Celebrated chef, television personality, and actor Ranveer Brar has been a dominant force in the culinary world for nearly three decades. After graduating from a hospitality institute in Lucknow, chef Ranveer Brar embarked on a culinary journey that took him from local hidden gems to the upper echelons of fine dining. Also read | Chef Ranveer Brar’s delicious pink gujiya recipe is a must try
For chef Ranveer Brar, ‘the goal isn’t six-pack abs’ but ‘to move well and stay energetic’. (Instagram/ Ranveer Brar)
He has launched acclaimed restaurants worldwide and has become a household name as the host of beloved cooking shows such as MasterChef India. Yet, beneath the glamour of television cameras and bustling restaurant kitchens lies a man deeply committed to grounded living.
The simplicity of chef Ranveer Brar’s daily diet
In an exclusive interview with HT Lifestyle, chef Ranveer Brar opened up about his off-camera diet, physical fitness regimen, and the mental philosophies that keep him anchored in a high-stress industry. While television audiences are accustomed to seeing chef Ranveer construct elaborate, decadent masterpieces on screen, his personal plate tells a radically different story. “Off-camera, my food is surprisingly simple,” he said.
“I usually begin the day with warm water and then tea. Breakfast is often eggs, poha, upma, or sometimes just toast and eggs if I’m rushing. Lunch is my most balanced meal, usually dal, sabzi, roti, dahi, and a salad. Dinner tends to be lighter than people imagine, often a soup, khichdi, grilled fish, or a simple home-style meal,” he revealed.
For chef Ranveer, this contrast is a natural response to his profession. “The irony of being a chef is that after spending all day around complex food, you crave simplicity,” he explained, adding, “At home, comfort almost always wins over spectacle.”
When dealing with physical or emotional exhaustion, chef Ranveer bypasses gourmet ingredients entirely for his ultimate soul food: a simple bowl of khichdi with ghee, pickle, and dahi. He noted that this comfort dish will never see the light of day on a restaurant menu: “Not because it’s fancy, but because it’s honest. It asks nothing of you. Every culture has a food that feels like being understood. For me, khichdi is that conversation.”
‘Moderation works better for me than restriction’
Surrounded by rich sauces, heavy creams, and artisanal desserts, managing a relationship with sugar and processed ingredients is a constant battle for many culinary professionals. Chef Ranveer, however, rejects aggressive dietary restrictions. “I don’t believe in declaring war on food,” he stated flatly.
“The more you demonise something, the more power it gains over you. I taste everything because that’s part of my job, but tasting and consuming are very different things,” chef Ranveer added. Instead, he champions mindfulness over deprivation: “Moderation has always worked better for me than restriction. I would rather enjoy a small portion mindfully than spend all day pretending I don’t want it.”
This discipline translates directly to how he navigates the professional kitchen, where constant grazing can derail physical health. According to chef Ranveer, “The secret is understanding that tasting is a professional tool, not a meal. Over the years, you learn to take a spoonful when a teaspoon will do. The challenge isn’t tasting. The challenge is being conscious enough to know when you’re eating out of hunger and when you’re eating out of habit.”
Even at home, his nutrition focuses on foundational staples rather than elaborate items. Though he admitted that his ‘home fridge is definitely less organised than people imagine’, he insists on keeping three staple items stocked for his personal health: dahi, eggs, and seasonal fruits. “They’re versatile, nutritious, and fit into almost any meal regardless of how busy life gets,” he shared.
‘I focus on mobility, strength and staying active’
The gruelling environment of a professional kitchen requires immense physical stamina. Hours spent standing on hard tile floors have forced chef Ranveer to re-evaluate his relationship with exercise, moving away from conventional gym metrics. “For me, fitness has evolved from aesthetics to functionality. I don’t train to look a certain way. I train so my body can continue doing what I love,” he said.
To achieve this, the chef has embraced ancient and modern martial arts. “Over the years, movement practices like kalaripayattu have taught me balance, awareness, and control, and more recently, taekwondo has become an important part of my routine. Alongside that, I focus on mobility, strength, and staying active through the day,” chef Ranveer said.
He added that his physical regimen is about career longevity rather than vanity. “The goal isn’t six-pack abs,” he said. “The goal is to move well, stay energetic, and remain curious about life. Fitness, for me, is less about appearance and more about preserving the ability to keep learning, exploring, cooking, and showing up fully every day,” chef Ranveer shared.
To recover from long days on his feet, the chef relies on a straightforward, unglamorous routine. “Stretching has become non-negotiable,” he said, adding, “A little mobility work, hydration, and good sleep solve more problems than most people realise. Recovery isn’t glamorous, but it is where longevity comes from.”
Debunking myths and protecting mental peace
When asked about the modern wellness industry, chef Ranveer was quick to dismiss the obsession with trendy health fads. He explicitly targeted the concept of ‘magical superfoods’ as the health myth he detests the most. Asked to share a health myth he hates, he said, “That there is a magical superfood. Health is usually built through boring consistency, not exotic shortcuts. Humanity spends billions searching for miracle seeds while ignoring sleep and vegetables. A remarkable species.”
In an industry widely notorious for high stress and mental burnout, chef Ranveer maintains a notoriously calm, almost poetic demeanour. He credits this entirely to his deliberate practice of stepping away from the noise: “Silence is extremely important to me.”
“The world is constantly demanding attention. Sometimes the greatest luxury is not adding another voice to the noise. I enjoy long drives, reading, research, and simply sitting with my thoughts. I think creativity grows in the spaces where you are not consuming something,” chef Ranveer explained.
He applies a similar philosophy to the immense pressure of public life and the strict demands of culinary perfection. “Age teaches you something very important: perfection is often the enemy of progress,” chef Ranveer noted. “A failed dish teaches you more than a successful one. Public life is similar. If you tie your self-worth to applause, you also tie it to criticism. I try to focus on the work. The work is real. Everything else is noise,” he added.
Storytelling as therapy
For chef Ranveer, his secondary career as a storyteller and food historian isn’t just an extension of his brand — it is a vital mental escape. “When I study a dish, I’m rarely studying ingredients. I’m studying migration, trade, memory, conflict, celebration, and human behaviour. Food history constantly reminds me that we are all connected through stories. In many ways, research feels less like work and more like wandering through time,” chef Ranveer said.
Ultimately, this deep-seated desire to explore the unknown is the primary legacy he wishes to pass down to the next generation. When asked about the single lifestyle habit he hopes his son inherits from him, chef Ranveer didn’t hesitate. “Curiosity. Not success. Not ambition. Curiosity. Because if you remain curious, you’ll keep learning. If you keep learning, you’ll keep growing. And if you keep growing, life rarely becomes boring. And frankly, curiosity has taken me to more interesting places than certainty ever has,” chef Ranveer shared.
Quick questions
⦿ Morning drink: Masala chai.
⦿ Sleep schedule: A recovering night owl.
⦿ Mental health tool: A long walk. A chopping board comes a very close second.
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.