tiffani amber thiessen 80s

What You Never Knew About Tiffani Thiessen

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To say Tiffani Thiessen was a teen icon in the '90s is an understatement. The host of KCTV5 News put it best when he said "girls wanted to be her, guys wanted to date her." Through her breakout role playing loveable high school cheerleader Kelly Kapowski on " Saved by the Bell ," she quickly became a household name for her sweet and peppy demeanor. As America's TV sweetheart at the time, her image was — and still is — plastered on everything from  posters to t-shirts to  coffee mugs . And now, over 30 years later, as she revisits the character of Kelly in the "SBTB" reboot , audiences are falling in love with her all over again. 

Since her rise to fame at just 15, the brunette beauty has enjoyed a long career in Hollywood, with roles in series like "Beverly Hills, 90210" and "White Collar" and hosting gigs on MTV and The Cooking Channel. The multitasking actress also expanded her workload to include authoring two books and penning a  lifestyle blog . Although she is undoubtedly busy with multiple projects, earning her a net worth of $10 million , she still makes plenty of time for her family. The actress  married actor and artist Brady Smith in 2005, with whom she shares  two children , daughter Harper and son Holt.

Although fans may think they know all there is to learn about Tiffani Thiessen (a sixth-generation Californian, as she told Us Weekly ), here are some interesting facts to know about the multitalented actress.

Her first audition for Saved by the Bell wasn't stellar

Because she plays the role of Kelly Kapowski so flawlessly, one would assume Tiffani Thiessen nailed her audition for the loveable Bayside cheerleader. However, that wasn't the case. In his memoir, " I Was Saved by the Bell ," the sitcom's executive producer,  Peter Engel , dished on what went down during casting. He likened the starlet's composure to that of a "deer in the headlights" at her first audition in 1988 (via Us Weekly ). Even when she was brought back for another try, he noted that "her delivery wasn't stellar ... but she had potential."

Although she competed for the part with then-up-and-coming starlets Elizabeth Berkley (who went on to play Jessie Spano ) and Jennie Garth, Thiessen ultimately won the role. Engel confessed that something else gave her a leg up in the casting room: She had already earned recognition in modeling. "Her visibility as a teen model had increased," Engel wrote. "Even if she wasn't the best actress we could find, she was icon material."

When cast in "SBTB," Thiessen was just 15. And, even though she worked on the series throughout high school, she still managed to become the valedictorian of her class, which is no easy feat! Committed to her craft, she never went to college but says she "would totally go later in life" (via Us Weekly ).

She auditioned to play Rachel on Friends after Saved by the Bell ended

After "Saved by the Bell" wrapped in 1993, Tiffani Thiessen went on to star in " Saved by the Bell: The College Years ," which ran for one season from 1993 to 1994. That same year, the gang also released a TV movie, " Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas ," where Kelly Kapowski marries her high school sweetheart, Zack Morris, played by Mark-Paul Gosselaar.

When "SBTB" and its spinoffs ended, Thiessen was left looking for another gig. And, because of her popularity, she took a chance at another future iconic sitcom then being cast: "Friends." Thiessen tried out for the part of Rachel Green , which she revealed on " You Up With Nikki Glaser ." "Did you know I tested for Friends, for Jennifer Aniston ?" she said during the interview, explaining why she didn't get Aniston's now-iconic role. "I was a little too young to the pairing of the rest of them."

Additionally, Thiessen auditioned for the Bond girl in "The World is Not Enough," opposite Pierce Brosnan, a job she wanted "more than anything," she told the Chicago Tribune , explaining, "One, I thought it was going to change my career in a great direction. And two, I was a massive James Bond fan." The part, however, ultimately went to Denise Richards. Because that rejection hit her "extremely hard," afterward, she purposely "tried not to want anything so badly."

On 90210, she kissed Luke Perry in front of then-boyfriend Brian Austin Green

In 1994, a year after "Saved by the Bell" concluded, Tiffani Thiessen was cast in the already-established teen drama "Beverly Hills, 90210." Cast as a replacement for Shannen Doherty, who abruptly left the series, Thiessen shed the good-girl image she portrayed on "SBTB" to play the manipulative Valerie Malone, who wreaks havoc on the zip code. 

Former "90210" exec producer Charles Rosin told Entertainment Weekly about the choice to bring her onboard, saying, "There was really an edge with Tiffani because she was so sexual." In fact, when Valerie was first introduced on the show, her first episode actually went down in the series' history as one of its most popular (via ABC News ). Her inaugural episode showed her with marijuana in her hand, a far cry from the pom-poms  and teddy bear Kelly used to hold on "SBTB." 

When cast, Thiessen was already dating "90210" cast member Brian Austin Green . However, her first on-screen kiss on the series was with Luke Perry, who played charming bad boy with a big heart, Dylan McKay . On " The Meredith Vieira Show ," Thiessen admitted that lip-lock was somewhat awkward. "Literally having your boyfriend on the show and then literally kissing another man!" she revealed. On " The Beverly Hills Show Podcast ," Rosin said it was "very hard" for Green to watch his then-girlfriend in bed with Perry and that it was pretty evident they wouldn't last as a couple.

The actress dated two of her Saved by the Bell co-stars

On "Saved by the Bell," Tiffani Thiessen's character, Kelly Kapowski, was known for her relationship with Zack, played by Mark-Paul Gosselaar . Zack and Kelly's love story , which started as teens at Bayside and continued when they tied the knot in college, gave us major #relationshipgoals back in the '90s. In fact, the pair has had such staying power that now, over 30 years after they were first introduced, they star as a married couple in the show's reboot , which premiered in 2020. 

And, when it comes to Thiessen's dating roster, life imitated art, as she was romantically linked to Gosselaar. Castmate Ed Alonzo, who played Max, the owner of the gang's hangout, told  Entertainment Tonight  about their on-set flirtation, dishing, "They liked each other a lot. It was very cute. It was hand holding and looking over."

Another of her co-stars, the late Dustin Diamond, detailed in his memoir that Thiessen was actually hooking up with both Gosselaar and Mario Lopez, who played A.C. Slater on the series, and was known to visit both of their dressing rooms (via Ranker ). On " The Kelly Clarkson Show ," Lopez revealed that his relationship with Thiessen wasn't just a hookup, though, saying, "She used to wear my letterman's jacket from my real high school." However, "Saved by the Bell" executive producer Peter Engel told  Us Weekly that they split after she caught him making out with an extra.

As a young girl, she was crowned Miss Junior America

Before her acting career took off, Tiffani Thiessen worked as a model. The young starlet's uncle, a professional photographer , helped her get her start in the industry. Her first gig, at just 8 years old, was in a Peaches and Cream Barbie commercial . The model-turned-actress also competed in beauty pageants and was crowned Miss Junior America in 1987, when she was 13 years old. In 1989, she was honored with the title of Cover Girl Magazine's Model of the Year (via TV Guide ).

Over 30 years later, Thiessen still looks at those experiences fondly. In fact, she even posted a photo of her donning the crown and sash from the Miss Junior America pageant for her now 2.7 million  Facebook  followers. In an interview with the Chicago Tribune , Thiessen expressed her amazement regarding the longevity of her career, saying, "I started doing commercials and modeling when I was [8] or [9]. I was a kid; my daughter's 10 and sometimes it's crazy to look at her and think, 'Wow, that's when I started doing what I still do now.""

She made the first real move on her husband

Tiffani Thiessen enjoyed her time as a single woman in Hollywood, building up quite a  dating history  of actors. She started dating young and confessed to  Howard Stern  that she lost her virginity at 14. When it came time to settle down, Thiessen's former "90210" co-star played Cupid. She met  Brady Smith  in 2004 through Jennie Garth after the actor-artist made an appearance on her series " What I Like About You ."

When the pair reminisces about the start of their courtship, Smith credits his wife with making the first move. Although he arranged their first date, when it came to intimacy, it was Thiessen who initiated. "Obviously I wanted to kiss her but I wasn't gonna be that dude that tries to kiss on the first date," he told Yahoo! . "But then she leaned in and laid one on me. And I don't even remember the drive home."

A year later, in 2005, the lovebirds tied the knot  and welcomed daughter Harper Renn Smith  ( who looks just like her mom ) in 2010 and son Holt Fisher Smith  in 2015. In 2020, when the couple celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary , Thiessen expressed her deep devotion to her other half on Instagram , gushing, "I could not feel more blessed or fortunate to be experiencing life next to you."

Tiffani Thiessen wants to teach her daughter that jean size isn't important

As a young woman growing up in showbiz, Tiffani Thiessen felt pressure to look a certain way. "I was not the girl that was a size 2 and didn't work for it. I was never the waify model type," she said in an interview with  ABC News . She went on speak about the difficulty of returning to work on "White Collar," where she played Elizabeth Burke, the wife of an FBI agent, after giving birth to her daughter and gaining 45 pounds. But, as she's matured in Hollywood, she's realized that body size is no longer her focus: Her family is her main priority.

However, when asked about being considered a sex symbol, a title that first came about because of "Saved by the Bell," she said she doesn't harbor any negative feelings about it. In fact, she sees it as a "compliment" even now, all these years later (via Fox News ).

Although she does work on her physical health by doing circuit training, spin, Pilates, and hiking (via the Orlando Sentinel), she's now focused on feeling good about herself and not the number on the scale. And, as her daughter gets older, she strives to be a positive role model for her. "I want to teach her that eating right and exercising and being healthy is what's important, not what size jeans you wear," she told the publication.

An animal activist, she is a mom to multiple dogs

With her busy schedule raising a family while working in television, Tiffani Thiessen still makes time for her furry friends. A lifelong animal activist since childhood, she credits her father, who worked for the city and designed parks in her native California, for sparking her love for four-legged creatures. "We were always the house known to bring in strays constantly all the time," she told  She Said Media Said . "If I weren't doing what I did for a living I'd live in some crazy ranch style place out in the middle of nowhere and have like 9 billion cats and dogs." 

The Thiessen-Smith household is a testament to their matriarch's passion for fur babies — it includes a staggering  four dogs ! And the actress is so committed to animal care that she partnered with  Sergeant's Pet Care Products  for their pet health initiative (via OK! ).

The actress knows her way around the kitchen

In addition to dogs and acting, Tiffani Thiessen has a passion for cooking. She says it started in her youth as she watched the women in her family cook together. However, her interest was piqued even further when she traveled the world during her "Saved by the Bell" days. "I was touring with Mark-Paul Gosselaar in Europe and was learning about different cultures and cooking techniques," she told People. This inspired her to start experimenting in the kitchen, which led her to take her culinary passion on screen with the series " Dinner at Tiffani's ," which launched in 2015 on The Cooking Channel (per IMDb ). The series features Thiessen cooking for her famous friends and former co-stars, including Elizabeth Berkley, Jason Priestley, and Seth Green.

In 2020, she added another food-based series to her resume when she was cast as host of MTV's " Deliciousness ," a spinoff of "Ridiculousness," a series based on critiquing viral video clips. "It's probably the most fun and the easiest job that I get to go to, and that I've ever had in my career — truly!" she explained to People. Thiessen, who's at the helm of the series, which commemorates humorous food moments on the internet, is joined by a panel of celebrity judges — Angela Kinsey,   Kel Mitchell, and   Tim Chantarangsu — who also provide their commentary.

When she's not cooking on TV, Thiessen also runs her own blog , which focuses on "all things food, home and lifestyle."

Tiffani Thiessen is the author of two books

Besides her acting credits, Tiffani Thiessen can add "author" to her resume. The actress-turned-writer has penned two books so far. The first, " Pull Up a Chair ," was released in 2018 and is replete with, as she explains on her website, recipes "pleasing the pickiest of eaters, feeding a crowd or pulling off a party in your PJs." The cookbook is chock full of delicious-sounding dishes, like her husband's favorite: short rib enchiladas.

The project, which took her almost three years, was inspired by her life growing up in a family where all the women cooked together (via KHOU11 ). Thiessen also wanted to gather the recipes for her children one day. "I kind of wanted to leave behind a little love and legacy of mommy's recipes for my kids," she told KCTV5 .

In 2019, she released her first children's book — a collaborative effort with her husband , Brady Smith, who worked on its illustrations. The book, entitled " You're Missing It! ," speaks to the times parents miss certain moments with their children because they are looking at their phones. The dynamic duo revealed the "lightbulb" moment the idea for the book came about, which involved Smith in their backyard with their son. He said, "I was pushing him on the swing and looking at my phone, and my beautiful wife opened up the kitchen window and screamed at me across the yard, 'You're missing it!'"

Her boyfriend died while they were dating

One of Tiffani Thiessen's romantic partners was actor David Strickland , who tragically died at 29 years old. The actor is remembered for his work playing a movie critic on the NBC series " Suddenly Susan ," alongside  Brooke Shields , and a supporting role in the 1999 film " Forces of Nature " as  Sandra Bullock 's ex-boyfriend. The actor had a history of struggling with depression, drug addiction, and alcoholism and had been arrested for cocaine possession, receiving three years of probation (via Throwbacks ).

In March 1999, a day prior to his court hearing, when he didn't show up to court, Shields hired a private investigator (per the New York Post ) who found Strickland in a Las Vegas motel room after an apparent suicide (via the  Las Vegas Sun ). At the time of his death, Thiessen had been dating the actor for six months after meeting him in a boxing studio (via Am ). Sadly, at the time of his death, the actor not only had an adorable girlfriend, but he also had a successful career, as his movie "Forces of Nature" was No. 1 at the box office (via the Las Vegas Sun).

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ at​ 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.  

If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

She's 'shocked' that her Saved by the Bell alter ego didn't have more children

In 2020, Tiffani Thiessen reprised her iconic role of Kelly Kapowski in the highly anticipated "Saved by the Bell" reboot . In the Peacock  revival series, she's married to Zack Morris, now governor of California, and they have a son, Mac , a current student at Bayside who has inherited his father's prankster gene. Fans also see a progressive character arc for  Kelly, who reconsiders the decision she made on "Saved by the Bell: The College Years" — to forgo her dreams of becoming a doctor to marry Zack. 

On the series, Thiessen joins her former castmates Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Mario Lopez, Elizabeth Berkley, and Lark Voorhies  (who, at first, was not expected to appear in the reboot), and the veteran actress is elated that the "old gang is back together again," sharing an on-set photo on Instagram . And, it goes without saying that she's also excited to revisit Zack and Kelly's love story all these years later. In fact, she even honored the on-screen couple's 27th anniversary, sharing a throwback photo  with this caption: "Way to keep the love going." That deep love, which made the pair one of TV's most iconic couples, is being celebrated in the reboot. And, although she loves the script, there's one part of the couple's life Thiessen may have tweaked. "I am shocked that they only had one child. I would have expected...more," she told Buzzfeed .

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Tiffani Thiessen

Birth Name: Tiffani-Amber Thiessen

Birth Place: Long Beach, California, United States

Profession Actor

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Tiffani Thiessen still indulges in her favorite ’80s snacks: 'I was an Abba-Zaba or Hot Tamales girl'

Because food connects us all, Yahoo Life is serving up a heaping plateful of table talk with people who are passionate about what's on their menu in Deglazed , a series about food.

Tiffani Thiessen has "never met a wine [she] didn't like." In fact, the 48-year-old actress tells Yahoo Life that a good rosé or Sancerre is part of her ultimate comfort food combo. When she's feeling stressed or under the weather, she also turns to a dairy-filled delight.

"Give me anything with cheese," she says, "and a side of wine."

The Saved by the Bell star and host of cooking fail show Deliciousness says she's had her own share of epic kitchen fails. The dinner disaster that haunts her the most occurred a few Thanksgivings ago.

"I had done a lot of my cooking beforehand because I'm such a planner," she says. "All of a sudden that morning, my ovens were not working. Nothing was working. I don't know what was happening."

"I literally still had to put the bird in and start doing last-minute recipes, so I called my neighbors next door who I knew were out of town for the holiday and had a house-sitter," Thiessen continues. "I said, 'By chance are you using your kitchen? Because if not, I'm coming over.' I had to bus all my food back and forth using their kitchen, but I did it. I got a lot of cardio in that day."

While she counts holiday meals among her favorites to cook, Theissen, who has two children with husband Brady Smith, also has a soft spot for the theme nights she and her family routinely plan during the week. "We love pizza nights," she says. "We have taco nights and sushi nights, which are really fun."

Still, like any mom, Thiessen keeps things real in the kitchen. "But it's usually my kids telling me what they're in the mood for and then, of course, I force them to come in and cook with me because I'm like, 'If this is what you want, you have to help,'" she adds.

Thiessen also uses dinnertime as a way to chat with her family about their lives. She explains that as a child, her family used dinner table conversations as a way to stay "connected," something she continues to do with her own kids. "We would talk about our day, we would talk about things that were extremely sensitive, which I think, when you have children, those types of talks sometimes can be hard," she says. "I generally pick dinnertime if it's a family sort of conversation – I think food kind of relaxes, and we can reminisce about the day and talk about the good and the bad."

In her cookbook, Pull Up A Chair: Recipes from My Family to Yours , Thiessen shares recipes from her own childhood dinner table, which she's tweaked a bit. "I took a lot of my family recipes and elevated them," she says. "Beef Stroganoff and things like that looked a lot different when I grew up — like dog food, really, to a certain degree." Her next cookbook, Here We Go Again , releases in 2023 and will tackle using up leftovers in creative ways.

The former host of Dinner at Tiffani's says if she could have any guest sit at her table, it would be the late Princess Diana. "I think she was an icon, of course, with regards to fashion and what she stood for and her politics and charity work and as a mom," she says. "It would be Princess Diana for sure."

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tiffani Thiessen (@tiffanithiessen)

As someone who rose to fame in the ’80s, Thiessen has a soft spot for the snacks she grew up eating on set. "I used to love — and will still indulge in, if they're on a snack tray somewhere — Cheez-Its," she shares. "I actually have a recipe with cheddar crackers in my new book. Candy-wise, I was an Abba-Zaba or Hot Tamales girl."

Theissen spoke with Yahoo Life as part of her partnership with the National Meningitis Association's It's About Time: Help Stop the Clock on Meningitis   campaign, where she hopes to encourage parents to talk to their kids and their doctors about immunization. "I have two children and I have an almost 12-year-old girl," she says. "For me, there’s been a lot of very big talks in our house, especially because she's a pre-teen ... last year she got her first vaccine for meningococcal meningitis which is recommended by the CDC at age 11 or 12, with the second at age 16."

"I grew up in a family that very much believes in science and believes vaccines are here to help protect us," she adds, "so I wanted to jump on board and help them spread the word. I'm here to talk about it and help educate a little bit about why vaccines are here."

When her own kids aren't feeling well, Thiessen says there's something special she makes for them at home. "A lot of times when they're sick, food isn't really what they want," she admits. "I think a lot of times it's they want their parents and a good snuggle and maybe a little hot tea. My kids love tea, actually."

"My mom used to make me hot toddies all the time," she shares. "Who knows if they worked or not, so we stick with tea."

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Tiffani Thiessen

• Born January 23 , 1974 · Long Beach, California, USA
• Birth name Tiffani Amber Thiessen
• Height 5′ 5″ (1.65 m)
• Tiffani Amber Thiessen was born on January 23, 1974 in Long Beach, California to Robyn Ernest, a homemaker & Frank Thiessen, a park designer. She grew up in Long Beach with her parents and her brothers, professional cyclist Todd (born August 1, 1968) and Schyler (born May 10, 1977). When Tiffani was 8, her uncle, Roger Ernest , suggested that she try acting and modeling. Soon afterward, she appeared in her first TV commercial, for Peaches and Cream Barbie. From there she started competing in several beauty pageants and, in 1987, she won the Miss Junior America pageant. She got her big break when she was cast as the popular cheerleader Kelly Kapowski on the NBC series Saved by the Bell (1989) , which lasted for five years. But this was not at all the end of her career. Coinciding with the cancellation of the short-lived Saved by the Bell: The College Years (1993) , she was cast as the bitchy, conniving vixen Valerie Malone on Aaron Spelling 's long-running hit series Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990) . Here, she played the constant enemy of Kelly Taylor, played by Jennie Garth , although in real life, the two are actually best friends. Tiffani also lived with co-star Brian Austin Green for several years. She stayed with the show until 1998 and then left to pursue her movie career. The result was two independent movies, followed by two comedies and then Hollywood Ending (2002) , in which she starred alongside Woody Allen . She met actor Richard Ruccolo while guest starring as Marti in the hit sitcom Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place (1998) where in 2001, the couple became engaged. During the fall of 2002, she co-starred with best friend Jennie's husband, Peter Facinelli , and Bill Bellamy on Fox's action/drama series, Fastlane (2002) , where she starred as Billie Chambers, but the show was canceled after one season. In 2003, Tiffani broke off her engagement to Richard Ruccolo and in 2005, she married actor Brady Smith . The couple have two children, a daughter, Harper Smith (Harper Renn Smith) and a son, Holt Fisher Smith. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Laerke
• Spouse Brady Smith (July 9, 2005 - present) (2 children)
• Children Harper Smith Holt Fisher Smith
• Parents Frank Thiessen Robyn Ernest
• Relatives Schuyler Thiessen (Sibling) Todd Tesen (Sibling)
• Soft mellow voice
• Was offered a role on Charmed (1998) to replace Shannen Doherty , but turned it down. [2001]
• Competed with, and eventually beat out, Jennie Garth for the role of Kelly Kapowski on Saved by the Bell (1989) . Thiessen and Garth would later star together on Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990) and become friends in real life. Garth would later introduce Thiessen to her husband Brady Smith on a blind date. Their friendship has since ended and they are no longer close to one another.
• Was in a relationship with actor David Strickland at the time of his death in 1999.
• Started her own production company, Tit 4 Tat Productions.
• Volunteered at Camp Rainbow Gold, a summer camp for children stricken with cancer, located near Ketchum, Idaho, USA. [2006].
• There are too many rotten things in this world, and if I can put a smile on one little girl's face, one little boy's face, then I've done my job. - on acting professionally in show business.
• My mom always taught me to be sweet and polite and cross my legs because it's what the guys like. Actually, they like a raunchy girl once in a while. - being a feminine woman.
• People expect me to be thin and perfect... I'm not.
• My dog and two cats are such a vital part of my life. To say that I am their owner doesn't reflect at all the profound bond and responsibility that I have towards them. Therefore, I thoroughly support In Defense of Animals' initiative to utilize 'guardian' instead of owner.
• I've seen the effects of drugs too often. My brother had a big problem with them for five years. He's better now, but I've never needed or wanted to be involved with them.

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Tiffani Thiessen's Food Diary: What I Eat in a Day

For Tiffani Thiessen , cooking is a family affair. The host of Dinner at Tiffani’s found a love for the kitchen through her mom and grandmother before her, and now she’s passing on that affection to her kids.

“I grew up in a long line of women who love to cook,” Thiessen tells PEOPLE, “I just kind of went right into it with them. As I’ve gotten older and I started traveling to other countries, my love of cooking just expanded.”

She and daughter Harper, 5, work together on their favorite breakfast most mornings.

RELATED: Zack and Kelly, Together Again! Tiffani Thiessen and Mark-Paul Gosselaar Reunite (Decked Out In Denim) for Her Cooking Show

“Being from California, avocado toast is very popular in our house, we have it almost every morning,” Thiessen says. “She loves making that—I think she just likes smashing up the avocados!”

Thiessen kicks off her day with the Instagram-friendly breakfast, all part of her goal to eat healthy post-baby.

“I wish I could eat what I want, but I just had a baby a couple months ago, so I’m trying to eat healthier these days,” she says. “I try to use a balance of the 80/20 percent, where 80 percent of the time I’m eating very well, and 20 percent of the time I’m a little more adventurous.”

To lose the baby weight she gained while carrying her 11-months-old son Holt, the 5’6″ Thiessen is focusing on boosting her protein intake and banning bad carbohydrates from her diet.

“For me, it’s high protein, and really coming down on the carbs, or the bad carbs, as much as possible,” she says. “I’m nursing, so I can’t be too crazy and really be minimal, so I try to eat a whole grain everyday because I think it’s important, and because I want to give my baby everything he needs too. He’s not on a diet!”

Check out her daily food log below, and pick up the new issue of PEOPLE , on newsstands now, to read more about her diet.

3 liters of water throughout the day

Avocado toast, made with ½ and avocado and one slice of whole-grain toast

1 cup of Signature SELECT Kona Blend coffee with Stevia

Post-Gym Snack

8 oz. protein shake, made with protein powder and unsweetened almond milk

RELATED: TLC’s Chilli’s Food Diary: What I Eat in a Day

3 oz. halibut with oven roasted tomatoes and ½ cup quinoa

1 all-natural zero-calorie ginger root beer

2 sliced Persian cucumbers sprinked with fresh lemon juice

Roasted veggie chopped salad, with asparagus, carrots, red onions, romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce, salami, mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, garbanzo beans, red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper

Total Calories:

The Verdict

Thiessen’s meals are impressively well-rounded, says dietician Keri Glassman of nutritiouslife.com . “That is an excellent, portion-controlled dinner,” Glassman says. “It’s veggie-heavy, with adequate protein and a little fat.” Her post-gym protein shake is “great,” because she’s “getting protein, which is satisfying, and calcium.” But she could easily add in almond butter or ground flaxseeds to increase her low calorie count for the day. Overall though, her meals are “excellent.”

NOTE: It is recommended that women eat at least 1,200 calories per day, and men eat at least 1,800 calories per day.

– Julie Mazziotta @julietmazz

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Tiffani Thiessen

About the author.

Tiffani Thiessen’s on-screen charisma has been gaining her fans since she starred as Kelly Kapowski in the cult classic television series Saved By the Bell and Valerie Malone in Beverly Hills, 90210 . Today, she is the dazzling host of MTV’s newest hit series Deliciousness , which celebrates the best and funniest moments from cooking on the internet, from home cooking disasters to barbecue fails. The show has been a massive hit – see Variety report on how it brought in a major ratings and viewership boost for the network, and was recently renewed for a huge 3rd season order of 30 episodes.

Her first cookbook, Pull Up a Chair , was published by Houghton Mifflin in October 2018, leading to a national press tour with dozens of stops, from appearances on t he Today Show , Good Morning America, and Rachael Ray to book signings across the coast.

By the Author

Here We Go Again

by Tiffani Thiessen , With Rachel Holtzman

September 2023

September 29, 2023 / 4:00PM CDT

William Sonoma | Book Signing

Come have a cocktail and join Tiffani Thiessen, Actress, Host and Cookbook Author, for a celebration of her new cookbook, Here We Go Again. $32.00 (plays tax) includes admission to the event and a signed copy of Here We Go Again.

Austin, Texas

September 30, 2023 / 11:00AM- 1:00PM PDT

Kitchen Lingo | Book Signing

Tiffani Thiessen will be in discussion at The Art Theater with Long Beach Post food writer Caitlin Antonios. Tickets are $40 and include a copy of HERE WE GO AGAIN ($15 without the book).

Long Beach, California

September 30, 2023 / 5:00PM PDT

Barnes & Noble | Book Signing

Meet author Tiffani Thiessen and purchase a signed copy!

Thousand Oaks, California