Here's Exactly What Joanna Gaines Eats in a Day to Power Through Her Busy Schedule (2024)

Between raising her five kids—including her adorable newborn Crew—and running a retail and construction empire with her husband, Joanna Gaines has a pretty packed schedule. But despite her hectic day-to-day, the HGTV star does her best to eat healthy, and choose foods that fuel her so she can juggle all of her responsibilities with ease. Want to know the powerhouse mama, wife, designer, and HGTV star's secrets? Here's everything she typically eats in day (chocolate included).

Her breakfast comes straight from the backyard.

Near her enormous backyard garden sits a spacious chicken coop, which is usually full of fresh eggs Joanna uses for cooking. “I’m big into eggs in the morning just for the protein. And my kids love eggs so we’re always doing some type of scrambled eggs or quiche," Joanna tells CountryLiving.com. "We have a ton of chickens and a ton of eggs so we try to take advantage of that."

Her morning coffee routine is a little unusual.

While some folks need a jolt of caffeine first thing in the morning, Joanna likes to enjoy her java throughout the day. “I more like to hold it than drink it," she says with a laugh. "I’m a very slow sipper. Chip’s always like, ‘Jo you don’t even drink coffee. You’re a faker.’" Despite her preferred approach, it's still Joanna's first choice when she needs a boost. "I always like to have coffee with me, and I just sip on it when I need a little extra energy."

Her lunch is typically low-key, but healthy.

Sometimes it's leftovers, sometimes it's a quick pick from one of the many food trucks outside of Magnolia Market, but it's almost always something she can get fast. “Because I put so much effort into breakfast and dinner, lunch is more grab and go," Joanna says. "I’ll try to do a salad with chicken.”

She chooses healthy snacks to help her power through the afternoon.

Like most folks, the designer usually needs a little post-lunch pick-me-up. "I’ll always have protein bars or something else that will help get me through—especially when I’m going to work because I usually get into a slump around 1:00 p.m.," she says.

Dinner is different nearly every night, but it's almost always home-cooked.

While promoting her new cookbook, Joanna revealed that she first started whipping up homemade dinners as an alternative to taking her then four young kids out to a restaurant. It turned out to be a blessing, as she now considers their evening sit-downs as built-in family time. "I always let the kids pick what they’re wanting," she says. "We don’t cook every night, but as often as we can. I like to cook a warm meal for the kiddos and Chip."

Her pregnancy cravings revolved around sweets.

Prior to giving birth to Crew back in June, Joanna's pregnancy cravings were in high gear. "I crave things that small children crave like sugary cereals and candy you probably shouldn’t be eating," she says.

And she still loves to treat herself regularly—even when she's not pregnant.

Joanna has a pretty balanced approach to eating, but she isn't afraid to treat herself—especially during snack time. "I’ll always have a Snickers Bar or something just in case I need some sugar," she admits.

She even refers to chocolate cake as her “love language," which is why it comes as no surprise that the dessert is also her go-to guilty pleasure. "Every night I always say, ‘Does anyone want some chocolate cake?’ And it’s always just me. I have a sweet tooth," she says.