Today’s Dylan Dreyer Shares the Healing Foods She Loves

When you think of “healing foods,” what comes to mind? Is it a warm, cozy bowl of chicken noodle soup? The nostalgic flavor of mom’s cookies fresh out of the oven? Or is it throat-soothing tea for sick days? There are many ways that our favorite foods can be comforting and healing for the body and mind, while prioritizing nourishing ingredients. 

For Dylan Dreyer, balance is key. “I grew up eating well-balanced meals,” the Today’s 3rd Hour co-host and NBC News meteorologist tells EatingWell in an exclusive interview. “I don’t diet, I don’t deprive myself or my kids from anything. We enjoy ice cream cones, but I make sure that at some point every day they eat some fruits and vegetables.”

In our conversation with Dreyer, she talked about how she focuses on comforting, healing and seasonal ingredients in her family’s meals. Plus, the television host, children’s book author and mom of three shared what her typical day is like, from her morning routine to her go-to weeknight dinners.

Cold Weather Comfort

As the weather cools down, the ingredients Dreyer stocks up on reflect the season. From autumn produce to cozy spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, the host’s cooking staples are nothing short of comforting this time of year. “Fall is all about apples and pears, and those homey spices,” she shares. “I really love the feel of fall and cooking in the fall.”

These fall flavors aren’t just delicious: they also pack a nutritious punch. Cinnamon, for example, can help lower blood sugar levels, per a 2021 review published in Food & Function. And when paired with fiber-packed apples, it’s especially heart-healthy.

But there are two veggies that Dreyer has on hand no matter the weather. “All year long, I always keep carrots and zucchini in my refrigerator,” she says. Carrots are loaded with beta-carotene, which helps produce vitamin A, a vital nutrient for your immune health, healthy vision and more. Plus, zucchini has been shown to be beneficial for skin health, bone health, heart health and more. Due to their subtle flavors, Dreyer mixes them into everything from her savory bolognese to sweet zucchini muffins, which she whips up by making slight adjustments to her favorite banana bread recipe.

“I replace the oil with half applesauce, half shredded zucchini that I squeeze a lot of the moisture out of. The kids like it because it’s a little sweet.” 

For us, colder weather brings warm dishes and nostalgic flavors, so we asked Dreyer for her personal favorite comfort meal. One immediately came to her mind: “When I think of home, I think of my chicken potpie,” she says. “It’s got carrots, zucchini and onions. I throw in peas, corn and potatoes. It’s nice, hearty and filling.” She swaps the typical heavy cream for butter and uses gluten-free flour (her son, Calvin, has celiac disease) and chicken broth to make a roux. “It’s something super hearty and healthy because of all the vegetables—very satisfying.” With fiber from the veggies and protein from the chicken, it’s definitely a satisfying choice that will keep the family fulfilled.

While she sometimes makes her own crust, Dreyer admits to a time-saving secret: store-bought gluten-free puff pastry. She notes regular puff pastry works just as well, but she uses gluten-free so the whole family can enjoy it. Buying pre-made puff pastry is an easy, time-saving hack for a flaky crust that eliminates the hassle of making it from scratch.

Supporting Her Family’s Immune Health

Fall also marks the start of cold and flu season, when our immune systems are often working overtime to keep us healthy or help us recover. Luckily for us, Dreyer shared her favorite sick-day recipe that she makes for both her and her kids.

“I think smoothies really help,” she explains. “My kids, I don’t know why, but they don’t eat oranges or clementines. When you have a cold, vitamin C goes a long way.” And Dreyer’s 4-ingredient Orange-Mango Smoothie is definitely packed with vitamin C, thanks to its namesake ingredients. Not only does vitamin C help support immune health, according to a 2023 review in Mucosal Immunology, but the antioxidant also has anti-inflammatory properties that are important for recovering from sickness.

Get the Recipe: Dylan Dreyer’s Orange-Mango Smoothie

“I’ll put in some oranges, frozen bananas and some frozen mango to add some sweetness to it,” she shares. “And I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk to mix it all together. It tastes like a creamsicle-flavored smoothie, but it’s got two whole oranges in it, so it really has a lot of that vitamin C. [My kids] don’t really even like orange juice, but when I give them this smoothie, they think they’re getting something fancy because it tastes like a milkshake.”

This low-effort 4-ingredient smoothie is perfect for sick days, and Dreyer’s right: it tastes just like a creamsicle. Plus it provides 171% of the recommended daily value of vitamin C. What’s not to love? 

Routines Mean Less Stress

We all have our morning rituals. For some, it could be waking up to walk the dog, to-go cup of caffeine in hand. For others, it may include watching the Today’s 3rd Hour crew share feel-good stories and delicious recipes. Maintaining a routine can be an effective way to stick with your health goals, whether it’s adjusting to an earlier wakeup time or staying consistent with a new workout schedule. Before the cameras start rolling, Dreyer has her own morning routine to help her feel her best. 

“I am all about routine,” she says. “I think it’s the only way I can stay organized and keep myself from getting stressed.” 

Dreyer shares that her husband, NBC News producer and cameraman Brian Fichera, is a great help since she has to head to work so early in the morning. “I just wake up and get dressed. My husband preps my coffee the night before so all I have to do is plug in the pot in the morning,” she says, noting that she likes her coffee with a little bit of milk and sugar. She loves her Farberware percolator coffee pot, claiming it makes the “hottest, strongest coffee.”  

She’s out the door with her to-go cup of coffee, which gives her a needed energy boost before going live on air. Moderate coffee intake each day can improve your mood, lower heart disease risk and even lower your risk of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a 2020 study in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. Dreyer pairs her coffee with a light breakfast, knowing she will probably eat on set. “I usually eat some Belvita breakfast biscuits, the cranberry orange is my favorite flavor,” she tells us. While they are a little high in added sugar, the host typically limits her added sugar intake the rest of the day, so these biscuits fit into her healthy eating pattern.

For a television personality, her mornings are generally low-key, and she tells EatingWell that she wouldn’t have it any other way—especially since a busy and, at times, unpredictable work schedule follows it. And after work, Dreyer chooses dinners that are also simple to prepare.“I’ll buy meatloaf mix, ground chicken or ground turkey. I’ll sauté carrots, onions and zucchini, I’ll add the meat to it, and then I just top it off with a jar of tomato sauce,” she says. “When I need the kids to eat a full hearty meal, I feel like it’s a perfect easy weeknight recipe.” We love that Dreyer prioritizes fiber and protein in her family’s dinners, as 90% to 97% of Americans aren’t consuming enough fiber in their diets. Protein is also a crucial part of a healthy eating pattern, as it supports muscle growth and repair, promotes digestive health and helps stabilize blood sugar levels. 

Raising Kids Who Love Food

Dreyer’s sons are nonselective eaters, loving fruits and vegetables on their own. “My kids really like broccoli, and they especially love it roasted,” she says, sharing that it’s her favorite dinner side to make. “I drizzle it with olive oil and season it with mushroom powder, which adds this salty, umami flavor to the broccoli.” She says her husband isn’t a vegetable lover, but he can eat her roasted broccoli “like popcorn.” Eating roasted broccoli like a snack is as healthy as it sounds: packed with prebiotic fiber, it’s an anti-inflammatory veggie that is great for your gut microbiome. Thanks to its polyphenols, broccoli has been shown time and time again to help decrease cancer risk, most recently in a 2023 study published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. And it’s a rich source of antioxidants and vitamins, so it’s a great nutritious side to add balance to any meal.

Speaking of snacks, her home kitchen is stocked with a variety of snacks for adults and kids. You’ll find an array of nutrient-dense fruits—raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, pears, apples, kiwi and mango—in her refrigerator. Since she and her family love to snack on fruit all day, they are all supporting their overall health as fruit is antioxidant-rich and packed with fiber and anti-inflammatory properties. Plus, berries like raspberries and blueberries are recommended by gastroenterologists to support your gut health and healthy digestion. But you’ll also find fun salty options in the snack drawer: “I don’t want to deprive them of anything, so there’s pretzels, Tostitos, Cheetos and other little fun crunchy snacks—they’re kids!” Dreyer says. At EatingWell, we believe all foods can be included in a healthy eating pattern, whether you’re a kid or an adult. Just be sure to enjoy less nutrient-dense options in moderation.

And this sentiment fully aligns with Dreyer’s philosophy of eating well: “For me, eating well is about eating what you love, but making sure you get some good stuff in there, too.”