Health
Al Roker’s Simple Secrets to Healthy Dinners
Health Points
- Choose fresh, high-quality foods for enjoyable and healthy meals.
- Keep dinners simple with quality proteins, herbs, and easy cooking methods.
- Incorporate after-dinner walks to boost digestion and well-being.
Al Roker, co-host of TODAY and Chief Motivation Officer at Start TODAY, thrives on a healthy dinner routine focused on simplicity, fresh ingredients, and enjoyment. He believes that buying produce and fish at his local farmers market connects him to better food and a stronger sense of community.
“Surround yourself with the best food possible. The best food is the freshest food, and your local farmers market is what provides that,” he told AARP magazine.
Al enjoys dinners at home most nights, where he and his wife, Deborah Roberts, prepare meals featuring lots of fish, chicken, olive oil, and seasonal vegetables. He prefers roasting or pan-sautéing his food, allowing natural flavors to shine without heavy sauces.
“Sauce takes too much time. … I’m all about easy,”
says Al, explaining his love for simple, flavorful, and convenient meals.
Cooking is more than just a necessity for Al—it’s an enjoyable hobby that brings back fond memories and offers relaxation through tasks like chopping and dicing. He compares cooking to jazz for its creativity and finds baking to be more like classical music due to its structured nature.
“I really love to cook. I used to watch my mom cook, and I just really enjoy being in the kitchen.”
“I find it very relaxing: the chopping, the dicing, the slicing, the measuring.”
“Depending on what you’re doing, it feeds different parts of your soul.”
“To me, cooking is like jazz in that it’s improvisational.”
“Baking, to me, is more classical music or science because of interactions — chemical interactions, physical interactions — but I like them both.”
Influenced by his daughter’s Parisian lifestyle, Al embraces moderate portions and values daily walks for their health benefits. Following dinner, he and his wife often take a stroll together, a routine that supports digestion, weight management, and overall well-being.
Give your next dinner a healthy upgrade by opting for fresh foods, simple recipes, and a post-meal walk for a well-rounded evening.
