Alex Cooper Says She Loves This High-Protein Breakfast

Whether you know her as Alex Cooper or “Big Al,” it’s safe to say that the Call Her Daddy podcast host has had an incredible year. From signing a $125 million dollar deal with SiriusXM  to her viral interviews with the world’s biggest celebrities—Katy Perry, Simone Biles and vice president Kamala Harris, to name a few—it’s no wonder that she was named the “Stream Queen” by Forbes.

Now, the host is expanding into food and drink with her brand Unwell’s newest creation: Unwell Hydration, a functional beverage line packed with electrolytes, fruity flavors and a sensible amount of caffeine (75 milligrams, which is about the amount in a cup of coffee). Plus, each bottle is lower in added sugar than your typical sweetened drink, with no artificial sweeteners.

These drinks launch January 1, 2025, and they’re worth the wait: I got to give the new drinks a taste, and they’re more delicious than any flavored water I’ve ever had—especially the mango citrus flavor. And ahead of the launch, I was also given the opportunity to chat with Cooper herself about the beverage line. Plus, learn more about how she prioritizes hydration in her routine and the breakfast and comfort foods that she loves in this exclusive interview.

Let’s talk about Unwell Hydration: why expand into the functional beverage category?

I have been so, so, so specific about everything I’ve done in my career. I think a lot of what I have built my brand off of is being intentional about how something feels authentic to me. And I don’t want to just put my name on a random brand or a product because it’s going to make money. I really want to be intentional. 

So when I think about being “unwell” in the physical and literal sense, it’s somehow always related to hydration, right? You could be so overworked, you could be coming out of exercising from a workout, you could be exhausted from a long night out. Regardless, every single thing you’re doing in your life, you can always use extra hydration. And I am someone who has been an athlete my whole life, and hydration was always at the front of what I was doing. But now I’m not an athlete and I’m like, “What am I doing with myself?” And I realized I wasn’t hydrating as much as I used to. It makes such a difference in my everyday life, so it was very authentic to me.

How do you prioritize hydration into your routine? Do you have any tips?

I think it’s just about being mindful, but also, why would you want to drink something if it doesn’t taste good? When I was playing college soccer, we would always be told to carry around gallons of water with us. I would be walking to my social studies class with a gallon of water, and the goal was to drink the whole thing by the end of the day, but it was just water and I would always be nearly gagging. It was so bland, but then I would try to go drink a hydration drink, and there was so much sugar. I could never find the in-between. So when I started Unwell Hydration, I remember sitting down with everyone being like, this needs to be yummy. This needs to be so good that I won’t want to run away from it. That I’m running to the fridge rather than forgetting it in the car and then there’s warm water that I left in my cup holder. I have been putting it in places, I always am. That is the key. I know in the morning I’m going to want one, so I put one by my sink, and then I always have one at my desk. And then I have them stocked in the fridge next to whatever I’m going to be eating for lunch.

Favorite breakfast?

I am a huge egg girl in the morning. I will make myself an English muffin with eggs and turkey bacon—I love, love flavors. I’ll put a bunch of hot sauce on it. And I usually have coffee in the morning, although I have tried to wean back on coffee lately because sometimes it’s just making me a little bit too jittery.

Are there any favorite snacks that you always have on hand?

I have tried to be healthier in the past couple of years, but I am someone that loves snacking. My company is called Unwell for a reason, I’m not like a “green juice Pilates girly” for life. Yes, I do those things occasionally, but I also love to have a good Cheeto or a Lay’s chip or sour cream and onion chip or pretzels. I think it’s all about balance and I think that I never am going to stop myself from having a good chip while I’m editing at my desk.

Do you have any favorite comfort foods, especially during the holiday season?

Pie. I am such a pie girl, with vanilla ice cream. I hosted Thanksgiving and everyone left their pies because they were like, “Well, Al will eat it.” I have it for breakfast, I’ll have a little bit of it for lunch, I’m really excited about pie. I also love a good cocktail. I love those festive cocktails: an old-fashioned, or an espresso martini. I love a good drink, actually.

What’s your favorite pie?

It depends on the mood. I feel like it’s pumpkin—I know it’s basic, but it goes a long way. I especially love a pumpkin for breakfast, and I also love apple. I am a huge apple girl.

What does “eating well” mean to you?

I think it’s more about nourishment versus healthy eating. I am someone who is very big on getting enough protein. When I was in college, I was really fortunate being an athlete so there was a lot of healthy eating around me. We were never skipping meals. If anything, we were doubling on meals. And I recognize that’s maybe not as common of an experience for women. I feel really fortunate that I was able to be around a lot of healthy eating, so I think for me, healthy eating is making sure that I feel full and good. I think there’s such pressure on women to look a specific way. I’m never going to fully restrict myself from something just because I’m worried about how I’m going to look. You can eat and feel healthy, and you should feel full after a meal. A lot of protein has been something that I’ve been very focused on.

Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited for clarity and length.