Molly Sims tells it like it is. As an actress and supermodel, staying in shape isn't a New Year's resolution or goal; it's a way of life for her and her family, and she's not going to pretend that she eats burgers and chili cheese fries all day to impress people.
"We try to keep it clean and mean," says Sims, who often blogs about wellness on her site, MollySims.com. "My husband pretends that he's constantly on a diet."
That means eating a lot of vegetables, protein—be it lean meat, like ground turkey or grilled chicken, nuts or almond butter—and avoiding gluten, dairy and sugar. That last one has been proving pretty challenging.
"Sugar is in everything," Sims explains. "I try to be conscious of what I eat. I do low-fat cheese, I do almonds, I do carrots with hummus, I do berries—things that will literally fill me up that are low in sugar, but it's hard."
That's not the only change Sims has made recently. Living in Los Angeles requires her to spend plenty of time driving—"you could be gone for 30 minutes or six hours," she says—but her commute has gotten much, much longer now that she's a contributor to The View. She shuttles between LA and the show's New York offices fairly regularly, and having such an on-the-go lifestyle can complicate mealtime.
She Takes Snacks Seriously.
"I used to be a picker," she says. "Now, I'll literally prepackage my snacks. I think the biggest pitfall I've had, in terms of being a mom, is eating my kids' snacks, then eating a double dinner, because you're constantly feeding them, and then you're feeding you, so I try to plan things out more."
That means keeping her fridge stocked with Greek yogurt, curbing the compulsion to snack on her kids' leftovers each night, and carrying bags of mango and banana crisps in her purse when she's traveling.
She Doesn't Shy Away from Velveeta.
Sims may eat healthy most of the time, but she is human. The recipe she's best-known for? Spinach casserole.
"It may have Velveeta cheese in it; I'm not gonna lie," she says. "But it's phenomenal."
Sims admits it's not the healthiest dish, but around the holidays, it's her go-to side.
Her Southern Roots Run Deep.
"I can also make a really authentic red velvet cake," she says, which is always, always, always topped with cream cheese frosting.
Sims may live far from her hometown of Murray, Kentucky, but her Southern upbringing influences her to this day. Biscuits are her all-time favorite food, and whenever she's headed to a party at someone's house, she often comes with sweet and savory baked nuts.
"It's such a Southern thing," she explains. "I'll coat almonds in egg whites and put spices on them, then bake them and put them in jars as hostess gifts."
Her go-to toppings are cinnamon, if the host has a sweet tooth, or garlic salt, for savory-food fans. "Usually, though, I'll bring both."
She Doesn't Hit Up the Drive Thru Anymore.
Back in the day, Sims loved hitting up McDonald's with her dad to have a Quarter Pounder with cheese. "Or I'd have an Egg McMuffin. I loved those," Sims says.
She's since given up fast food, opting instead for salads or chicken wraps whenever she has a craving. "Now I'm boring," she jokes.
If you want to know exactly what Sims eats in a typical day (read: Not her spinach-casserole-and-red-velvet-cake holiday dinners), check out the video above.
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