Demi Lovato Opens Up About Her “Complicated” Relationship with Food That Led to Her First Cookbook
By Website Content Manager
Lovato’s cookbook One Plate at a Time: Recipes for Finding Freedom with Food will be released on March 31.
Demi Lovato has already built a career spanning music, acting, directing and producing. Now, the former Disney Channel star is exploring something new: publishing her first cookbook, One Plate at a Time: Recipes for Finding Freedom with Food, released through Flatiron Books.
Lovato, 33, has spoken openly about her past struggles with Bulimia, which for years made her relationship with food and cooking particularly difficult. Although therapists and dietitians encouraged her to try cooking as part of her healing process, she initially found the experience overwhelming. At one point early in recovery, she recalls that even walking into a grocery store could trigger an emotional reaction.
Things began to change when Lovato was around 30 years old and several years into her recovery. While spending time with friends, she experimented with cooking spaghetti squash for the first time. The group turned the ingredient into a spaghetti squash salad, and the experience marked a turning point for her. For the first time, cooking felt enjoyable rather than stressful.
That moment shifted her perspective. As she spent more time in the kitchen and discovered pride in the meals she prepared, cooking gradually became something she truly loved. Today, Lovato describes preparing food as one of her “love languages,” saying the activity now brings her a great deal of happiness.
As her confidence with food grew, Lovato began considering the idea of creating a cookbook. She wanted the project to be approachable and supportive for readers who might feel intimidated by cooking or who have struggled with their own relationship with food.
Her goal, she explains, was to design a cookbook that encourages beginners to feel comfortable experimenting in the kitchen. By focusing on simple techniques and approachable recipes, she hopes readers will gain confidence and eventually feel ready to try more complex dishes.
One Plate at a Time features more than 80 recipes that combine familiar comfort foods with memorable flavors. Some of the dishes include spaghetti bolognese, chicken Milanese served with arugula salad and a pulled pork recipe designed to be easy to prepare.
Lovato also included several recipes inspired by fast-food favorites she enjoyed growing up, such as a classic cheeseburger, chicken nuggets paired with honey mustard sauce and tacos influenced by Taco Bell. While the dishes are simple, she says they are packed with flavor.
Beyond the recipes themselves, the book offers a personal glimpse into Lovato’s life. It includes stories about her journey with food, tips for stocking a pantry and photos from her home life.
One especially meaningful element is the inclusion of her mother, Dianna De La Garza, who appears in photographs throughout the book. Lovato notes that her mother has also experienced her own recovery journey related to food, and watching her spend time in the kitchen served as inspiration.
The cookbook arrives shortly after the release of Lovato’s ninth studio album, It’s Not That Deep, and ahead of her upcoming North American tour scheduled to begin in April. Much like her evolving relationship with cooking, Lovato says the upcoming shows will embrace freedom and creativity — with no strict limits on what fans can expect.