Image Source: Chef K
The Kardashian-Jenners have made headlines for endless reasons, and their eating habits are no exception. Certain moments — from Kylie’s honey-topped avocado toast reveal to Kendall’s attempt to slice a cucumber — have drawn widespread fascination and criticism.
What fans of the family may not know is that the Kardashians’ approach to eating is largely a reflection of their personal chef, Khristianne Uy. Better known as Chef K, her client list includes the likes of Justin Bieber and Charlize Theron, People reports. But she’s been cooking for the Kardashian-Jenner family for nearly 10 years.
Around the start of the pandemic, Chef K transitioned to mostly catering the Kardashians’ holidays and events, leaving the everyday cooking to a team of chefs. She’s also stepped into the spotlight in her own right, with a TikTok account boasting videos with millions of views.
Having spent nearly a decade as the Kardashians’ personal chef, Chef K knows the details of their nutrition habits inside and out. And in a conversation with POPSUGAR about her new partnership with supplement company SpoiledChild, the chef shed light on her time cooking for the family, including how she made sure the Kardashian-Jenner kids ate their breakfast and what salad topping she knew would be a crowd-pleaser among the sisters.
POPSUGAR: During your time as the Kardashians’ personal chef, what have been their main concerns in terms of nutrition?
Chef K: Across the board, they’ve all prioritized healthy living. With so much travel, the lack of sleep, the growing families, it becomes impossible to always eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner together at the table every day. It was my job to make sure that whatever they ate, it was always nutrient-dense and would sustain them and hold them over for the next three to four hours. For all of my clients, I make a mental note of all allergies and dislikes, but I found that they’re really open to trying new things. I think the trust factor is pretty good.
PS: With nutrient-dense meals, there’s always the concern that you’re sacrificing taste. What’s your approach to making sure the meals you prepare are also appealing?
CK: The first thing that I did with them was to go through their pantry and refrigerator inventories. I could see what condiments were there, what pantry items they had — some had more rice and beans, some had more pasta sauce, some had more soup bases. From there, I already know what’s a safe area and I’ll just put my twist on it. It’s easier now that in 2024, brands are getting creative and putting out products where there isn’t even a compromise anymore. For example, you can find a really, really good, clean vegan cheese that you don’t even know [that it’s not real cheese]. And none of this serving a big old bushel of kale with a lemon slice, you know? With air fryers you can turn the kale into chips.
PS: What was the one meal that you always knew would be a hit?
CK: Anyone who watched the shows knows that they’re big on salads, especially the Health Nut salad that they would shake up before eating. For all of my clients, I tap into things that they already like. So I zoned into salads and thought up pretty much every salad you can think of, paying attention to which salads came back. I told Kris Jenner, “We can test these salads to come up with a ‘forever and never’ list.” Then, you will never have to see this salad again or you will always see that salad.
PS: Which salads made it onto the forever list?
CK: The Chinese chicken salad was number one. But generally, they’re open to any salad that has avocado, and I’d often add a little bit of quinoa or a little farro.
PS: What was the biggest crowd-pleaser at breakfast time?
CK: Smoothies were number one, which is why I thought teaming up with SpoiledChild to share its extra-strength liquid collagen would make for the perfect partnership. Mango is the Kardashians’ favorite flavor, and I’ve been making a tropical mango smoothie recipe that I add the liquid collagen to. I add chia seeds and yogurt too, so that it’s a smoothie that doesn’t leave you hungry again within an hour. Sometimes I would get creative and set up a smoothie bar. With the kids, when they can visually see what’s going into their smoothie and watch it being made, they become more curious and less intimidated to try it.
Image Source: SpoiledChild
PS: What has been your personal favorite dish that you came up with for the Kardashians?
CK: It’s the most simple things. Sometimes when we’re so busy and doing all these things, simple, nostalgic meals can’t be beat. I’m a chef and I work with so many different ingredients but I don’t want to eat lobster or caviar every day. Sometimes you crave foods like corn on the cob or spaghetti.
Renee Cherry is a writer and editor who specializes in beauty and wellness. Her writing has appeared in POPSUGAR, Women’s Health, Glamour, MindBodyGreen, and Well+Good, among other publications.
Image Source: Chef K; SpoiledChild