This Is What Ming Tsai Eats for Breakfast

We don’t need to tell you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. In this series, we ask local notables for a sneak peek at how they start the day.

Ming Tsai’s breakfast. / Photo Provided

Ming Tsai

Claim to fame: Tsai was among the earliest star chefs to rise in the era of the Food Network and Top Chef. He’s the mastermind behind Blue Dragon and Blue Ginger, the star of Simply Ming, and a vocal advocate for healthy eating. 

What he ate: When he’s not traveling, Tsai starts every morning with a “big ass” smoothie. “It’s a high-protein mix of every single thing you’re supposed to be eating, plus more,” he says. “It’s probably 30 things—turmeric powder, acai berries, a green powder, a protein powder, rice milk, and almond milk. I throw a banana in and I throw some ice in.”

Why he chose it: Tsai says the nutritious amalgam keeps him satiated until lunch. More importantly, though, it’s a healthy way to kick start the morning. “It’s high-protein, low-fat, without a lot of sugar. Sugar is the devil—people hate when I say that, but it’s true,” Tsai says. “If you’re going to eat sugar, make sure it’s in the fruit form. Don’t drink apple juice, eat an apple. You need the roughage because that changes how you metabolize the sugars. The shake is easy, fast, and incredibly healthy. I put it in my big cup, and I drive my kid to school.”