Alexandria Wyckoff
American television host Maria Menounos doesn’t give her daughter Athena any foods with sugar.
While it may seem like a bold parenting choice, she has a solid reason as to why.
Diabetes in the Family
In an upcoming episode of Menounos’s podcast Heal Squad, she talked with Jeannie Mai about her daughter’s dietary choices. The clip was shared exclusively with People.
Menounos shares her 2-year-old daughter with husband Keven Undergaro, and her main reason for keeping Athena away from sugar is due to her family’s health problems.
“We don’t eat any sugar,” revealed Menounos.
Mai asked, “How?”
The podcast host shared, “Because I’m diabetic. My dad’s diabetic, my brother’s diabetic. We have so much diabetes in my family, so I’m teaching her to eat really clean because I have the option. She has zero option as a kid. At some point, I’m not going to have the same kind of control…”
Daughter’s Diet
So, what does her daughter eat? Menounos bases Athena’s diet around protein and vegetables.
When Mai asked if she ate fruit too, Menounos responded, “And fruit.”
She added, “I blend strawberries and make little popsicles with little plain strawberries or plain watermelon juice. Even like the other night, we made these cottage cheese crust pizzas that I told you, you were going to come over. And she didn’t even eat it.”
As for drinks, her choices are also quite limited.
Mai asked if she drank milk or cucumber-flavored water, and Menounos revealed, “Nope, just water. Oh, actually, she loves sparkling water.”
Sweets at Parties
While Menounos may be able to control her daughter’s diet at home, that’s not always as easy during gatherings such as parties.
Mai asked about parties and what Menounos would do if they were at one together, including the question of cake.
Menounos admits they have “only gone to one” so far, featuring a “blue-shaped cake, three-tiered, with Ariel dangling from it.” However, Menounos didn’t have to worry.
She said, “[Athena] doesn’t even care. … She’s 2 and a half! She just wants to play in the jungle gym, or whatever, [and] goes on the slide.”
Menounos added, “She didn’t want any of the stuff. And she’ll say, ‘I don’t like cake with sugar.’ Listen, she might at some point. And what am I going to do?”
Building a Foundation
As for her sugar battle, Maria Menounos is using the time she has to her advantage.
“But for now, I was looking at her body as like a foundation,” she said. “I’m going to build this foundation as strong as I can, knowing that she’s got my blood and we’ve had so many things. I’m like, I have to be super super careful with her.”
Mai praised her by saying, “That’s really cool. And you’re preventing her from possibly picking up any habits that could lead to diabetes because your family is…”
Menounos jumped in, replying, “We have insulin resistance, and plus, it’s just the healthier way to be. So I’m like, if I can do it right now…I would not have been like this if the s— didn’t hit the fan.”
Hopefully, Maria Menounos’s choices will help her daughter in the long run.