Laila Ali

The health-minded mom and athlete turned-author shares her nutrition tips

- Chris Mann

Four-time undefeated world boxing champ Laila Ali retired from the ring in 2007, but she still packs a one-two punch in the kitchen. The health-minded mom and host of OWN’s Home Made Simple channels her culinary mantra —“Nutrition is king, but flavor is queen”—in the new cookbook Food for Life: Delicious & Healthy Comfort Food from My Table to Yours! (St. Martin’s Press, 2018). Her knockout recipes range from the hearty and all-American (Very Veggie Soup) to the wholesomely spicy (the bone broth-based South Indian Coconut Chicken Curry) to the full-on fortifying (homemade kefir-and kale-infused West Coast Southern Greens).

Food for Life focuses on fruit, veggies, and other tried-and true whole foods. But Ali—who has a line of supplements coming in mid-2018—doesn’t shy from tossing extra nutrients into her clean cuisine. “If your body can process it, you’re going to get energy from it,” she says.