Dylan Dreyer Shares the Healthy Foods He Always Keeps in His Kitchen

When you think of “healthy foods,” what comes to mind? Is it a warm, delicious bowl of chicken soup? The amazing taste of mom’s fresh-from-the-oven cookies? Or is it a throat-soothing tea for sick days? There are many ways that our favorite foods can comfort and heal the body and mind, while prioritizing the nourishing ingredients.

For Dylan Dreyer, balance is key. “I grew up eating healthy food,” the Three o’clock today Co-host and NBC News meteorologist tells EatingWell in a special interview. “I don’t fast, I don’t fast myself or my children from anything. We enjoy ice cream cones, but I make sure that at some point every day they eat fruits and vegetables.”

In our interview with Dreyer, he talked about his focus on comforting, healing and seasonal ingredients in his family’s meals. Also, the TV host, children’s book author and mother of three shared what her day looks like, from her morning chores to her weekly dinners.

The Comfort of Cold Heaven

As the weather cools down, Dreyer’s ingredients keep the season going. From fall produce to sweet spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, the usual cooking staples are not comforting this time of year. “Fall is about apples and pears, and those local spices,” he shares. “I really like the feeling of fall and cooking in the fall.”

These fall flavors aren’t just delicious: they’re also nutritious. Cinnamon, for example, can help lower blood sugar, according to a 2021 study published in Food & Work. And when paired with fiber-rich apples, they’re very heart-healthy.

But there are two veggies that Dreyer has no matter the weather. “All year round, I always keep carrots and zucchini in my fridge,” he says. Carrots contain beta-carotene, which helps produce vitamin A, an important nutrient for your body’s health, healthy vision and more. Additionally, zucchini has been shown to be beneficial for skin health, bone health, heart health and more. Because of their subtle flavors, Dreyer incorporates them into everything from her savory bolognese to her savory zucchini muffins, which she whips up with just a few tweaks. to her banana bread recipe.

“I replace the oil with halved apples, halved zucchini that I extract a lot of moisture from. The kids like it because it’s a little sweeter.”

For us, cold weather brings warm dishes and delicious flavors, so we asked Dreyer to share his favorite dishes. Suddenly it came to his mind: “When I think of home, I think of my chicken pot,” he says. “It has carrots, zucchini and onion. I throw in peas, corn and potatoes. It’s delicious, sweet and delicious. ” She swaps regular heavy cream for butter and uses gluten-free flour (her son, Calvin, has celiac disease) and chicken broth to make a roux. “It’s really delicious and healthy thanks to all the vegetables – very satisfying.” With fiber from the vegetables and protein from the chicken, it’s definitely a satisfying choice that will keep the family full.

Although she sometimes makes her own crust, Dreyer believes she has a time-saving secret: store-bought gluten-free pastry. She notes that regular puff pastry works just as well, but uses gluten-free so the whole family can enjoy it. Buying pre-made puff pastry is an easy, time-saving method for a flat crust that eliminates the hassle of making it from scratch.

Supporting Her Family’s Physical Health

Fall also marks the start of cold and flu season, when our immune system often works overtime to keep us healthy or help us recover. Luckily, Dreyer shared her sick day recipe that she makes for herself and her kids.

He explains: “I think smoothies help. “My children, I don’t know why, but they don’t eat oranges or clementines. When you have a cold, vitamin C goes a long way.” And Dreyer’s 4th formula Orange-Mango Smoothie it’s really full of vitamin C, thanks to its namesake ingredients. Not only does vitamin C help support good health, according to a 2023 study in Mucosal Immunologybut the antioxidant also has anti-inflammatory properties that are important for healing.

Get the Recipe: Dylan Dreyer’s Orange-Mango Smoothie

“I’ll add some oranges, frozen bananas and frozen mangoes to add flavor,” he shares. And I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk to mix it all together. It tastes like a creamsicle flavored smoothie, but it has two lemons in it, so it’s high in vitamin C. [My kids] they don’t even like orange juice, but when I give them this smoothie, they think they’re getting something fancy because it tastes like dairy milk.”

This 4-in-1 smoothie is perfect for sick days, and Dreyer is right: it tastes like a creamsicle. Plus it provides 171% of the daily value of vitamin C. What’s not to love?

Low Pressure Methods

We all have our morning rituals. For others, it may be waking up to walk the dog, cup of caffeine in hand. For others, it may involve watching Three o’clock today staff share great stories and delicious recipes. Keeping a schedule can be an effective way to stick to your health goals, whether it’s adjusting to an earlier wake-up time or agreeing to a new exercise routine. Before the cameras start rolling, Dreyer has her morning routine to help her feel better.

He says: “I just have a habit.” I think it’s the only way to stay organized and stress-free.

Dreyer shares that her husband, NBC News producer and cameraman Brian Fichera, is a big help since she has to go to work early in the morning. “I just wake up and get dressed. “My husband prepares my coffee the night before so all I have to do is put the pot in the morning,” she says, realizing that. he likes his coffee with milk and a little sugar. He loves his Farberware percolator coffee pot, saying it makes “the hottest, strongest coffee.”

He walks out the door with his cup of coffee, which gives him the energy he needs before going into the air. Drinking a moderate amount of coffee every day can improve your mood, reduce the risk of heart disease and even reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a 2020 study in International Journal of Molecular Sciences. Dreyer mixes his coffee with a light breakfast, knowing that he will probably eat breakfast. “I usually eat Belvita biscuits for breakfast, orange cranberry is my favorite flavor,” he tells us. Although they contain a lot of sugar, their owner limits his intake of sugar throughout the day, so these biscuits fit his healthy diet.

For someone who watches television, his morning is usually not a big deal, and he says EatingWell that he wouldn’t have it any other way—especially since a busy, sometimes unpredictable work schedule follows. And after work, Dreyer chooses a dinner that is easy to prepare.“I will buy a mixture of meat, ground chicken or roast turkey. I’m going to roast carrots, onions and zucchini, add meat to it, and pour it in a jar of tomato sauce,” he says. “When I need the kids to eat a hearty meal, I feel like it’s an easy weeknight recipe.” We love that Dreyer prioritizes fiber and protein in her family’s diet, since 90% to 97% of Americans don’t get enough fiber in their diet. Protein is also an important part of a healthy diet, as it helps build and repair muscles, promotes healthy digestion and helps stabilize blood sugar levels.

Raising Food Lovers

The Dreyers are picky eaters, who love fruits and vegetables themselves. “My kids love broccoli, and they love it best when it’s roasted,” She says, sharing that it’s her favorite part of the dinner. I drizzle it with olive oil and season it with mushroom powder, which adds this salty, umami flavor to the broccoli. She says her husband isn’t a vegetarian, but he can eat her roasted broccoli “like a baby.” Eating roasted broccoli as a snack is as healthy as it sounds: packed with prebiotic fiber, it’s an anti-inflammatory veggie that’s great for your gut microbiome. Because of its polyphenols, broccoli has been shown time and time again to help reduce the risk of cancer, most recently in a 2023 study published in Critical Concepts in Food Science and Nutrition. And it is a rich source of antioxidants and vitamins, so it is a good part of nutrition to add balance to any diet.

Speaking of snacks, her home kitchen has a variety of snacks for both adults and children. You’ll find a wide variety of nutritious fruits—greens, blueberries, strawberries, pears, apples, kiwis, and mangoes—in her fridge. Since he and his family like to eat fruits throughout the day, they all support their overall health as fruits are rich in antioxidants and have fiber and anti-inflammatory properties. Additionally, berries such as raspberries and blueberries are recommended by gastroenterologists to support your gut health and healthy digestion. But you will also find delicious salty options in the cereal drawer: “I don’t want to turn them off, so there are pretzels, Tostitos, Cheetos and other delicious snacks -they are children!” Dreyer says. To EatingWellwe believe that all foods can be included in a healthy diet, whether you are a child or an adult. Make sure you enjoy low-nutrient options in moderation.

This sentiment is completely in line with Dreyer’s philosophy of eating well: “To me, eating well is about eating what you like, but making sure you get the good stuff in there, too.”