As seen on Food Network and “America’s Test Kitchen,” Brooke “Chef Bae” Baevsky is the host of “Overheard Eats” on YouTube and an LA-based celebrity private chef. Famous for innovative ingredient swaps, dietary accommodations, and unique flavor combinations, she breaks the stigma that allergy-friendly food is bland with delicious, nutritious, and internet-viral recipes. She’s also the mastermind behind the world-famous Starbucks Sous-Vide Egg Bites! We asked her to dish about food security, chef fashion, and the most over and underrated ingredients out there.
Chef Bae: Everyone, including the rich and famous, loves pizza. I’ve been asked to make every iteration — from $2,000 caviar-and-gold-crusted affairs to pies shaped like unicorns and butterflies. You’d be shocked at how many of my clients have pizza ovens that are never used and rarely work. It’s always a labor of love finagling the wood to burn properly for the perfect, often gluten-free, pies.
CB: So many people think that dietary-friendly food is boring and tasteless! Almost any dish can be nourishing, indulgent, and satisfying if prepared correctly (I’m looking at you, pasta). There are endless subs for dairy, sugar, grains, and noodles to accommodate dietary needs.
CB: Yes! I worked with Buzzfeed Tasty in its infancy, spent time in product development for a meal kit delivery service, worked in the housewares and gourmet food buying department of Macy’s Backstage corporate headquarters, and I consulted several brands on healthier food products. I’m very blessed that these led me to my current job as a private chef, food TV host, and content creator, it’s truly a combination of my various unique roles in the culinary field.
CB: Most people don’t realize they aren’t drinking enough water or eating enough protein (one gram per pound of body weight). Many who really want to eat healthier end up short-changing their success for the convenience and variety offered from takeout. It just takes a bit of prep work and a few fun colors and shapes to mix some novelty into your meal plan.
CB: One of my favorites is using plain, unsweetened yogurt in place of sour cream in dips and sauces. It adds tons of protein and probiotics. It’s also a great option to replace some of the oil in pesto, which is what I use in my recipe for Super Green & High Protein Pasta on my website. Liquid monk fruit or stevia are great swaps for sugar in baked goods and beverages, reducing the calories and making them diabetic-friendly.
CB: It’s really about building it into your routine so that you have better, appetizing options on hand before you get hungry. Right when you get home from food shopping, wash all raw produce and roast a few sheet pans of various vegetables. Unhealthy snacks are enticing because they’re convenient and accessible. Veggies are only inviting for snacks and as the bases of meals if they’re ready-to-eat. A balanced meal should aim to consist of 50% vegetables, so if this aspect is prepared ahead of time, half of the meal is done! Just add a protein and healthy fat, like avocado or a dressing made without seed oils.
CB: One of the biggest food stigmas is that healthy food is expensive. In reality, the prices of ready-to-eat, highly processed foods continue to skyrocket, and simple, wholesome ingredients tend to be very affordable. It’s a trade off: invest more time preparing quality food at a lower cost, or invest more money in highly-processed food that requires less time to prepare. Nutritious ingredients like lentils, grains, lean chicken breast, and in-season or frozen produce are almost always affordable.
CB: While I love making entertaining content for social media, I’m the first to tell anyone that enjoying what you eat is about eating what you crave in moderation and finding healthy swaps to make your indulgent food more nutritious. There’s no benefit to eating a $200 PB&J or $2,000 pizza. A colorful plate of veggies, protein, complex carbs, and healthy fat is doable at any budget.
CB: I grew up in a community outside of Springfield, Massachusetts. The city of Springfield has a food insecurity rate of over 25%, meaning one-quarter of families and children don’t know when their next meal is coming. This fact devastates me. I wanted to work with underserved communities and bridge the education gap concerning diet and nutrition. The food-insecure families I work with learn how to prepare meals on very limited budgets or with EBT benefits instead of relying on fast food.
CB: Food and food security are both basic needs that many families and children can’t afford. Neither of these should be treated as a privilege.
CB: Gold flakes! They’re just as bad as glitter and will haunt you ‘til the day you die.
CB: I love a good smoothie for breakfast. A base of frozen cauliflower rice and spinach adds tons of fiber (you don’t taste it!). Lunch would be roasted protein slices with avocado, any veggies I’ve prepped, and a lettuce wrap. Dinner is a healthy pasta alternative like kelp noodles with a protein, previously prepared veggies, and a sauce.
CB: My motto is everything in moderation. I love granola and could eat an entire bag in 30 minutes, but that packs a full day’s worth of calories! Most granolas and cereals are calorie and sugar dense with very little protein, but a scoop on top of a bowl of yogurt and fruit allows me to enjoy it as part of a well-rounded meal.
CB: Desserts made out-of-house are never worth it. Scratch-made desserts are elite.
CB: Don’t buy the overpriced nut milks with gums, oils, and additives! Blend one tablespoon of drippy, natural almond butter with one gallon of water — no need to strain — and you’ve just made delicious, creamy almond milk for less than $0.25 a gallon. Adding vanilla extract and sea salt makes it super creamy and indulgent.
CB: The traditional chef uniform is a trademark white coat, but I’ve always found that attire unapproachable. I’m known for elevating chef fashion with trendy jumpsuits and fun colored nails. I’m launching a line of jumpsuits, and I’m so excited to share some of the first pictures with My Mag readers! They’ve been in the works for nearly two years to ensure perfect quality, style, and fit for everyone.
Za’atar, kelp noodles, and flax seeds
Oat milk (high in sugar and usually made with pesticide-sprayed oats), conventional dairy-free yogurts (so much sugar!), and fake processed vegan meat
A good food processor that can shred and purée is indispensable.
Air fryer — it’s just a convection oven and many have “forever chemicals” that can get into your food!
Unbelievably creamy and keto-friendly, this bar is the healthiest decadent fuel for brain and body.
Find more recipes from Chef Bae, and snag one of her signature jumpsuits, on her website itschefbae.com, and follow her on Instagram @chefbae.
Photography: Mark Chaput
A line of accessories curated by Molly to celebrate every day in style.
