The Reason Giada De Laurentiis Decided To Change Up Her Diet

Food Network star Giada De Laurentiis has an extremely busy schedule. She not only juggles quality time with family, she also stars in successful shows like Giada at Home and Giada Entertains. The celebrity chef is also an incredible cook that even Bobby Flay takes notes from. During a New York Times interview, Flay admitted to stealing her technique of tossing pasta with parmesan cheese to help make it stick together better. Knowing what an incredible cook she is, it's surprising to learn that De Laurentiis recently revealed she wasn't eating the right things. 

She admitted to Today that she made significant changes to what she was eating because it was making her feel "bloated and tired." The food personality said she was eating out a lot and enjoying decadent pastas and desserts. "Many people think there needs to be a drastic change in order to eat healthy, but that's not true," De Laurentiis said. "My cooking still stays true to my Italian roots, with lots of delicious, fresh ingredients."

The chef admitted her eating was less than ideal during the pandemic, when she was staying at home more with her daughter, Jade. "It's whatever my daughter wants for lunch! We have a lot of pasta and quesadillas," she admitted to Eating Well. However, De Laurentiis has now decided to scale back on specific foods that don't sit well in her stomach.

She told Today that while she can eat a ton of bitter broccoli rabe, she has to stay away from raw kale. The star of Bobby and Giada in Italy also said she has decided to remove some caffeine and sugar from her daily intake. "Eating well is not about eliminating foods — it's about noting how they affect you and eating less of those that challenge your health," De Laurentiis said. "It's about finding the right balance for you."

De Laurentiis explained she's now making sure to plan her grocery trips more wisely because it's much easier to make better quality meals, when you already have the ingredients in your fridge. She's also incorporating healthier foods into her diet like sweet potato grain bowls, dark leafy green soups and making sure to toss salmon in her salads and pasta dishes. De Laurentiis said making small changes over time was helpful for her and that ultimately "eating to feel better shouldn't be stressful."