The 4 Types Of Food Alton Brown Eats Every Day

It's safe to say Alton Brown knows a thing or two about food. The celebrity chef is best known for his 14 years as the writer, host, and showrunner of the Food Network show "Good Eats," for which he has been credited with inventing a new sub-genre of food TV that incorporates science, history, and comedy. Not only is his show groundbreaking, but Brown has been nominated for seven James Beard Awards, winning a Best Cookbook award in 2003 and Best TV Food Personality/Host in 2011. His most well-known recipe is perhaps his baby-back ribs, although he has also imparted advice for making scrambled eggs, brownies, and much more.

So when Brown decided to go on his own weight loss journey, he had plenty of food knowledge to draw from. In 2014, Brown went on Larry King Now to discuss the method he created to help him lose 50 pounds. "I actually made up this diet that was composed of four lists," Brown revealed. "And it was more about the foods I had to eat, rather than the foods I wasn't allowed to eat." Brown's lists were divided into foods he had to eat every day, three times a week, once a week, and not at all. And although Brown is a world-renowned chef, the foods he has to eat every day may be more basic than you think.

According to his interview with Larry King Now, the foods Alton Brown has to eat every day are not only nutritious, but staples that are easy to shop for and cook at home. Green vegetables are on the list, which isn't surprising, as dark green leafy vegetables contain a myriad of vitamins and minerals, such as fiber, iron, magnesium, calcium, and vitamins A, C, E, and K. They're also a versatile ingredient, which makes them easier to incorporate into your everyday meals. If you're trying to sneak more leafy greens into your diet, you can toss them in smoothies, sauces, and dips.

Nuts also made the list, along with "something purple," which Brown explained to mean blueberries, blackberries, or foods with isoflavones. For those of us a little less familiar with the chemical compounds in food, isoflavones are found primarily in beans (like soybeans), and act similarly to estrogen. According to VeryWell Health, they may help reduce high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar for people with diabetes.

Finally, Brown declared he has to eat oats every day for the soluble fiber — which, according to MedlinePlus, slows down digestion and may help lower risk of heart disease. But the food that Brown banned himself from eating completely? "No diet food of any type whatsoever," Brown told King. Canned soups and processed fast food also didn't make the cut.