Padma Lakshmi reveals she’s ‘always been pretty strict’ about what her daughter Krishna, 10, eats

She recently celebrated the twin milestones of turning 50 years young, and reaching 1million followers on Instagram.

And Padma Lakshmi took a moment on Tuesday to dish to Parents Magazine about her close relationship with daughter Krishna, 10, specifically about their diet.

The Top Chef host, who shares Krishna with venture capitalist Adam Dell, revealed that while she’s lenient about some points as a mother, when it comes to food, she puts her foot down. 

‘There are a lot of things I’m not strict about, like bedtime, but I’ve always been pretty strict about what she eats,’ Padma said in Parents’ October issue, which she covers.  

‘I believe you set a child’s eating patterns by the time they’re four or five, and the best way to get a child to eat healthily is to eat well yourself.’

Lakshmi went on to explain that she and her daughter do their best ‘to keep our diet 50 percent fruits and vegetables, and Krishna knows that I’ll look over her plate’ before they chow down.

But Krishna, who grew up on the set of Top Chef, has become privy to her mom’s watchful eye.

‘Her favorite thing is to raid craft services when I’m not looking,’ Padma said, laughing.

‘I try to get the caterers to rearrange the food so that she can’t reach the sugary cereals all the time.’

The Chennai, India-born star has been hosting Top Chef since its second season, in 2006.

But it isn’t round-the-clock rules for the mother-daughter pair, Lakshmi maintains.

‘Last night we had takeout pizza, and Krishna finished it off with Häagen-Dazs, so for the next couple of days we’ll have to be healthier,’ the Emmy nominee remarked, also mentioning that she enjoys Halloween snacks and trick-or-treating.

‘Mainly, I stress balance.’

And it seems that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree when it comes to this culinarily-gifted pair, either.

‘The other day I wasn’t feeling well. And all by herself, Krishna made a dish of couscous, vegetables and Sriracha butter that was exactly what I wanted to eat,’ Lakshmi shared.

And the Taste The Nation star clearly watches her figure closely, as was evident in her swimsuit birthday snap on social media at the start of this month, which showcased her dynamite physique.

’50 is the new 30, I feel like I’m just getting started,’ she proclaimed in the Twitter snap in which she wore a bikini on the beach.

The post caused just enough buzz to push the author and TV host to the threshold of 1million followers on Instagram, a feat she celebrated with a fun video clip featuring her and her daughter on Tuesday.