These 5 Celebs Are Making Drool-Worthy Healthy Meals to Cook at Home

Chances are you’re reading this from your bed or couch. Maybe you live somewhere warm and you’re sitting in your backyard or a patio. But wherever you’re reading from, one thing’s likely true: you’re probably not very far from your kitchen. Our favorite celebs have taken to Instagram with some drool-worthy meals sans the meat. So if you’re looking for some celebrity-inspired cooking inspo, read on.

The work-from-home recommendations are still in effect for the U.S. and across most of the world. Here in Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti just recommended we wear bandanas or any type of mouth cover whenever leaving the house (send any actual surgical masks to hospitals if you have them, please). The world is a little scary (okay, a lot) right now, even with the “Tiger King” binge-watching to distract us.

But one of the best ways to stay productive and distracted is getting into the kitchen and cooking or baking. Healthy plant-based foods boost your immune system and can keep your energy levels up, reduce inflammation, and even help you sleep better. Check out some of these meals we’re loving right now from our favorite Instagrammers.

Beets get a bad rap for their earthy taste but we love them around here for obvious reasons. And so does Academy Award winner and longtime vegan Natalie Portman. The star has been cooking up a storm on her IG videos for the past few weeks, and her veggie-forward dishes are to die for. Produce sections are stocked up right now at most supermarkets so you should have no trouble finding beets and potatoes. Portman may someday be known as much for her cheffing as her acting, and we say: We're okay with that. Keep the great recipes, coming, Natalie. We love cooking "with" you!

If you haven’t done a deep dive into your fridge in the last week or two, now is the time. Find those jars of olives in the back and pull them out. Whip up a simple vinaigrette with a bit of mustard, red wine vinegar, olive oil, and a dash of something sweet. Then chop up any and every fresh green thing in your fridge. Rainbow it out with bands of orange carrots, red peppers or tomatoes, more green things and you could have a salad just like Gwyneth Paltrow’s. The Goop Goddess knows her way around a plant-based recipe as well as any fully vegan chef. We found plenty of vegan options on Goop that would please any crowd.

Simple is never truly simple. If Martha Stewart taught us anything it’s just that. Beans, as simple as they sound, are layered in complex textures and tastes. This cannellini bean stew calls for smashing some of the beans to thicken the savory broth. Greens liven up and balance the umami and bring a bright pop of color. Hardy dishes like this can last for days and pair well with noodles, rice, or crusty bread. And while the original hostess with the mostest is not plant-based, she has oodles of vegan recipes on her site. Check it out.

If you’re homeschooling these days, I feel for you. My six-year-old seems to be eating her body weight at least twice a day since quarantine started. I find that having my daughter help me make a meal or snack makes her more excited to eat the (healthy) thing. Smoothies are super easy and kids love them. You can easily sneak in a handful of spinach, too. (But no need to sneak it in; have your child drop it right in the blender! They will eat it.) Chrissy Teigen, who just launched her own show, Chrissy's Court on Quibi, uses milk here but recommends swapping in Trader Joe’s soy ice cream and milk option of your choice. We love anything Teigen does, and this smoothie is no different.

Okay so “dried plums” is fancy for prunes but here’s the thing: prunes are flipping delicious. When I lived at a yoga ashram they would serve these stewed prunes every morning with oatmeal and it was by far the tastiest thing on the breakfast buffet. But I digress. Prunes are tangy, sweet, soft, and the perfect acidic balance to a nutty oatmeal cookie. Clueless star and author of The Kind Diet Cookbook, long-time vegan and animal rights activist Alicia Silverstone certainly knows this. Watch this recipe to get you in the baking mood. You can sub in any dried fruits or nuts, too, making it the perfect quarantine cookie recipe if there ever was one.