Martha Stewart: What She Really Eats

Martha Stewart: Queen of the kitchen, prolific cookbook author, curator of "good things," successful businesswoman, and let's not forget that one glaring résumé anomaly — ex-con. She's a living legend who has built an impressive lifestyle and media brand, beckoning us with her mouthwatering recipes and Pinterest-worthy crafts. Whether she's whipping up comfort food with Snoop Dogg, or putting together a stunning multi-course holiday feast, we can all agree that Stewart makes it look easy (albeit with the help of three assistants!).

Visions of her daily meals bring to mind meticulously arranged plates of homegrown organic produce, farm-fresh eggs, and maybe even meat she's butchered herself. Why not? She is Martha Stewart, after all. 

But what about when there are no cameras around? Does she secretly stuff her face with greasy fast food and glazed doughnuts? Or does she eat exactly like we'd expect Martha Stewart to eat? Let's find out.

When it comes to green juice, Martha Stewart is very serious. Describing her ritual, she proclaims, "I drink green juice every single morning." She views it not only as a part of her diet, but also as part of her overall beauty regimen saying, "[Green juice is] very important. You can be the most beautiful person on earth, and if you don't have a fitness or diet routine, you won't be beautiful."

Her go-to blend includes ingredients fresh from her greenhouse or garden (of course). Stewart explains, "I grow my own spinach all year round. I grow my own mint, my own parsley, generally my own cucumbers, my own oranges and lemons, and I always put an orange or a lemon in the juicer for that fabulous taste." She might also throw in ginger, celery, papaya, watermelon, or pear. And for those skeptical that it actually tastes good, the writers at Today tried it out and confirmed it is, in fact, delish. No big surprise coming from Martha, right?

It's not always just a glass of green juice in the morning. Stewart makes a point of having a big breakfast from time to time, but doesn't overdo it, writing on her blog, "I happen to love a good, full breakfast. Not every day — because I certainly do not need carbs and fat and sugar too often — but once a week or so, when I have friends or family over for a delicious feast before a horseback ride or after a vigorous hike." She goes on to describe a rather elaborate and drool-worthy menu that she might serve on such an occasion, starting with homemade cappuccinos from the (no surprise) "phenomenal machine" installed in her kitchen that "foam[s] milk to a silken froth and create[s] drinks that would make my favorite barista in New York City proud." From there it might be poached eggs or a frittata; buttermilk biscuits or popovers. But lest you think she's above serving pre-made foods, she shares this tip for easy entertaining: "My favorite croissants are made at the Petrossian bakery, in New York City, and I keep several dozen in my freezer to reheat as needed."

On the subject of guilty pleasure foods, leave it to Martha Stewart to be both totally relatable and totally unrelatable at the same time. On the one hand, she's just like us; on the other, well... you be the judge.

When asked about her snacking habits, she revealed to Town & Country, "My guilty pleasure is not at all interesting: It's a spoon of really good organic peanut butter, or a slice of American cheese from my housekeeper's drawer. I steal American slices sometimes — in the plastic, it's so horrible. But it's such a good snack. I eat pickled herring as a late-night snack before I go to bed because it's savory and good. I like liverwurst, and I know how bad it is now. I love squeezing it out of the tube and just eating calves' liverwurst." We were with you on the peanut butter and American cheese, Martha, but you lost us at pickled herring and liverwurst. 

You can't expect Martha Stewart to be satisfied with regular ol' prison food, can you? During her five-month stay at Alderson Federal Prison Camp in West Virginia, where she was incarcerated for obstructing a federal investigation related to the sale of stocks, it was reported by People that Stewart was losing weight simply because she didn't partake in mealtime. In an update to fans during her time at "Camp Cupcake," she seemed to confirm those reports, writing that she was trying "to not eat the bad food."

When she did eat, Stewart made do with what she had at her disposal. After realizing that much of the food being offered was three years past its expiration date, she decided to take matters into her own hands, explaining at a Daily Mail brunch session, "That's why I made jam out of the crab apples on the trees." Fox News reported that Stewart even foraged for wild greens, made use of the microwave, and (gasp!) ate from the vending machine, which presumably was not stocked with expired goods.

Those of us who are not Martha Stewart might think twice about bringing certain foods on a plane, obeying the biggest unwritten rule of air travel: No stinky food allowed. But when you're Martha Stewart, you bring smoked salmon and hard-boiled eggs on a plane, and you even bring some for your friends. 

She filled The New York Times in on her eating habits at 30,000 feet saying, "If it's a long flight I'll take some very good food that I know I'll want to eat on the plane. I might make a delicious smoked salmon sandwich on seven-grain bread; I might take a tabbouleh salad. I take homemade yogurt with apple sauce. I try to avoid plane food most of the time. I just don't find it very appetizing. And my hard-boiled eggs are just so much better than any eggs on the plane. They're from my own chickens. I take them for everybody I'm traveling with."

A glimpse into the real life of Martha Stewart is as jaw-dropping as you'd expect, with whirlwind days full of good food, hard work, and a jam-packed schedule. Any given day seems to bring something totally different, but it always sounds incredibly delicious.

Stewart ran through a day in her life with Harper's Bazaar, and on that particular day she didn't have time to make herself lunch. Thankfully, she has people for that, saying, "I record my radio show, and my staff makes me a nice lunch in the kitchen, usually fish — whatever's freshest and line-caught — and a salad. I drink water and herbal tea, a blend of catnip, elderberry, and horehound."

On another day, Stewart's lunchtime was decidedly more relaxing. She wrote for The Cut, "It was just me in the kitchen today. I had my chairman for lunch, and we had the most delicious lunch. I brought in fresh artichokes from my garden. We steamed artichokes, and we had whole-curd cottage cheese, which was from the farmers' market; and a salad of fresh corn, red and yellow peppers, and cucumbers; and the artichoke, and a vinaigrette for the artichoke. It was really good." Sounds like a bit of an understatement...

Stewart isn't a heavy drinker, but she does enjoy a glass of wine or a cocktail from time to time. After all, it is part of her job — not only does she taste test all her recipes, but she also personally chooses each wine for the Martha Stewart Wine Co. You won't find her day-drinking though. She admitted to The Cut, "I never drink [wine] before dinner, ever, I couldn't function for a second if I had to drink it at lunchtime or something like that. I remember when I was a stockbroker, we used to have drinks at lunch. And I couldn't do that now for anything. But it's only at dinner, and only a glass or a glass and a half of wine. I don't drink a lot. But I love good wine."

If she's reaching for a cocktail, she pegs the Caipirinha as her favorite drink. The Brazilian refresher is made with cachaça (white rum), lime and sugar, and if you follow Stewart's advice (why wouldn't you?), the "juice must be fresh." 

Martha Stewart is not here for trendy ingredients, and she is not shy about sharing her opinion. 

When asked during her appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen whether pumpkin spice is "delicious or for basic b**ches only," she did not skip a beat when answering, "The latter."

And truffle oil? Forget it. Stewart panned the ingredient in her Reddit AMA saying, "I think truffle oil is one of the few ingredients that doesn't belong in anyone's kitchen. It is ruinous of most recipes." She elaborated while speaking to Today explaining, "They've done many studies on truffle oil. It's synthetic, it's fake, it's horrible. It's clings to your tastebuds, it's a hideous thing. Forget truffle oil."

There are other foods she simply won't touch. When asked her view on overrated ingredients, she told The New Potato, "An overrated ingredient... There are so many things in the grocery store that I would never ever buy. I mean, a lot. Factory-farmed meat — forget. Non-organic milk. And GMO [genetically modified] vegetables."

Just because she's managed to stay relevant decade after decade doesn't mean that Stewart jumps on every food trend bandwagon that rolls through town. There are some things she just won't cook. Take offal, for example. Offal, otherwise known as organ meat, has seen a rise in popularity due to the desire to use every part of the animal. While it is a noble quest, to be sure, it's just not for everyone — Stewart included. 

She admitted to Elle, "There's certain things I won't cook. I will not cook brains, sweetbreads or offal... things that in other parts of the world, they use a lot of. I won't cook hearts. Although, [New York restaurant] Stone Barns is now on this great big rampage to serve from nose to tail. They served me pig blood the other day. I can eat it, but I don't enjoy it." 

When you bake as much as Martha Stewart does, you're bound to indulge, and that's perfectly fine with her — as long as there's a balance. StyleCaster reports that Stewart explains her way of thinking in her book Clean Slate, saying "I've always tried to eat healthy, I grow just about everything I eat. I'm not a fanatic about it all. Everyone is going to eat a piece of cake now and then... I don't believe in cutting out any food entirely like butter, sugar or cream. I just eat less of these favorite foods if I'm watching my weight..."

One way she keeps her sugar habit — which she admits is her biggest indulgence — in check is by only eating it in dessert, writing on her blog, "I probably eat more sugar than I should, though I only eat it in desserts. I made blueberry crisp recently, but I used blueberries I grew myself." So what we're understanding here is that homegrown blueberries basically make dessert a health food?

Whether Stewart is entertaining at home or hitting one of New York City's hot spots, you can bet dinner is going to be amazing. 

She writes in The Cut that her work day ends exactly as we'd expect — with upscale restaurants. "I go to Sushi Yasuda or Kurumazushi once a week. I went to Le Bernardin last night and had the most delicious dinner. I love most of Daniel's restaurants, and Jean-Georges restaurants. Oh, I love abcV, the new vegetarian restaurant by Jean-Georges."

And dinner in? It's just as Martha as you could imagine. Stewart told Harper's Bazaar, "For a dinner party at the farm, I might prepare homemade fettuccine with porcini mushrooms, soft-shell crabs, spinach from the garden, and lemon tarts with fraises des bois [wild strawberry] for dessert. I do paellas on a grill at my East Hampton house, and lobster when I'm up in Maine; I have a giant lobster cooker where you can cook hundreds at a time." Lucky friends. 

Given everything we've learned about Martha Stewart's eating habits, it might be a bit surprising to learn that she has fond memories of the times she noshed on white bread and sipped on Coke with Reddi-wip (especially after learning that these days she never buys soda). 

But when asked by Town & Country what early food memory stands out for her, Stewart replied, "At my friend's house growing up they had white bread, which was so delicious, and we'd slather that with 'sandwich spread' — mayonnaise with relish in it. We weren't allowed to have soda in my house, but my friend Peggy's father worked for Coca-Cola, so we would sneak over to her house and have a glass full of ice with Coca-Cola and a big, big swirl of Reddi-wip on top. We called it our Coke float. It was so great." Sounds like her palate has always been enviable, even as a kid.

If there's one thing Martha Stewart loves, it's a good cup of tea. 

Stewart has been a fan of this aromatic drink since her childhood. In an interview with Epicurious, she said that growing up, she "always drank tea with lemon."

She likes several types of tea, but what does she love? She was pretty partial to a tea served at her now-closed Martha Stewart's Cafe. "My favorite tea of all is our breakfast blend here at the café..." she told Eater. "This tea is very similar to the one I found at Fortnum & Mason — they're famous for their tea — but they have one tea called Fortmason. It's a black tea with a little bit of lemon that you barely know is there. I'm always trying tea," she explained in the interview. She added that she also loves matcha, buying the expensive tea in Japan.

And in case you're wondering, she doesn't like it sweet. "Hot tea, iced tea. No sugar. I don't drink sugar," she says.

Martha Stewart loves a good cappuccino. Her love for the creamy caffeinated drink started during her first visit to Rome when she was just 19.

She told Epicurious about the visit, saying, "I ordered a cappuccino, and it was the best thing I'd ever tasted. I was hooked."

After having an even better cappuccino at Via Quadronno in Manhattan, she purchased machines and began to make the drink at her office and at home. Now, she enjoys a daily cup of this creamy, caffeinated brew. 

She tells The Cut that every morning, she likes to have a "half-shot of cappuccino, a small one, with whole milk."

And, she enjoys making it for others too. She says, "Generally, before I leave my house in the morning, I make four cappuccinos: One for me, two for my housekeepers, and one for my guard." And others enjoy it, as well. "Neighbors stop in — the Clintons stopped in one day for a cappuccino with their guards, you know... people stop in for coffee," she adds. 

Martha Stewart knows how to really indulge. So, it's no surprise that she loves the food at the luxury restaurants, Nobu, helmed by world renown sushi chef Nobu Matsuhisa.

At an event celebrating Nobu Downtown, she said, "I've visited pretty much all of his restaurants so far, so obviously I'm a big fan" (via Observer).

She's a frequent diner at Nobu Fifty Seven, where she says, "I go right up the stairs — very, very steep stairs for people who are going to consume quantities of sake." And, she's so familiar with the restaurant's fare, her favorite dish isn't even on the regular menu. Luckily for fans, she shared the secret on an episode of the Cooking Channel show, The Best Thing I Ever Ate (via Martha Stewart).

The dish in question is sukiyaki made with wagyu beef. According to Eater, sukiyaki is a type of hot pot where thinly-sliced beef is cooked with vegetables in broth, right at the table, and sometimes dipped in raw egg. In a clip on Facebook, she calls it "exquisite," saying, "It's just incredible, and so, so tender."

Her favorite item may not be on the menu, but if you're itching to try it, don't despair. "Sukiyaki is a special order, by the way, but you can ask in advance, just to make sure they'll make it," she explains in the episode.

Holidays are a time to indulge for all of us — and Martha Stewart is certainly no exception.

One of her most popular holiday indulgences is her version of mashed potatoes. You may think potatoes aren't that indulgent, but that's only because you've never had them Martha Stewart style. Using a trick handed down by her mother, she adds 8 ounces of cream cheese in addition to the butter, milk, and heavy cream. She serves this delicious dish on Thanksgiving, which she told Insider is her "favorite 'food holiday.'"

She also has a love of latkes, though her family recipe has a twist. "The potato latke recipe is my mother's and has beer in the batter. It's delicious," she said. She serves the latkes with a side of sour cream and another favorite: pink applesauce.