FIRST ON FOX: A private chef for a famous Hollywood family is discovering clever ways to incorporate healthy foods into everyday meals – especially for young children who are just developing a curiosity about food and need smart guidance.
Chef Khristianne Uy, better known as Chef K, is a private chef for the Kardashian family in Southern California, as well as other famous families.
In an on-camera interview with Fox News Digital this week from her home in Los Angeles, she discussed healthy choices, a healthy mindset and a new salad dressing collaboration with Health Nut that gives it a new twist modern filling options. (See the video at the top of this article.)
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The four flavors of salad dressing—an original house blend, sesame, Asian spicy, and ranch—are fresh and full of flavor. Health Nut also offers a low calorie option.
“This should be on everyone’s shelf,” she said, noting how “easy” it is to use the dressing to freshen up salads, relishes and relishes. “You can shake-shake-shake your salad in the comfort of your own home,” she added, referring to the Kardashians’ penchant for shaking their salads before eating.
An LA-based private chef who cooks for the Kardashian family and many others, Chef K told Fox News Digital that salads can be helpful in keeping hunger at bay when you add whole grains and healthy fats. (Chef K/iStock)
“So convenient. Why not?” she said.
The new dressings are all non-GMO and gluten-free – and three of the four are vegan, made with an apple cider base.
“Sesame is my favorite,” she said. “It’s a comfort thing for me.”
They should be refrigerated, she noted, for longevity, as they’re full of fresh ingredients, including — in the case of ranch dressing — rich buttermilk and eggs.
“These are not ultra-processed,” she said.
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Uy recommended using “all-purpose” dressings for more than just salads. They can be used as a dip and marinade for any grillable protein this summer.
“Sesame is my favorite,” she said. “For me it’s a comfort thing. I grew up with this, with the taste of tuna and sesame.” (Uy immigrated to California from the Philippines when she was young.)
Chef K said Health Nut’s sesame sauce “is my favorite. It’s a comfort thing for me. I grew up with that, the tuna and sesame flavor.” She immigrated to California from the Philippines when she was young. (Chief K)
The private chef has worked with the Kardashian family for a decade, posting unique and creative food stories on her social media over the years, often inspired by extravagant events held by the family.
She gets inspiration for some of her special menu items, she told Fox News Digital, from specific foods and flavors she knows family members enjoy.
“With all my clients’ kids, I make a salad bar and they can build their own taco bar or pizza bar.”
“I get very passionate and really channel my customers. I very diligently memorize what they like, in terms of flavor profile, and then come back with [themes like] ‘Ghostbusters,’ ‘The Powerpuff Girls,’ and also in a healthier way,” she said, recalling the Kardashian children’s birthday parties she helped organize and create.
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“This is my responsibility,” she said, emphasizing the healthy aspect of what she prepares.
Getting kids to eat healthy foods can be a struggle, Uy admitted, but she said that including fresh vegetables and fruits in the process can ease resistance to new foods.
“Healthier food is so much easier today,” said Chef K. “And when we tap into a nostalgic part of our brain, it can be comforting, too.” (Chief K)
“With all my clients’ kids, I make a salad bar and they can build their own taco bar or pizza bar,” she said. “They’re more curious” about food, she said — and they really “have fun” with it.
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This kind of hands-on engagement can create excitement for children about eating certain foods, she said.
Here’s more from Fox News Digital’s original interview with Chef K.
Question: Everyone wants to eat better and healthier in a busy world. What are your best tips in general for doing this?
Chief K: Eating healthier is much easier today. And when we tap into a nostalgic part of our brain, it’s also comforting.
My job, as a cook, is to first become curious about what a family wants. And then introduce a healthier version of it. So I’m going to start a “forever/never” list.
Let’s say a family wants a certain pasta or sauce or salad. Next I will introduce an added tip for it. Maybe they like it; maybe they don’t.
And so I build from there – putting a food in the “forever” or “never” pile.
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Especially with children, this process makes them curious about food.
They’ll say, “Oh, Chief K, what’s that?” or “Chef K, let’s have it again.”
“Then it’s in their memory bank. And it becomes part of a new tradition, which is so important.”
I want to build trust with them [about the food she makes]and then we can have it [food or dish] again. Then it’s in their memory bank. And it becomes part of a new tradition, which is so important.
Q: Has anything surprised you about some of the “forever” or “never” choices you’ve seen over the years from customers?
Chief K: Not any more! To be honest, I’ve been doing this for 24 years.
So no, there’s nothing I haven’t seen in terms of requirements.
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I get curious with my clients and what is nostalgic for them may not be nostalgic for me. And I like to provide them with comfort – comfort and healthy choices.
Q: You’ve been wary of salads for a long time. What are some of the salad trends you’re seeing today?
Chief K: I’m finding that many salads are now served on pizza. Either that, or the inner coils.
When you get creative and curious like that – in any way, shape or form, it’s still a salad you’re getting, as opposed to no salad at all.
Kris Jenner, left, and Kim Kardashian attend the 10th Annual Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Award Ceremony on April 13, 2024, in Los Angeles, California. Chef K has created a “forever/never” list for members of the Kardashian family — of the foods they like and the foods they don’t. She continues to build that list, she said. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Things are constantly evolving, constantly moving. Even with a Caesar salad now, [new dressings] they have made life so much easier because they are so versatile.
And I’ve been putting dried fruit and nuts in my salads – and marinating the protein and getting it into the salad is such a great component.
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You feel satisfied when you eat it. You’re not saying, “OK, I just had a salad. What’s next?”
You have just eaten.
And yes, I would stress the importance of getting protein in your meals.
“We all like to indulge a little now and then. So, hey, OK, have a little fun. Eat a salad four or five times a week — and then, maybe on Saturday, have some pizza.” (iStock)
Q: You believe in balance when it comes to food and eating. Tell us more!
Yes, I believe in the balance of everything.
We all like to brag a little now and then. So, hey, OK, have some fun. Have a salad four or five times a week – and then, maybe on Saturday, have some pizza.
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Keep things in balance. You feel better this way.
Another thing: the spice section of my fridge is like the medicine cabinet or makeup drawer I have in the bathroom, right?!
It is very important to me – it is my wish.
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To me, the new salad dressings are so delicious and promote healthy living.
They can be used for diving for almost anything and make life so much easier.
of Nut of health clothing is available nationally at Walmart, plus regionally at Target, Albertsons, Jewel, Bristol Farms, Gelsens, Stater Bro’s, Wakefern, Smart and Final.
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