a regular basis to dedicating one's entire life to plant-based eating, here are some of the things we learned about healthy living via chefs' diets. Just click on the links below to read the full stories.
Matthew Kenney May Be The Healthiest Chef In America
"I maintain a raw, plant-based diet.... I have been about the same weight for 35 years now."
It's All About Balance For Tony Maws
"When I see pictures of myself a few years ago, I get pretty pissed at myself. I thought I was working out enough, but I wasn't, and my eating habits stunk. Life changes after 40!"
Leah Cohen On Staying Fit While Grazing, Enjoying Chocolate Babka
"I am a total grazer (as most chefs are), which makes it hard to lose/maintain weight. When I am at work, which is most of the time, I try to incorporate a lot of vegetables into my diet to fill up on."
Christian Pappanicholas Drinks A Spicy Protein Shake Every Morning
"I joined the most amazing health practice last year on the recommendation of my friend Seamus Mullen. It's called Parsley Health, and it's medical and health coaching from an integrative medical perspective — very gut-health-focused."
David Santos Says Staying Fit As A Chef Has Its Challenges
"If round is a shape, I'm in prime condition.... I've ranged from having a six-pack to being very overweight."
George Mendes Runs Marathons, Caters The After-Parties
"I always eat breakfast at some point between 6 and 9 a.m., but lunches and dinners are more sporadic. The consistent exercise helps."
Chef Karen Akunowicz Powerlifts Her Way To Body Positivity
"Due to unrealistic expectations set by the media, studies show that 50 percent of girls think they are fat by age 6, and most girls start to lose their self-confidence by age 9."
Chef Tracy Chang Wastes No Time In Her Fitness Routine
"While I brush my teeth, I do squats and calf raises. When I rinse with mouthwash, I do push-ups against my bathroom sink."
Portland Chef Cathy Whims 'Allows Room For Splurges' In Her Diet
"I often find myself battling the classic five to 10 pounds. It's depressing sometimes. A chef has to taste, taste, taste."
How Matt Jennings Ditched His Unhealthy Habits
"Fad diets don't work. Period. Cleanses are good for a temporary fix, but the best answer for me is an ongoing commitment to complete lifestyle change — smaller portions, plant-based and practicing mindful eating."
How Carl Dooley Stays In Shape As A Chef And New Dad
"I have the normal amount of self-consciousness, like anyone else. Let's just say I'm still working on my Ryan Gosling abs!"
Nashville's Laura Lea Goldberg Doesn't Mind Being A Health Cliché
"When I lived in New York, I was consistently underweight. I thought I was eating 'healthy,' but I really wasn't nourishing my body enough to compensate for the intense lifestyle of constantly walking, along with the cardio exercise I did at the time."
How Chef Janine Booth Stays In Shape Without Skipping The Fried Chicken
"What I discovered is that denying yourself the foods your body craves is the worst thing you can do.... Everything in moderation!"