Daily Digestive: Donatella Arpaia

Donatella Arpaia, who runs three restaurants in New York City, is a head judge on both 'Iron Chef America' & 'Next Iron Chef' and makes appearances on the Today Show, never doubted she wanted to be in the food and restaurant business. "Food is in my blood. I grew up in a family of restaurateurs and my crib was literally next to the dishwashing station in the restaurant kitchen. I spent summers in Italy at my family's olive oil farm. Both my father and brother have successful restaurants in New York City," says Donatella. "Although, my parents wanted a better life for me and persuaded me to go to law school, which I did. I realized after less than a month practicing law that I couldn't shake this passion for cooking. Then I opened my first restaurant at 25," Donatella casually explains. Did we mention Donatella is also a best-selling author who has recently launched a food and homeware line with Home Shopping Network (HSN) and is also a mother of a two-year-old?

Already Ms. Arpaia is kicking off 2014 is full swing with a number of new and interesting ventures lined up in addition to her regular routine. "I have a lot going on right now! I just finished shooting the pilot for my upcoming show. It's going to be a unique talk show that always begins and ends with food- but it will be so much more than the average cooking show," reveals Donatella. "I've also partnered with HSN where I'm selling elegant disposable linens, pearlescent stoneware, a counter-top pizza oven, my signature sauce and pizza crust mix, and of course- my famous meatballs. I'm so excited to have them in a frozen variety where the texture and flavor isn't compromised."

That said, Donatella tries to be in the restaurant as often as possible, "It really depends on my schedule and what I have going on, some weeks I'm there every day, and others just a few times per week, she says. "But, this is really my favorite part of the job as I am a people person. I love to make people happy and to create an environment to share and celebrate memories."

Does having a toddler impact Donatella's daily routine and dining habits? "Not much at all" she says, "although we do eat home more and go out less because it's hard to keep a toddler at a restaurant." Though, it doesn't sound as if the apple is going to fall too far from the tree, as according to Donatella. 'The little man' already has a very sophisticated palate and sweet tooth!  "My exercise regimen has changed now too as I spend a lot of time running after the little man," she says "Other than that, I like to walk around Central Park or the reservoir for exercise. It helps me clear my head."

So how does 'one of the most powerful women' in Manhattan (as named by the New York Post) fare with her food diary? Over to our expert nutritionist, Elyse Sosin, RD.

Click here for Donatella's Italian Baked Mac N' Cheese.

Donatella's Food Log

9:30am – This morning I'm heading out to Connecticut with my family and it's our tradition to stop by the local Dunkin Donuts on the way there. I have a ham, egg, and cheese on an English muffin with a French vanilla coffee.  I recently converted to no milk or cream in my coffee, but it needs flavor so I'm on a French vanilla kick. The breakfast sandwiches at Dunkin' are pretty good and surprisingly low in calories. On a typical day when I'm not traveling I would start with an apple (because I'm usually not hungry in the morning) or scrambled eggs and toast. 

I have a couple bottles of water between breakfast and lunch. I don't like to drink my calories, so generally I drink lots of water. 

12:00pm – I have some homemade chicken soup with lentils and rice. It was so cold out and this really warmed me up. I also munched on 2 multi-grain Wasa crisps and drank a diet ginger ale.

3:15pm – I'm peckish, so I heat up a frozen veal meatball and marinara sauce from my HSN line. It took me several years to perfect my frozen meatball recipe. Both the meatball and the sauce are made from fresh ingredients- no dried herbs, no canned tomatoes. The meat is from Pat LaFrieda, which is the best meat purveyor in New York. I have another bottle of water to drink. 

Again, I drink several bottles of water throughout the day. Got to stay hydrated!

7:30pm – I sit down for dinner with my husband and the little man. I've made salmon with a ginger soy glaze, baked potato with a dollop of light sour cream, and about 1 cup of broccoli sautéed with garlic and extra virgin olive oil. I also have some more water. Sometimes I have a glass of red wine with dinner but I feel like I need to detox after the holidays. 

9:00pm - My 2 year old son presents me with a twizzler, so we share it for dessert. How could I resist?

Elyse's recommendations: As per usual, I am reviewing a 24-hour food log in the life of an extremely busy chef and restaurateur. Clearly, Donatella leads a full life but manages to eat regularly –  3 meals and 1 snack within 3-4 hour intervals.

She tries (and does a good job) of eating everything in moderation. From her Dunkin' donuts egg, ham, and cheese sandwich to the fabulous veal from Pat LaFrieda, the "best meat purveyor in NY" (according to Donatella) through to the Twizzler at the end of the day, her diary is interesting and varied with lots of good food in between.

My thoughts:

• Donatella's carbohydrate intake is on the low end – English muffins, crackers, potato, vegetables, and some candy.  My suggestion would be to add some fruit, which can provide fiber, fluid, vitamins, and minerals. Also, if Donatella has a long day and/or is exercising by walking in the park she may need the additional carbs for energy.
• Her protein amount is definitely adequate and varied – veal, egg, cheese, ham, salmon, small amounts from lentils. 
• Her fat consumption was on the higher side but did include the good fats such as salmon and olive oil, which may reduce heart disease risks.
• Sodium intake may have been high from the Dunkin donuts sandwich (more than 50% of recommended daily sodium), soup, and soy glaze.  However, as Donatella mentioned above, Dunkin' Donut breakfasts are an occasional treat and her typical morning meal would not include as much sodium.
• Donatella keeps well hydrated by drinking plenty of water between meals and throughout the day. Also, obviously, if Donatella was doing extra exercise or in a hot climate that day, she should drink even more water.
• Overall calcium consumption was low and Donatella needs to increase her intake for bone health. She should aim for at least 3 sources of calcium-rich food daily. In general, dairy foods (milk, cheese or yogurt) provide the most calcium but if Donatella didn't fancy dairy, almonds, kale and even figs contain some calcium.
• She may want to add some weight training and stretching in order to balance her exercise program.

Disclaimer – Elyse Sosin, Nutritionist, is not engaged in rendering medical advice that should be obtained from a qualified health professional. Acting on any information provided without consulting a healthcare provider is at the reader's own risk.