Guy Fieri might be the mayor of Flavortown, but his everyday diet is a lot less indulgent than people might expect.
Sure, the "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" host slings a mean burger, but he's also focused on balancing all those rich dishes he makes with healthy foods and an intense workout regimen.
"People always think that I must just eat deep-fried pizzas and cheeseburgers for lunch but I’m a big salad fan, big sushi fan, and Thai food fan," the 53-year-old told GQ in a new interview.
The Food Network star said he starts his day bright and early (usually at 6 a.m.) with a cup of Americano coffee and admitted that he usually doesn't eat until lunchtime.
"I’m not an early morning hungry guy and I’m not a late-night hungry guy," he said.
You'd think the chef would be famished when lunchtime does roll around, but he tends to keep it light and opts for "something raw" since his busy schedule doesn't offer him a ton of time to sit down for a proper meal.
"Lunch is always set up to contrast dinner. So, if I know we’re going to be doing a big dinner, like barbecue, steak, or Asian food, I’ll make sure I don’t eat Thai for lunch," he revealed.
Related
Fieri also tends to cook most of his meals at home.
"I don’t eat out a lot because I’m usually on the road eating out. When I’m home, I cook. It’s kind of eclectic and chaotic and my wife doesn’t always understand why I cook nine things and she's left with where to store it," he said, adding that they have an extra fridge at home just to store his cooking "experiments."
When it comes to snacking, Fieri loves beef jerky and pretzels, emphasizing that it's OK to indulge as long as you have a balanced diet.
"I’m a big believer that if you’re going to eat something, eat the best. Don’t go waste yourself on some imposter. It’s got to be the real deal," he said.
Fieri works out four days a week whenever possible and is particularly into HIIT workouts with his trainer Scott Butler, which he started doing with his family in his barn during the pandemic.
"Scott had been training Ryder (Fieri's 15-year-old son) since he was little with a program called Tigerkick. His wife, who was his fiancé, at the time, was training my wife and her friends. I just had the idea where we could all get together and here we are now and it’s been awesome. It’s really made a big difference in my life," he said.
Finding the right workout that actually inspires you to get physical can take some time, but for the restaurateur, it's all about keeping his heart rate up.
"I love to hike and lift weights, but I realized I’m not getting the most out of it if I don’t do that interval training to get my heart rate up. CrossFit and HIIT training is super important to me. I don’t have a lot of time so I need to get that heart rate up, keep it up and make the workouts count," he explained.
In 2019, Fieri told TODAY Food there are two foods he simply can't live without: soy sauce and Brussels sprouts.
"While I do love great barbecue and a good burger, even on 'Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,' they don’t represent the majority of things I try," he said. "We feature a wide array of foods from around the world. We get down with vegetarian and vegan dishes. We hit it all. And, I’d have to say, that’s a pretty fair assessment of how I eat."
While meat takes centerstage on many of Fieri's restaurant menus, he said he definitely doesn't eat at every meal.
"I'm not saying that I'm a vegetarian, but people would be surprised at the amount of plant-based foods that I eat," he said. "Don't get me wrong — I get down with a good burger, but in moderation."
Related
Fieri is a pretty adventurous eater, but there are two foods he steers clear of at all times: liver and eggs.
“Liver is nasty,” he told People in 2019.
As for eggs, the chef said you won't see him ordering them at breakfast anytime soon.
“I eat them in dressings, but sunny-side up, over-easy or scrambled? No, thank you,” he said.
Well, Fieri may big a big fan of salads — but he's certainly not going near a Cobb or egg salad anytime soon.