Who doesn’t love Rachael Ray? She is the chef and star of The Rachael Ray Show and continues to warm the hearts and bellies of aspiring chefs and foodies in America.
She is known for crafting all kinds of healthy dinner recipes, as well as those famous Rachael Ray 30 minute meals, for viewers to try out at home. She even has a new line of natural dog and cat food called “Rachael Ray Nutrish.”
With Rachael Ray’s Week in a Day cookbook, we can all learn some tips about cooking, but did you know that you can also pick up diet and weight-loss tips by following the television host’s example?
How Rachael Ray Lost Weight
It appeared that from 2009 and 2010, Rachael Ray lost weight and dropped two to three dress sizes. She has always been a curvy woman, so it makes people curious to know how she did it. What was her secret? Well, Ray actually underwent surgery to remove a cyst from her throat at that time.
Photo Credit: Food Network
The surgery left her unable to speak for three weeks and she started to go to the gym with her husband, John Cusimano, to relieve some stress. Even though she reportedly always hated running and was never a gym person, it seems Ray made a 360-degree turn. She began to run for three-and-a-half miles per day, every day post-surgery.
She hit the gym and got on the treadmill or elliptical machine to get in all her cardio, and she also began incorporating strength training every single day except Sundays, according to Women’s Health magazine.
Despite working out so much, Ray never looked at the scale so the amount of weight lost is still unknown. Ray says the benefits of working out are increased energy and an improved mood.
Although the current Rachael Ray diet is unknown, it’s suspected that she adopted healthier eating habits. Ray did disclose that she eats vegetarian meals three times per week on her show back in 2012.
Here are two healthy snack recipes that Rachael Ray shared with Women’s Health:
1. Tuna Antipasti
Drizzle canned tuna (she likes to use white, packed in water) with a little fresh lemon juice and EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil). Then chop up your favorite antipasti (roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, and olives are Ray’s favorites) and mix together.
2. Greek Yogurt Veggie Dip
Mix 2 cups non-fat Greek yogurt with 1 tsp each garlic powder, ground cumin, and ground coriander. Add the juice of half a lemon and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with assorted veggies for dipping, such as carrots, celery, and zucchini.
Rachael Ray Show: Healthy Dinner Recipes
It’s no secret that Ray can cook. It’s pretty evident given her successful Rachael Ray Show recipes, cookbooks, and line of natural pet food. There’s even a line of Rachael Ray cookware. Featured below are two healthy Rachael Ray recipes from her cookbook Week in a Day, courtesy of the Food Network.
Healthy Quinoa-Veggie Stuffed Peppers
- Total Time: 1 hour, 10 min
- Prep: 25 min
- Cook: 45 min
- Yield: 6 servings
- Level: Easy
Veggies and superfood quinoa make for a tasty, healthy stuffing for peppers.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 6 small bell peppers, mixed colors, seeded and halved
- 3 Tbsp. EVOO, plus extra for drizzling
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 small firm eggplant, trimmed of half the skin, chopped
- 1 small to medium firm zucchini, seeded and chopped
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 1 fresh chili pepper, such as Fresno, thinly sliced, or 1 tsp dried crushed pepper
- 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, a handful, chopped
- 2 plum tomatoes, chopped
- 1 cup crumbled feta or ricotta salata cheese
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Bring the quinoa and stock to a boil. Cover and simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the grain looks translucent, 12 to 15 minutes. Then fluff with a fork. You will have about 4 cups of cooked grain.
- Drizzle the bell pepper halves with EVOO and season both sides with salt and pepper. Roast cut-side down until the skins begin to char and the peppers are just tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool to room temp, then arrange in a baking dish cut-side up.
- Meanwhile, heat 3 Tbsp. EVOO over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, eggplant, zucchini, onion, and chili, and season with salt and pepper. Cook partially covered till tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the herbs and tomatoes, and combine with the quinoa.
- Fill the pepper halves with the quinoa-and-vegetable stuffing and drizzle with EVOO. Cool and chill for a make-ahead meal. To serve, roast in a 375°F oven until the peppers are hot through. Serve the pepper halves topped with lots of cheese crumbles.
Sausage, Kale, and Lentil Soup
- Total Time: 2 hours, 15 min
- Prep: 15 min
- Inactive: 1 hour
- Cook: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 servings
- Level: Easy
Sausage, lentils, kale, and lots of veg: this soup’s good for what ails you!
Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp. EVOO
- 1 pound hot sausage, bulk or casing removed
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 ribs celery, chopped, leafy tops reserved
- 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
- 1 large Idaho (russet) potato, peeled and chopped into small dice
- 1 Fresno or Holland chili pepper, thinly sliced or finely chopped
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
- 2 large cloves garlic, chopped or sliced
- 1/2 Tbsp. ground cumin
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 bundle Tuscan, black, or dinosaur kale, stemmed and very thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 cup white wine
- Freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 3/4 cups lentils
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups water
Directions:
- In a soup pot or large Dutch oven, heat 1 Tbsp. EVOO.
- Add the sausage, breaking it into pieces, and cook until lightly brown.
- Add the onion, celery, carrot, potato, chili pepper, rosemary, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper, and cook to soften, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the kale and season the leaves with a little freshly grated nutmeg. Cook till wilted.
- Stir in the tomato paste for 30 seconds, and then add white wine. Cook to reduce by half and stir in the lentils, stock, and water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer the soup until the lentils are tender, about 35 minutes.
- Serve immediately or cool, store, and reheat. Serve with chopped celery greens as garnish.
Sources:
“Rachael Ray Weight Loss,” Fast Slim Body web site; http://www.fastslimbody.com/rachael-ray-weight-loss, last accessed August 9, 2016.