As the star of the hit HBO Max series, The stewardess, Kaley Cuoco is an actress in great demand. In addition to working long hours on set, Cuoco also finds himself on red carpets, press junkets, and wandering the inner realms of fame that prove so exhausting. It’s amazing how the actress still finds time to exercise and maintain a healthy, balanced lifestyle. Where it would be so easy to use up those precious few hours of the day to just take a nap and put your feet up, Cuoco is invested in her health.

At 36, Cuoco’s passion for health and fitness is well documented, but she also admits she feels healthier than she has ever been. She owes a lot of that to her diet and the lessons she learned along the way about how best to fuel her body. Her nutritional philosophy has changed over the years, starting with a greater awareness of where and how she eats her meals. Opening up on Women’s Health US, Cuoco explained that she no longer watches TV while eating. “I think it’s a big distraction, because you’re not thinking about what’s going on…so it’s just very attentive,” she says.

Where in the past Cuoco placed greater restrictions on her food choices and snacks, she now takes a much more forgiving view of her diet, which has made her more self-aware. “I am much healthier now than before. And I feel better than ever, but I’m also probably eating more than ever, which is interesting,” she told the publication. “I actually eat smaller meals and drink more water and less alcohol.”

Perhaps, more importantly, Cuoco now knows the importance of diet in maintaining our health. “I think I was afraid to eat, and now I just know what to eat.” Here, Cuoco shares her day in a plate and the key nutrition tips she learned along the way, like how to satisfy a sweet tooth and choose healthy options when dining out.