This Is What Joanna Gaines Really Eats In A Day

As one half of the husband-wife hosting duo for HGTV's Fixer Upper, Joanna Gaines rose to prominence in the public eye for her impeccable instincts. From shiplap to oversized wall clocks, everything she does inspires. It isn't just Gaines' design eye that draws people in, though. It's who she is as a person: warm, funny, charismatic. It doesn't hurt that she has a hilarious, super-supportive husband Chip in her corner, too (Chip and Joanna for life!). 

Gaines is having a moment, and everyone wants to emulate this arbiter of style and taste — the latter of which people are curious about in every sense of the word. Do they want to know whether Joanna Gaines prefers oil-rubbed bronze of matte black hardware? Of course. Do they also want to know exactly what she eats on any given day? You betcha. 

Gaines dishes daily on interior design tricks, as that's her job. Happily for fans, she also happens to love talking about eating. Here's what she has to say about the foods that fuel the mompreneur's myriad endeavors. 

Pregnancy cravings can strike at any moment and, as a soon to be mother-of-five in 2018, Joanna Gaines understands that — and stays vigilant. Since she and her husband Chip announced in January 2018 that they were expecting again, Gaines hasn't been shy about feeding her burgeoning belly. And, well, baby boasts quite the appetite. From chocolate bundt cakes to cookies in the wee hours, the belly gets what the belly wants. 

"Woke up this morning at 2:30 AM and was craving fruity pebbles, a pimento cheese sandwich, chicken spaghetti, deviled eggs, and ranch dressing. Didn't have any of that, so I made myself some cookies," Gaines wrote in an Instagram post in February 2018. "With all the restaurant's final tastings, the cookbook (yes these cookies are in it!), and this pregnancy — I'm definitely growing at a record rate." 

The same day Gaines shared her secret middle-of-the-night baking session, she also posted a selfie and pointed out that "there's no hiding this baby bump anymore." 

It's often said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and Joanna Gaines certainly understands that. If you can have it served to you in bed by loved ones, even better. Gaines posted a sweet Instagram snapshot in March 2018 of a "pretty surprise" from her family: an early morning plate full of bacon, eggs, and pancakes. Chip and the kids even added a vase of fresh flowers and three beverage choices. Could they be any more thoughtful? 

As Gaines revealed on the Magnolia blog, these types of gestures occur frequently in their household. Chip loves to surprise his wife, and one of his favorite ways to surprise her is with breakfast in bed. 

Gaines explained of her husband's cooking, "A typical Chip Gaines breakfast includes pancakes, eggs, bacon and orange juice." She added that when he's "feeling extra sweet" he even puts it on a tray and serves it to her in bed. "The kids love to help, and there's really nothing better than my four babies bringing in a platter of dad's breakfast before I've even set foot out of the bed." Aw! 

Being healthy and indulging in junk food every once in awhile aren't mutually exclusive. Need proof? Look no further than Joanna Gaines' diet. Although she eats tons of fresh fruits and veggies, she isn't afraid to admit junk food makes it on the menu sometimes. 

In December 2015, Gaines revealed on Instagram that her Friday night consisted of "a bowl of ramen" and "a Little Debbie nutty bar." A year later, in December 2016, she snapped a pic of a cutting board with one remaining slice of frozen pizza left. Who hasn't been there, right? 

Gaines clearly has no problem chowing down on pizza, although she probably doesn't pick it up from the freezer section often. Rather, she makes her own, healthier version (because, domestic goddess). She shared a recipe on the Magnolia blog for what she dubs the Farmer's Margherita Pizza, saying, "Pizza is a comfort food — and homemade pizza dough and garden fresh toppings is a universal favorite."  

C'mon, this one is kind of a given — the Gaines farmhouse garden is one of the family's great pride and joys. So, naturally, the matriarch sources fruit and veggies straight from the farm to feed her family. Broccoli, watermelon, pumpkins, peppers — you name it, and she's probably harvested it. In fact, she serves up fresh produce from the farm garden in the family's Magnolia Table restaurant. 

In February 2018, the Gaines family poured their hearts into renovating the beloved space on an episode of Fixer Upper. The updates included raised beds, a chicken coop plus run, bean tee-pees, and an oh-oh-so dreamy she-shed for the matriarch herself. 

Joanna Gaines gave a bit of background info about the project on her blog, gushing, "My garden is truly the place where I find the most peace. There's just something about working in the garden and getting my hands dirty that is so relaxing to me." 

Joanna Gaines and her family live in the South, where comfort food has been elevated to an art form. Homemade macaroni and cheese and biscuits from scratch are only two of the warm and cozy classics Gaines likes to whip up in her kitchen — but the second of the two holds a special place in her heart (or, rather, stomach). 

Discussing her Magnolia Table Cookbook and the family restaurant by the same name, Gaines revealed on the Magnolia blog in December 2017, "My personal favorite thing about both the restaurant and the cookbook is the biscuits. For the past year or so, I have spent almost every Saturday morning perfecting this biscuit recipe, and we finally have one that has the seal of approval from Chip and the kids." 

Although Gaines points to buying a copy of the cookbook to get the special recipe, she does go on to share several of her go-to comfort food recipes from the kitchen tome where you can get the details on Becki's Mac and Cheese, Scalloped Potatoes, and Spiced Pecan Pie. 

Any parent knows it's tricky to get one kid to eat their fruits and veggies. However, Joanna Gaines manages the feat with her growing brood. And further testament to the fact that she's #lifegoals, the supermom happily shares her tricks for doing so. 

"The hardest part to eating healthy is the prep work," she posted on Instagram, continuing, "I like to set aside thirty minutes at the beginning of the week to clean and chop my veggies and fruits. My kids aren't big fans of raw or steamed veggies but they love the taste and texture of vegetables when I oven roast them." 

Fortunately, this type of meal planning is fairly simple. According to Gaines, you just spread the veggies on your pan with a little olive oil and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. If you need more meal prep help, the design maven offers a free meal planning sheet on the Magnolia blog. Her pro tip? "I snap a quick picture of the shopping list when I'm on my way to the grocery store, and hang the calendar on my refrigerator as a daily reminder of what's coming up," she shared.

Joanna Gaines obviously loves Southern staples and comforting classics like apple butter, fresh banana bread, and veggie lasagna. The design star's tastes prove more diverse than that, though. In December 2015, a delighted Gaines returned home to find a feast waiting. "The best welcome home ever. Tacos and sushi!" the Fixer Upper host declared on Instagram of the delicious dinner. 

That isn't the only time Gaines has alluded to the family's love for tacos, either. Tex-Mex makes the menu in the Gaines home often, especially when husband Chip rises bright and early. It's on those mornings, says Gaines, that Chip "ventures out to get fresh breakfast tacos at this little place we love." 

Tex-Mex also has a place in their weekly Tuesday date nights. "I love a good steak every now and then, but we tend to frequent our local holes-in-the-wall for street tacos and queso," Gaines told People in June 2017.

Cupcakes, y'all — is there anything better? This confectionary treat makes frequent cameos on both Joanna Gaines' social media feeds as well as those for the family company, Magnolia. In February 2016, Gaines shared the winning icing flavor for the bakery's signature strawberry variety by revealing her "gut" told her to go with cream. 

That same year, she let it slip just how far her cupcake obsession goes. After posting an Instagram picture pointed toward the floor, Gaines shared, "When your producers reward you with cupcakes the week of a #fixerupper reveal... And you only eat half bc you are dedicated to hit the gym tonight (or bc it dropped while decorating the mantle)." The struggle is real! 

You can hardly blame Gaines for needing a routine fix of one of her favorite baked goods. In addition to Strawberries and Cream cupcakes, Silo doles out scrumptious flavors like Toasted Coconut (coconut cake, coconut cream cheese icing, and toasted coconut topping) and Carrot Cake (carrot cake with walnuts, cream cheese icing, and candied walnut topping). 

Joanna Gaines, along with her husband, wears her heart on her sleeve. It's evident on every episode of Fixer Upper. But it also surfaces in Gaines' kitchen, where she has a proclivity for following recipes passed down to her by previous generations. 

"My granddad was a quiet man and a very hard worker. He had nine children and at times would work three jobs to support them," Gaines shared on Instagram. "When I was 12, I remember asking him if he could teach me how to make Syrian donuts. It was just me and him in the kitchen all day baking and enjoying each other's company. It was the most we ever talked and it was a sweet time I will never forget."

To this day, the Gaines family matriarch uses the very recipe her grandfather typed up for her. Gaines' love for baking really took root that day, and it's become a driving force in her and Chip's decision to open Silos Baking Co. 

When Joanna Gaines created Magnolia Market at the Silos, along with her husband, they didn't just design it as a place to shop for your home. They designed it as a destination. Somewhere you can find "shopping, games, the garden and even a bite to eat," per the website. It's truly the kind of place you could easily while away a day. Fortuitously, you don't even have to leave the grounds to refuel your body (gotta keep your energy level up for all that shopping!) — part of Magnolia Market's fun lies in food trucks. 

On any given day, at least seven food trucks share the grounds to provide patrons with delectable dining experiences on the go. Not only did the Gaines family bring their vision for Magnolia Market to life, but they also can't resist utilizing the food trucks to quell their own cravings. 

Calling it one of the "perks of having food trucks at the office," Joanna Gaines shared a photo in 2016 of her lunch hail from the food truck Sandwichd. Um, yum.