Whether you know him from The Drew Barrymore Show, RuPaul’s Drag Race or through various reality television appearances, Ross Mathews has most likely graced your television screen. But what you may not know about Mathews is that, recently, he has prioritized his health by stepping away from the scale and toward a more nutrient-packed yet sustainable routine. This has helped him gradually lose 60 pounds and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Through a recent partnership with Yasso, and with the launch of the “I Scream for Yasso” campaign, we were able to chat with Mathews about his love for healthier dessert options, his personal health journey, the memorable foods he has eaten with Drew Barrymore and more. Read on for the exclusive peek into the host’s life.
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EatingWell: Through your own health journey, what are some of your favorite healthy foods?
Mathews: Here's the deal: I started this journey and I had been on diets before, with ups and downs forever. I always say I should be a weight detective because every time I lost it, I found it again. I started making my own recipes—Rossipes—cooking for myself. The philosophy of Rossipes is that there should be nothing off-limits. I want to crack the code on flavor and make it doable. I don't want to live in a world where there are things I can't have or I'm not allowed to have.
Things that I always keep around to make that happen? Of course I have yogurt in my fridge because it's so versatile. I do a lot with things like spaghetti squash, lean proteins and tons of veggies. And then it's about finding things I can snack on, finding things that I can have that sweet treat on because I don't want to live in a world where I can't have dessert. So that's why Yasso has been so integral in my health journey.
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EatingWell: Favorite snacks you always have on hand?
Mathews: I'm so busy on [RuPaul’s Drag Race and The Drew Barrymore Show]; I'm a producer on both shows and I'm on air on both shows, so I don't get a lot of time to snack on-set. But I love to reserve my snacking for at night. I look forward to it all day long: sitting down, putting on 90 Day Fiancé and enjoying myself. I'll make sure that I adapt my meals during the day accordingly so I have room for some salty snacks and then always a little sweet bite. My favorite salty snack is popcorn, or I sometimes like Parmesan cut up with some pickles and a few nuts.
EatingWell: Most memorable thing you have eaten on The Drew Barrymore Show so far?
Mathews: Well, Drew's favorite food is macaroni and cheese. So every time there is some sort of new macaroni and cheese craze, whether it's macaroni and cheese cereal or deep-fried macaroni and cheese or macaroni and cheese on a stick or macaroni and cheese doughnuts, we are always trying it. I am really torn emotionally every single day that they do that to me because on one hand, I'm trying to stay on track, but on the other hand, I'm so grateful because it’s so delicious. I have to make peace with it, but I try not to eat an entire macaroni and cheese doughnut.
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EatingWell: Any food hot takes?
Mathews: That’s an interesting question because I pride myself on being a great orderer at restaurants, and I love cooking. But I used to despise mushrooms until my friend, Tiffani Thiessen, said, “I'm going to make you love mushrooms,” and she made me a mushroom dish. It was the first time I felt like I really tasted mushrooms, so now I'm friendly with mushrooms. If I see them, I'll say “Hi, how are the kids?” But I don't vacation or spend my holidays with mushrooms. You know what I mean?
EatingWell: Why partner with Yasso and help launch their new campaign?
Mathews: It was a no-brainer, for starters. I love the product because it's delicious, and I'm on a health journey as I’m trying to stick around on this planet for as long as possible. I've been very vocal about my health journey, but one thing that I insist on doing is I'm trying to eat better for me. Healthier options, but things that are still delicious. And that's one of the reasons why I fell in love with Yasso, because they are delicious, and they are a better-for-you option.
The campaign was really so fun: I was live in Central Park getting people to come scream in our “I Scream for Yasso” booth, and we were there all day long and the line never let up. It was so much fun.
EatingWell: Do you have a favorite flavor?
Mathews: My favorites are the Poppables. I love them, they’re 10 to 12 little bites in a bag and each one is 35 calories. They have sea salt caramel and coffee flavors, and they're so good. I keep them in my fridge at all times, I send them to all my friends, we're obsessed.
EatingWell: What does “eating well” mean to you?
Mathews: Eating well to me means having a relationship with food that you're in control of. For so long, I felt like I was so confused and intimidated by food that I didn't have a real relationship with it. And now that I've really taken the time to understand, to cook, to seek out better-for-me options, my relationship with food is so much better. I'm healthier and I’m not embarrassed by my relationship with food. It means not having to give up what I love, but being in control of what I eat.
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Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
