Celebrity Nutrition Habits That Are Actually Good For You (And One That Isn't)

The red carpet brings out some of the best bodies in Hollywood and on the small screen. Celebrities need to look their best while showcasing some of the latest creations in fashion. Some celebrities look great all year, thanks to some of their healthy (and sometimes controversial) habits.

Kate Hudson told Today that she turned to strength training to transform her body. She questioned her raw diet after gaining about 10 pounds and realized she needed to start tracking her nutrition using a food-tracking app. Now, she eats lean protein and plant-based whole foods to fuel her muscles.

Celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow are known for their controversial health advice, and Paltrow stirred more controversy when she shared her routine of coffee for breakfast and bone broth for lunch. Other celebrities aren't so extreme but might seem somewhat out of the norm. We asked gut health and fitness dietitian Leigh Merotto for her take on some of the nutrition habits of a few of your favorite celebrities.

Celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis says she loves eating whole grains for breakfast. She says she loves oatmeal but sometimes makes brown rice drizzled with olive oil flavored with a bit of salt and bay leaf. Rice for breakfast might be a savory option to the dozens of sweet breakfast foods, but how healthy is it?

"Variety is the spice of life, so if you want to add rice to the mix–go for it," Merotto said. "The key to a blood sugar-balancing breakfast is protein, fiber, and healthy fat."

The recipe on her website makes 4 ½-cup servings. One serving has 264 calories, 4 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber, and 12 grams of fat from heart-healthy olive oil. It also has less than a gram of sugar to keep your blood sugar in balance. Giada's recipe calls for brown rice, which Merotto says is a good choice. You can also opt for black or red varieties of whole-grain rice.

Merotto adds that you can boost the protein count of this breakfast by adding Greek yogurt or an egg.

Actor Jessica Alba, known for roles in "Dark Angel" and "Fantastic Four," briefly stepped away from the rigors of acting to develop her Honest brand of clean, sustainable health products. Because of her dedication to a natural and honest lifestyle, she was named brand ambassador for ZICO coconut water in 2014.

Alba told Delish that she suffers from low blood sugar and blood pressure, so she turns to coconut water or water with added pink Himalayan salt when she does hot yoga. "I get very woozy if I don't have enough salt," she said. Alba doesn't douse her water with salt—just a pinch does the trick.

Merotto says this trick isn't for everyone. "If someone is in a sodium deficit such as athletes who have just completed a workout and lost a lot of sweat, or someone who has been recovering from food poisoning, the extra salt will help replace losses," she said.

Alba's doctor told her that her body is naturally low in sodium, so she adds salt to everything. The typical American diet tends to be high in sodium, and the American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day. Ideally, it suggests keeping your dietary sodium below 1,500, especially if you have high blood pressure.

Low-carb dieters know about ordering your favorite burger without the added carbs from a tasty bun. Although "Laguna Beach" and "The Hills" alum Kristin Cavallari doesn't follow a low-carb diet (or any diet), she's particularly careful about the processed ingredients in her food. She nixes anything with white sugar and white flour, including buns with her burger, because of their effect on blood sugar.

A hamburger bun has a glycemic load of 30, which is considered high. Foods with a high glycemic load can rapidly raise blood sugar if eaten alone. However, combining these foods with protein (which has a glycemic load of zero) will reduce the spike in blood sugar.

Glycemic load aside, Merotto says going bunless with your burger isn't necessarily a good idea because you need carbs for energy and muscle. Rather than ordering a burger with no bun, Merotto suggests a "complex carb option like a whole grain or sourdough bread, or even potato or sweet potato 'bun' that adds some extra fiber which helps with feeling full and supporting a healthy gut microbiome."