For those of us who enjoy Food Network shows like Barefoot Contessa or The Pioneer Woman, it’s hard not to wonder what it’s like to have one of those shows, cooking all day and munching on bites of tasty food for the camera. To give her followers a behind-the-scenes look at the action, Molly Yeh posted a quick recap of everything she eats in a day while filming her Food Network show Girl Meets Farm.
Yeh, who has hosted Girl Meets Farm since it debuted in 2018, is known for her bubbly pep, popular cookbooks and fun fare that combines midwestern dishes with Jewish and Chinese flavors. That’s why we were excited to get a sneak peek of what Girl Meets Farm recipes she’s working on in her recap video, and she didn’t disappoint. We’ve broken down all the fun snacks and televised meals that make up Yeh’s *very* full day, so read on for all the details.
What Molly Yeh Eats in a Day
Breakfast
To start the morning off with a bang, Yeh makes her daughter, five-year-old Bernie, a bowl of one of her favorite breakfasts, which they’ve named Blueberry Delight. Blueberry Delight consists of frozen blueberries, a dollop of almond butter, a pinch of cinnamon and some almond milk in a bowl. But since Bernie doesn’t always finish her breakfast, Yeh steps in to polish it off.
“My first breakfast is Bernie’s leftovers, a true toddler parent meal,” she joked in her caption.
Blueberry Delight sounds like a pretty fun brekkie for any age range. Plus, the health benefits of blueberries, like their ability to decrease chronic inflammation, combined with the protein content of almond butter, make it a healthy option, too. To add some substance to Yeh’s bowl of berries, she also grabs an apple and a handful of cashews before getting to work in the kitchen. We think Yeh would love our Lemon-Blueberry Overnight Oats, which are also made with blueberries and almond milk, plus rolled oats for more staying power between meals. It’s a great make-ahead recipe for busy days.
Snack
If you’ve ever wondered if Food Network hosts actually get to enjoy the delicious dishes they make each day, Yeh has an answer for you. She spends her snack time munching on little bites of what she’s prepared for episodes of Girl Meets Farm that day, which include a tahini-vanilla donut and a smiley-face tater tot off the top of a hot dish recipe.
Yeh also shares some images of the snack bowl she keeps on set, which includes options like Smartfood white Cheddar popcorn, mixed nuts, cheese crackers and fruit. In the afternoon, she finally decides to reach for one of those snacks as a sweet treat, opting for dark chocolate-covered chickpeas from Lebby Snacks. This simple dessert offers 3 grams of protein in each serving, so it’s a fun way to satisfy a chocolate craving and still eat something with staying power. Want to make a similar snack at home? Our Dark Chocolate Cashew Clusters have just three ingredients, including protein-packed cashews. Enjoy it with some iced matcha, like Yeh does, and you’ll start the afternoon with a pep in your step.
Lunch
Yeh hangs out with the Girl Meets Farm crew for a lunch of local takeout. They opt to pick up dishes from House of Punjab, a local Indian restaurant, where Yeh says her favorites are chana masala (a chickpea curry), dal tadka (spiced lentils) and garlic naan. Though eating out every day for lunch can get expensive, it makes sense that Yeh and her crew would order takeout during a long day of cooking.
Choosing plant-based items like chana masala and dal tadka, which center on chickpeas and lentils respectively, is a great way to make sure you’re enjoying a balance of protein, fiber and veggies each day. Add a little garlic naan on the side, and our mouths are pretty much watering.
Dinner
Yep, those dinner scenes in Food Network shows are sometimes real. To end her day at work, Yeh sits down with friends for a hot dog salad, which combines the ingredients of a Chicago-style dog over lettuce with a pickle ranch dressing. (We’ll be keeping our eyes peeled for that recipe.) She also enjoys a bite of blueberry slab pie, the dessert from that episode, so the cameras can get a shot of her in action. If you can’t wait for Yeh’s recipe and want some blueberry pie in your life right now, our Maple Wild Blueberry Pie is beautiful and delicious.
After work, Yeh winds down with a favorite show, The New Look on Apple TV+, and some popcorn for a final snack—or, as Yeh writes in her caption, “dinner number two.” It’s a full day, and a pretty delicious one at that, with lots of fun veggies and a varied plate to keep things fresh and new. If this is what hosting a cooking show is all about, then you can sign us up.