Denise Richards Just Started Eating Meat Again After ‘Years’ Of Vegetarianism

From Women's Health

Denise Richards is at the center of all the drama this season on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

The actress and entrepreneur is taking it all in stride, though—and she has plenty going on to keep her mind off of reality TV squabbles. In addition to working with Quantum Reach charity, running her own skin-care line CB Me Beauty, and starring as Shauna Fulton on The Bold and The Beautiful, Denise is also mom to three daughters: Eloise, Lola, and Sam.

Fueling her bod and busy days is crucial, and Denise has made some major changes to her diet, including nixing gluten and reintroducing meat after years of vegetarianism, in the last year. "I would say 90 percent of my diet is gluten-free and I definitely do notice the difference," she tells Women's Health. "I grew up in the Midwest, and we ate meat, potatoes, and pasta, so I enjoy all of that."

These days, Denise's philosophy is all about moderation. Here's exactly what that looks like in a typical day.

Breakfast

Denise starts her day with a special cup of coffee. "When I wake up, I have coffee," she says. "I've had my coffee shipped from Hawaii for the last 20 years." Her brew of choice: Greenwell Farms Kona Coffee. "I'm very picky about my coffee. It's not acidic, and it's so delicious."

Denise is also particular about what she adds to her brew. "I am from the Midwest, so it's half-and-half," she says. "I don't want the non-fat; I don't want the oat milk."

What's on her actual plate in the morning doesn't always look like breakfast, though. "Usually I like lunch or dinner food for breakfast," she says. "But sometimes I'll do typical breakfast food, like an omelet with buffalo mozzarella, tomato, and basil."

Snacks

Denise doesn't stick to the three-square-meals-a-day rule, so she keeps plenty of snacks around. "I would say that I'm a bit of a grazer," she says. "I like doing a plate of fresh cut-up vegetables, like cucumber, tomato, carrots, and celery with crunchy sea salt." (She's obsessed with Maldon Sea Salt Flakes.) Sometimes she'll add a little olive oil and a thick, syrupy balsamic vinegar for total snack perfection.

"I also love fresh cheese," Denise adds. "So I'll do that and nuts throughout the day, too." A woman after my own heart.

Lunch

Lunch is usually a toss up for Denise. "Sometimes I don't get to eat lunch when I'm working. If I do, I like to have a big salad and some protein, like grilled salmon or chicken," she says. "I was a vegetarian for years and one day not that long ago I started eating a little more like protein and it actually felt good. I felt like I was full in a healthy way."

Denise adds hearty ingredients to her salads. "I love fresh shaved Parmesan and I tons of vegetable," she says. "I'll do even steamed potatoes to make it more of a full meal."

What doesn't make the cut? Dressing. "I'm allergic to garlic and most dressings have garlic in them, so I don't do dressing very much," she says. That doesn't mean she eats her salads dry, though. "I either do lemon juice and salt, or olive oil and a thick balsamic vinegar," she explains.

More Snacks

When Denise is busy filming or prepping various projects around LA, she keeps a stash of snacks handy to fuel her on-the-go or at home.

Fruit (when her faves are in season) is high on her snack list. "I'm a summer fruit girl," Denise says. "I love mango, papaya, nectarines, cherries, and pineapple. In summer, I will mix them in with my veggie tray."

Denise is also all about her DIY guac. "Sometimes I'll make homemade guacamole, with lemon, salt, fresh tomato, and fresh avocado to mix it up," she says. "I'll have that with the veggies and or fresh tortilla chips." (She's also a big potato chip gal.)

Dinner

Denise says she enjoys whipping up recipes in her kitchen, and she often cooks dinner for her family.

"I love to cook. I'll roast a chicken and yellow potatoes with carrots," she says. "I also love artichokes. I'll steam them, bake them, and drizzle balsamic on top." The veggies don't end there: The fam's dinner usually involves a big salad, steamed asparagus, or sautéed Brussels sprouts (which the kids love).

It's not all veggies for the evening meal, though. "We like good meat, good steaks," Denise says. "I actually have had some shipped from New York for us. I love salmon and halibut, too."

Although Denise has been mostly gluten-free since last summer, she tries hard to keep pasta in her rotation somehow. "I love pasta and it is definitely hard finding a gluten-free one that tastes like real like pasta and not gross." Let's just say it's a work in progress.

Dessert

Only certain sweets make it on Denise's menu. "If I do dessert, it's Häagen-Dazs ice cream," she says. "Chocolate and Vanilla Swiss Almond in a plain, gluten-free cone is my favorite. I like the texture of the cone with the ice cream; It feels a little special, like going out for a treat."

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