If you’re a celebrity — especially one of world-famous stature — you can anticipate that nearly every facet of your life will be under public scrutiny or, at the very least, curiosity. Take U.S. President Donald Trump, for instance, whose less-than-healthy eating habits are seldom out of the spotlight. You can review everything in Donald Trump’s daily diet, most of which consists of meat and fast food, and judge for yourself.
Conversely, if you were to delve into everything in Trump’s wife, Melania’s, daily diet, you’d be able to create a mental image of a health-conscious First Lady. Melania’s dietary staples include fruits, vegetables, fat-free yogurt, and heart-healthy oatmeal and olive oil. However, this does not imply that Melania strictly adheres to healthy foods all the time. In fact, she once disclosed that her favorite meal is packed with both flavor and fat: a specific restaurant’s rendition of chicken parmigiana.
The specific kind of chicken parmigiana that Melania Trump loves
In a 2010 interview with New York Magazine, Melania Trump shared that she was responsible for preparing her own meals every morning. Admittedly, this interview occurred before her tenure as First Lady, so it’s reasonable to assume that her schedule has changed significantly since then.
What’s intriguing, though, is that despite her commitment to meal preparation, she also expressed her appreciation for the “variety of amazing foods” available in New York. And her all-time favorite meal? “The Chicken Parmigianino [sic] at Jean-Georges,” referring to the Michelin-starred restaurant at the Trump International Hotel & Tower New York.
Interested in trying it yourself? We checked the menu at Jean-Georges to see if it’s still available, but surprisingly, we couldn’t find it. However, it’s not too difficult to locate the recipe online, allowing you to try replicating it at home.
Why is chicken parmigiana so fatty?
At its core, chicken parmigiana (sometimes referred to as chicken parmesan) is a relatively straightforward dish, featuring two components that you’d likely find in nearly any “basic” version of the recipe: a deep-fried boneless chicken breast and generous amounts of parmesan cheese. In some versions of the Jean-Georges recipe circulating online, freshly ground black pepper, all-purpose flour, and egg whites are constants; at least one incorporates olive oil and cracker bits for added flair.
Unfortunately, the ingredients and steps required for chicken parmigiana make it potentially high not only in fat but also in sodium. For starters, frying and breading the chicken adds fat, despite the cut of meat itself being lean. Secondly, the cheese itself is high in fat: 100 grams of parmesan contains a staggering 25 grams of fat (14.8 grams of which is saturated), along with 1,180 milligrams of sodium. Given that health experts recommend consuming only 6% of total calories from saturated fat (approximately 13 grams on a 2,000-calorie daily limit) and below 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day, it’s easy to see how this flavorful dish can be considered unhealthy.
How to make a healthier chicken parmigiana
Fortunately, there are several ways to reduce the fat content of chicken parmigiana, although this means you’ll likely have to prepare the dish yourself at home (unless your restaurant of choice offers a low-fat chicken parmigiana option).
One way to make chicken parmigiana less fatty without sacrificing taste is to substitute parmesan cheese with mozzarella. The same 100-gram serving of mozzarella contains 17.1 grams of fat, 10.9 of which is saturated. Not perfect, but it’s a reasonably good alternative.
You can also remove the fat from the chicken (this includes ensuring you don’t include the skin) before cooking it, or simply reduce the amount of cheese you use. Another option is to bake the chicken instead of frying it, which will cut its overall fat content. Lastly, some recipes suggest skipping the breading entirely, which reduces fat but may also affect the texture.
Melania Trump is still the most health-conscious Trump
With all that said, it’s relatively well-known that among the Trumps, Melania can be considered a health enthusiast. In addition to her documented fondness for fruits and vegetables, the First Lady also likes to incorporate nutritious smoothies into her daily routine.
In a 2013 Facebook post, she shared the list of ingredients that go into her blender for her morning smoothie, including apple, blueberries, carrots, celery, fat-free yogurt, flax seeds, olive oil, and spinach.
Smoothies aren’t the only beverages Melania Trump consumes in a day; she also enjoys fruit juice (orange juice and lemon juice are part of her breakfast smoothie) and, quite surprisingly, Diet Coke — or, as she specified in her New York Magazine interview, “Diet Coke from the classic glass bottles.”
The surprising foods that Melania Trump doesn’t like to eat
However, there is one popular food you won’t find in Melania Trump’s diet. She doesn’t enjoy raw fish, meaning sushi is off the menu. “I made it known that I do not eat raw fish,” she wrote in her self-titled memoir, published in 2024 (via Hindustan Times).
This is a culinary preference she shares with her husband. In fact, when she accompanied him on a Presidential trip to Japan in 2019, she reportedly specified that sushi should not be served to them. Whatever her reason for avoiding raw fish, it isn’t an uncommon choice. According to a 2021 Mashed poll, 15% of respondents expressed their dislike for raw fish.
There are two other foods that Melania has said she doesn’t like, both typically considered healthy. In a 2005 appearance on Martha Stewart’s show, Melania shared that while she does enjoy vegetables, onions and artichokes are exceptions (via Miami Herald).
