What Carla Hall Eats in a Day—Including a Delicious High-Protein Dessert

Her everyday food literally gets her giddy with excitement.

Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD

Carla Hall is famous for her takes on celebratory soul food, Nashville hot chicken and butter biscuits, but what does she eat on an ordinary day?

In a recent Instagram reel, the celebrity chef and cookbook author took fans through a day of eating in her life, from breakfast to “night treat.” The meals were packed with nutritious whole foods and even featured a delicious-looking, high-protein dessert. Luckily, you can read through everything she ate below, plus get some of our own flavorful recipes and tips to help you recreate the dishes that catch your attention.

Breakfast

In the morning, Hall said, “I do an egg white omelet with broccoli and a little bit of cheese.” She started by spraying a bit of oil on what looks like toasted Arnold Sandwich Thins. On the bottom bun, she placed down the cooked egg white omelet seasoned with black pepper. As a hack for easier, protein-rich breakfasts, she used packaged liquid egg whites. On top of that, she added a few shavings of parmesan and about a half cup of cooked broccoli florets. Complete the dish with the top bun, and you’ve got a balanced breakfast.

Eggs whites and dairy are great for a protein boost in the morning. Plus, cooked broccoli is an easy way to get your greens in no matter the time of day. If fresh broccoli is what you have on hand, make our Broccoli & Cheese Omelet. Or, keep try different greens like in our Egg, Spinach & Cheddar Breakfast Sandwich.

Related: 11 Breakfast Sandwiches You'll Want to Make Forever

Snack

Once the video snapped over to snacktime, Hall had a colorful selection of food on her plate. She gave us the rundown: “I’ve got some multigrain chips, some cucumbers, radishes, grilled celery and some of my roasted barbecue carrots. And kale and basil pesto.” In the caption, she mentions that when she’s home, she prepares as much of her meals in advance as possible. In this case, she prepped the Kale & Basil Pesto, grilled celery and roasted carrots over the weekend to use throughout the week.

Related: How to Turn Any Herb Into Pesto

We see some red, orange, green and darker green on the plate, which reminds us of a healthy habit from the Mediterranean diet: eating the rainbow. The color of a food can indicate its unique antioxidants, phytochemicals and other nutrients to help fight disease and keep you feeling your healthiest.

Try the veggie route like Hall by using our guide for cooking veggies, or switch things up to the sweeter side with a bowl of our Purple Fruit Salad or Green Fruit Salad.

Lunch

For lunch, Chef Hall went back to her kitchen to throw together a very quick hummus wrap. She spread some of her Black-Eyed Pea Hummus on the center of a tortilla, threw on a mix of salad greens and red bell pepper, then rolled it up. “Just roll it up and wrap it,” she said, reassuring us that it is totally fine to have some spillage at the sides.

The hummus was among the healthy foods she prepared over the weekend. Hummus is usually made from chickpeas, but similar to our Black Bean Hummus, Hall replaced chickpeas with black-eyed peas in her recipe. Another great addition was the dark leafy greens, since they offer plant-based protein and other nutrients that can help relieve symptoms of inflammation.

Related: 9 Sneaky Signs You Could Have Inflammation

Dinner

In addition to doing some meal prep on the weekends, Hall wrote in the video caption, “I also LOVE passive cooking so I’m not stuck over the stove. My Insta[nt] Pot air fryer and rice cooker do work y’all.” Indeed, they do. While her rice cooker took care of the brown basmati rice in some stock, the oven was busy roasting her broccoli. At the same time, her Instant Pot air fryer made easy work out of some seasoned chicken thighs and drumsticks.

Related: The Best Air Fryers, According to Our Test Kitchen

Not only did Hall show broccoli some love for the second time in one day, but also she fit in another serving of whole grains. Whole grains like brown rice, quinoa and barley contain helpful nutrients like fiber, which can support a healthy heart, digestive system and gut microbiome. Not to mention, protein from crispy air-fried chicken adds some staying power to help keep you feeling satisfied.

Related: Air-Fryer Drumsticks

Dessert

As she settled down in her evening robe, Hall showed us the last thing she ate that day. “I really want a sweet treat, and I love ice cream, so I am going to do a banana smoothie protein sundae with toasted nuts.” This is what she calls her “night treat,” and it’s super easy to make.

To a food processor, she added around 2 frozen and chopped bananas, a scoop of chocolate protein powder, a tablespoon of nut butter and a splash of Kirkland Signature almond milk. Processing until smooth, she then transferred the mixture to a bowl. Then, she topped her smoothie sundae with some raspberries, sliced strawberries, toasted slivered almonds, whipped cream and grated chocolate. What a flavorful and nutritious way to end the day!

Related: 7 Nice Cream Recipes to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

The Bottom Line

For Carla Hall, balance is key. Much of her social media feed shows off the comforting desserts and soul food that she enjoys occasionally. But in her everyday diet, Hall clearly prioritizes whole foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts. She also makes sure to get in a moderate amount of healthy fats and lean proteins like poultry. Plus, the chef often enjoys a nutritious dessert that packs in foods that she loves, such as chocolate and nut butter. In combination with other healthy lifestyle factors, Hall seems to be fueling her body to feel her best.

Read the original article on Eating Well.