This Is What Dolly Parton Really Eats In A Day

Dolly Parton is a legendary country singer, award-winning songwriter, instrumentalist, actress, businesswoman, and humanitarian whose career has spanned several decades. It's pretty much impossible not to love and appreciate Dolly, whether her ballads bring sunshine to the grayest of your days, or her comedy films make you smile from ear to ear, or her philanthropic actions provide you with an extra glimmer of hope for the world.

Parton is also a self-proclaimed foodie who collaborated with Jeni's Ice Creams in early 2020 to create a limited-edition Strawberry Pretzel Pie flavor that was so popular among fans, the brand's e-commerce website crashed upon the product's release. It goes without saying that the show-stopping, down-to-earth, platinum blonde legend is a role model to many. Surprising to no one, Dolly herself is a fan of the good things in life, which of course includes an array of both healthy and indulgent dishes and drinks. If you ever wondered what Dolly Parton loves to eat in a given day, slip on those rhinestone cowboy or cowgirl boots, because you're about to find out.

To start off her morning, Dolly sips on a piping hot cuppa Folgers coffee with a generous splash of cream. She calls it her "cup of ambition," as she told the Wall Street Journal. For breakfast, she typically enjoys a hearty homemade egg salad or a bagel topped with cream cheese, cucumbers, and tomatoes, both of which take minimal preparation and provide her with enough fuel for the morning.

Occasionally, the country music legend will whip up an extra special breakfast for herself and her husband, like sausage patties with biscuits and milk gravy. Parton told drag superstar Ru Paul in a conversation for Marie Claire that, while she isn't able to indulge in in this meal as often as she might like, she loves it as a once in a while treat. Dolly Parton was kind enough to share her recipe for her Southern milk gravy with Today, which she describes as "the perfect topping" for sausage and biscuits.

Want to take your Dolly-inspired morning to the next level? Parton informed Ru Paul that she cooks in full make up and high heels. "I have to always stay ready — street ready, I always say ... I just feel more like me," explained the star. Though she mentioned the possibility of an earthquake and not wanting to appear in public without her makeup and signature stylish outfits, Parton also shared that she is fairly short and unable to reach some of her cabinets barefoot. We're guessing that could make some recipes pretty difficult to get right.

For the rest of Dolly's meals, moderation and wholesome ingredients are key, but she also leaves plenty of room for treating herself (red wine, she told The New York Times). She swears by the 80/20 rule, which basically means that 80% of her diet consists of healthy foods, and the remaining 20% is left for her favorite guilty pleasures. She's an advocate of convenient frozen low-carb meals (which she takes with her on tours), any form of potato ("any kind of potato, and I'm happy," she told The Times), seafood, and simple salads drizzled with ranch dressing. On the weekends, she often digs into a pan of cornbread or Taco Bell tacos with her long-time husband Carl Dean. At dinnertime, Dolly loves chicken and dumplings, which she claims is her specialty dish.

Dolly's philosophy on food (and life) is one that we can all admire: "I don't like pretty food. The way I see it, if the food's too pretty, it ain't too good" (via Yahoo!).