When the eating habits of Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady were revealed earlier this year—spirulina fruit roll-ups and all—the internet went a bit crazy. Eating a plant-powered diet free from sugar (but filled with coconut oil and Himalayan sea salt) left plenty of online commenters scratching their heads and wondering if the superstar duo consumed anything a bit more relatable to the typical American family.
So we turned to Joanne Gerrard Young, master raw food chef, holistic nutritionist, and health educator behind The Healing Cuisine, who has spent the last five years cooking for the power couple—and their family and friends—at their home in Costa Rica, to find out what might really end up on the Brady-Bündchen clan's plates.
“They don’t always do raw, but since it’s so easy to do in Costa Rica, we do a 80/20 raw diet, with big colorful salads and lots of fresh veggies,” says the Canada-born chef. “‘G’ likes to eat vegetarian sometimes, so we’ll do a grain separate from the protein, and she’s totally into juice cleanses, so she’ll do about one per year.”
The couple also primarily eats their biggest meal at lunch and then a smaller dinner. As for sweets? "They didn’t want to do desserts anymore, for healthy eating purposes, but I shared all of my raw vegan desserts with them and they love them and have them all the time,” the chef explains.
With Brady's busy schedule, he's only able to make it down to the Central American paradise about once a year, but Bündchen makes it down there regularly and always requests Young as her local plant-based chef. “Eating Joanne’s healing food reminds me of our connection to our beautiful planet," the model explains on The Healing Cuisine site.
Originally posted March 20, 2016. Updated June 2, 2017.
Here, the master raw chef shares a Bündchen/Brady-worthy brunch menu—although we don't blame you if you'd want to sub it in at all hours of the day.
Superfood Green Smoothie
Ingredients
1/2 cup chopped pineapple
1/2 cup chopped mango
1/2 cup chopped papaya
1/3 starfruit (optional)
1 tsp spirulina
1 tsp lucuma powder
3 cacao beans or 1 tsp cacao nibs
3/4 cup fresh water
1. Blend all ingredients until combined—frozen fruit will make the smoothie thicker—and enjoy!
Swiss Chard Summer Rolls with Sweet & Spicy Almond Sauce
Swiss Chard Summer Rolls
1 bunch of Swiss chard
1 red pepper (best cut by hand)
1 large carrot
1/4 red cabbage
1/4 white cabbage (cabbages can also be julienned on the turning slicer with the flat blade)
2 green onions chopped
8 fresh basil leaves chopped
A handful of cilantro chopped
A handful of mint leaves chopped
Sweet & Spicy Almond Sauce
1/2 cup of almond butter
2 Tbsp coconut aminos (coconut seasoning)
1 tsp coconut sugar
2 Tbsp fresh water
A squeeze of lime juice
A pinch red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp grated ginger
1 small clove pressed garlic
A few fresh cilantro leaves for garnish
A pinch of salt
For the Swiss chard summer rolls
1. Remove the bottom part of the stems of the Swiss chard leaves, wash the leaves gently, and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Julienne carrots, red pepper, and finely slice the cabbages.
2. Take the Swiss chard leaves one at a time and, starting from the bottom where you have removed the stem, place the julienned carrot, red pepper, and red and white cabbage. Top each leaf with a pinch of each herb and green onion.
3. Begin to roll the leaf from the bottom and try to tuck the end into the other side and continue to roll. Place on a plate and continue with remaining leaves.
4. When finished, dip each roll in Sweet & Spicy Almond Sauce.
For the sweet & spicy almond sauce
1. In a small- to medium-sized bowl whisk coconut aminos, coconut sugar, water, and lime juice together.
2. Add ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes and whisk again.
3. Add a half cup almond butter and combine well.
4. Divide the dipping sauce into individual dipping ramekins and garnish each one with a fresh cilantro leaf.
Pineapple Cucumber Gazpacho
Ingredients
1/5 pineapple (reserve 1/2 cup of diced pineapple)
2 cucumber (reserve 1/2 cup, diced cucumber)
2 green onions
8 sprigs of cilantro
8 large basil leaves
10 mint leaves
Juice from 1/2 lime
2 tsp jalapeno (seeds removed)
1/2 cup of water
1. Dice and set reserved pineapple and cucumber aside. Blend together the remaining ingredients.
2. Pour soup into bowls, then place remaining diced pineapple and cucumbers into the soup. Garnish with two thinly sliced jalapeno rounds and chopped cilantro.
Creamy Coconut Noodles
Ingredients
1/2 package of thin rice noodles, prepared
Julienned Vegetables
1 red pepper
10 snow peas
1 large carrot
1/4 red cabbage
1/4 white cabbage
Garnish
A small handful of fresh mint leaves
A small handful of fresh cilantro leaves
A small handful of fresh basil leaves
1 green onion chopped
1/4 cup of almonds (toasted)
Creamy Coconut Sauce
1 cup of coconut milk
1 tsp tamarind paste
1/2 tsp of grated fresh ginger
1 clove of minced or pressed fresh garlic
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp of coconut aminos
1. Blend all Creamy Coconut Sauce ingredients together in a high powered blender. Then warm the sauce in a saucepan at medium to high heat.
2. Toss julienned vegetables in 1/2 of the Creamy Coconut Sauce.
3. Toss the rice noodles with 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, a pinch of salt, and a squeeze of lime.
4. Using tongs, take the tossed noodles and place in a neat pile on the plate. Top with vegetables in sauce. Drizzle each plate with the remaining sauce. Top with garnish herbs, green onion, and almonds.
Coconut Mango Cream Pie
Ingredients
Coconut Cream Filling
1 young coconut (drink the water and scrape out the meat) or 1 cup of natural coconut yogurt
1 cup of chopped fresh mango (reserve remaining mango to slice as garnish)
1/4 cup of coconut sugar or natural sweetening syrup of choice
1/8 cup of virgin coconut oil
1/2 tsp fresh vanilla bean
A squeeze of lime
2 Tbsp soy lecithin powder
Crust
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup macadamia nuts (soaked, rinsed and drained)
1/2 cup of pitted dates (soaked 10 minutes and then chopped)
1/8 tsp sea salt
For the filling
1. Blend all filling ingredients except soy lecithin in a high powered blender until smooth. Once combined, gradually add soy lecithin. Top crust with filling and chill for 1 to 2 hours. Top with shredded coconut and garnish with sliced mango.
For the cream pie
1. Use a food processor to break down macadamia nuts. Add shredded coconut and salt and pulse a few times to begin combining, then add dates. Continue pulsing until a fine meal consistency is reached.
2. Scoop out crust mixture in a 9-inch spring-form pan (if you don’t have a spring-form pan, use a pie plate lined with cling wrap). Press the nut mixture firmly into the pan, making sure that the edges are well packed and that the base is relatively even throughout. Set in refrigerator to chill.
Speaking of celebs into wellness, check out Cate Blanchett's early morning routine for flawless skin, and workout tips straight from Jennifer Lawrence's trainer.
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