It's no surprise that the Kardashians prefer to eat klean, er, clean whenever possible.
Keeping the sprawling family on track is Chef K, the professional moniker of their longtime private chef Khristianne Uy, whose specialty is whipping up balanced meals and snacks that keep their taste buds coming back for more. Think pastel, plant-based shakes for Easter and the Italian feast—complete with vegan and gluten-free options—she prepared for the Camp Poosh crowd at Coachella.
"Low sugar, healthy carbs and high protein is my priority for every meal," Chef K told E! News in an exclusive interview. "Health is a priority for each of my clients, as they are intentional with what they put in their body. I'm very careful with who I source from and the vendors I use, from fish and meat, to produce and even spices."
And whether it's Kourtney Kardashian's keto diet or Kim Kardashian leaning into that plant-based life, Chef K has a recipe.
"Every client is different and I'll always make sure to cater to their specific needs whether that be vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, vegetarian, the list goes on," she said. "I love to make a 'never and forever' list with each client—that's my go-to. I'll always incorporate the forevers."
The chef—whose nickname, incidentally, was coined by former client Charlie Sheen because it was easier for him to spell on checks—has shared in the past that cilantro is on Kim's never list and soup is a forever staple for Kylie Jenner.
But no matter what sort of dietary requests she's juggling, Chef K's must-haves when she's cooking for the Kardashians and Jenners—or the likes of Charlize Theron, Justin Bieber and Ryan Seacrest—are high-quality building blocks.
"I like to be as creative and innovative as possible, and it is easiest when I'm using the best of the best," Chef K explained. "I love bringing fresh and seasonal produce into meals when I can, while using organic, simple ingredients."
And while she can make a textbook steak au poivre and has perfected her own take on the viral "Marry Me Chicken," the Filipino-born chef who won the inaugural season of The Taste in 2013 relishes the chance to pile on the whimsy. Kris Jenner's red velvet skull cake isn't going to bake itself, after all!
In fact, Chef K said she does her best work when she leans into a specific theme. Among the special touches she's added to the family's celebrations over the years, she crafted the outer-space motif that gave the food at Khloe Kardashian and Tristan Thompson's son Tatum's first birthday party extra lift-off and the adorable bites consumed during the Hello Kitty homage that Kim and Kanye West's daughter Chicago got for her big 0-5.
And the fashionable dark teal it's-a-boy cake served at Kourtney and Travis Barker's otherwise monochromatic gender reveal party before son Rocky was born? All Chef K.
"I'm lucky enough to work with the whole family, from Kris' big holidays to birthday parties and day-to-day life," she said. "I'm always busy!"
The ever-growing demand for her catering services is where her Karts by Chef K—the gourmet kitchen-on-wheels she started using during the pandemic so she could cook anywhere—especially come in handy.
"They're fully customizable," she explained, "from a cotton candy cart, chicken-and-waffle cart and churro cart, to a full-on Mediterranean spread and Califia Farms' coffee cart that we just made for Camp Poosh."
But when she's just cooking everyday family-style for the stars of The Kardashians, her most-requested dishes include "nostalgic, comforting soups," hearty salads and her signature sliders that, sigh, are her own top-secret recipe that she's not sharing. (You can, however, try to replicate her homemade animal cookies that Kim threatened to flush down the toilet because she claimed she'd gained 15 pounds from eating them. "OK, well then control yourself, Kim," Kendall Jenner chimed in, "because I like them!")
We do know that, when it comes to any seasoning mix, Chef K's choice of herbs will never include rosemary, which the otherwise omnivorous eater singled out as a flavor she doesn't like.
"I'll try anything twice," Chef K said, teasing that we'd be shocked by some of the things she's sampled over the years. "Do I like them all? Absolutely not." But, she added, "I come from very humble beginnings, so I have a deep appreciation for food and all kinds of it."
So you can put "love what you do" on her list of forevers.
But if you're hungry for more, keep reading to see the go-to snacks these other celebs must have on hand: