The 10 Foods That Got Dave Rubin Healthy Again & What He Eats in a Day

Summary

The Rubin Report Episode: The 10 Foods That Got Dave Rubin Healthy Again & What He Eats in a Day Host: Dave Rubin Release Date: August 11, 2025

In this episode of The Rubin Report, Dave Rubin delves into his personal journey toward better health, sharing the ten staple foods that have revitalized his well-being. Rubin emphasizes simplicity and whole foods, steering clear of processed items to maintain a clean and sustainable diet. This comprehensive summary captures the key discussions, insights, and practical tips he offers, complete with notable quotes and timestamps for reference.

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1. Red Meat and Skirt Steak

Timestamp: [00:58]

Dave Rubin kicks off his dietary staples with red meat, specifically highlighting the versatility and nutritional benefits of skirt steak.

"Eating more red meat in general and a skirt steak... it's going to be thin and juicy and there's enough fat in there that I promise you, you're not going to burn it, you're not going to overcook it."
— Dave Rubin [00:58]

Rubin recommends choosing prime or choice cuts for optimal flavor and tenderness. He shares his method:

• Cooking Time: Bake skirt steak for approximately 16 minutes.
• Resting Period: Let the steak sit for five minutes post-cooking to retain juiciness.
• Seasoning: Use a coarse salt and pepper blend to achieve a nice crust and char.

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2. Salt and Pepper

Timestamp: [02:10]

A fundamental yet crucial component of Rubin's diet is the use of high-quality salt and pepper.

"You want coarse salt and pepper. It’ll give you a nice crust and a nice char on that."
— Dave Rubin [02:10]

He underscores the importance of avoiding fine salts that can become dusty and instead opting for coarser varieties to enhance flavor and texture in his meals.

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3. Chicken Thighs

Timestamp: [03:00]

Challenging conventional preferences, Rubin advocates for chicken thighs over breasts.

"Is there anything worse other than a Democrat than dry chicken? No, obviously you are not going to dry this out."
— Dave Rubin [03:18]

He explains that thighs are naturally juicier and more forgiving during cooking, reducing the risk of drying out. His recommended method using an air fryer includes:

• Preheat: 390°F for 3 minutes.
• Seasoning: Salt, pepper, and optional garlic powder or favorite rub.
• Cooking Time: Approximately 18 minutes for crispy, juicy results.

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4. Ground Beef

Timestamp: [04:00]

Rubin emphasizes the benefits of incorporating ground beef into his diet:

"Ground beef in general is just good, right? You're getting protein, you're getting some fat."
— Dave Rubin [04:00]

He prefers grass-fed, regenerative farming options that include an ancestral blend with organ meats like beef liver and heart, enhancing the nutritional profile. A typical preparation involves cooking ground beef with olive oil and adding eggs to create versatile meals.

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5. Albacore Tuna

Timestamp: [04:45]

A staple for convenience and protein, Rubin includes canned albacore tuna in his diet.

"Don't get that chunky like cat food. Stuff the mush. Don't do that. Throw in the extra dollar a can, get yourself some good tuna."
— Dave Rubin [04:45]

He highlights its nutritional benefits:

• Calories: 180 per can.
• Protein: 33 grams per can.

Rubin reminisces about relying on tuna during challenging times, noting its practicality and high protein content.

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6. Watermelon

Timestamp: [05:00]

For hydration and a touch of sweetness without a sugar spike, watermelon is a favored choice.

"Watermelon, it's good for you. It's not gonna spike the sugar. Especially if you live in a warm place."
— Dave Rubin [05:00]

He often pairs it with steak for a refreshing and balanced meal, enhancing both taste and nutritional intake.

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7. Arugula

Timestamp: [05:25]

As his preferred leafy green, arugula serves as the only lettuce he includes in his meals.

"The only lettuce that I will ever need, ever is arugula."
— Dave Rubin [05:25]

Rubin suggests dressing it simply with olive oil and balsamic vinegar to maintain its peppery flavor without unnecessary additives.

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8. Local Honey

Timestamp: [05:45]

To satisfy his sweet tooth naturally, Rubin incorporates local honey into his diet.

"Honey on top of anything, put it on top of your chicken. After you grilled up your chicken, you could put it on your steak."
— Dave Rubin [05:45]

He promotes honey as a healthier alternative to refined sugars, adding flavor without compromising nutritional integrity.

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9. Electrolyte Tablets and Whey Protein

Timestamp: [06:10]

Maintaining electrolyte balance is essential, especially in a warm climate. Rubin takes electrolyte tablets daily.

"I throw one of these in some water in the morning, just get that burst of electrolytes..."
— Dave Rubin [06:10]

Additionally, he supplements his diet with whey protein powder, mixing it into his morning coffee for an extra protein boost.

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10. Organic Eggs

Timestamp: [06:40]

Finally, organic eggs are a cornerstone of Rubin's daily nutrition.

"Eggs is the perfect food."
— Dave Rubin [07:00]

He emphasizes sourcing eggs from pasture-raised, organic chickens to ensure quality and ethical treatment. Rubin enjoys preparing them in a way that maximizes flavor and protein intake, often adding cottage cheese for creaminess.

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Bonus: How to Make Perfect Eggs

Timestamp: [07:53]

In response to listener inquiries, Rubin shares his method for making the perfect scrambled eggs:

1. Ingredients:

   • Grass-fed butter
   • Three pasture-raised organic eggs
   • One scoop of low-fat cottage cheese

2. Method:

   • Butter Preparation: Allow butter to soften at room temperature and melt it over low heat.
   • Eggs: Crack three eggs into the pan, ensuring high yolk quality for richer flavor.
   • Adding Cottage Cheese: Incorporate a scoop of cottage cheese to enhance protein and creaminess.
   • Cooking: Stir gently with a wooden spoon, maintaining low heat to achieve a moist, fluffy texture without overcooking.

"If you want just like a little bit of extra protein and you want a nice creamy scrambled egg... you can talk to Paul Saladino about the value of Oregon meat."
— Dave Rubin [07:53]

Rubin humorously claims to have invented this method, encouraging listeners to experiment and share their results on social media.

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Conclusion

Throughout this episode, Dave Rubin offers a pragmatic approach to nutrition, focusing on whole, unprocessed foods that are both delicious and nutritionally dense. By sharing his personal favorites and practical cooking techniques, he provides listeners with actionable insights to improve their own diets and overall health. Rubin's emphasis on quality ingredients, ethical sourcing, and simple preparations underscores his philosophy of maintaining health through sustainable and enjoyable eating habits.

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Notable Quotes:

• "You don’t want just fine, you know, kind of feathery, dusty salt and pepper. You want coarse salt and pepper." — Dave Rubin [02:10]
• "Thighs are a little juicier. You can cook them a little bit longer." — Dave Rubin [03:18]
• "Eggs is the perfect food." — Dave Rubin [07:00]

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This episode serves as a valuable guide for anyone looking to adopt a cleaner, protein-rich diet, offering both inspiration and practical advice from Rubin's personal experience.

Transcript

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[Co-host]

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[Dave]

All right, so you know we did that video about Dave's meat a couple months ago and people all over the Internet, they said the same thing. Dave, we love your meat, but we want to see more. We want more. And today we decided to give them a little bit more. That's right. These are Dave's 10 staples. These are actually the 10 staples in my diet, pretty much the things that are getting into one way or another every meal that I eat. And people have been commenting on the glow up. I'm at the lowest weight I've been in six years doing my thing. I'm out there. It's also a function of just sweating in the Florida summers. But I want to just go through quickly some of the things that I'm doing because I'm just trying to eat. I'm not crazy about dieting. As I told you guys, it's nice and simple and clean and all basically all whole foods, nothing boxed and that kind of stuff. So very simply the easiest thing. I mean, I think the thing that changed me the most is just eating more red meat in general and a skirt steak which is not super expensive. Go for the prime if you can afford it. But choice is okay too. A skirt steak, you cannot screw it up. It's going to be thin and juicy and there's enough fat in there that I promise you, you're not going to burn it, you're not going to overcook it, bake it for four, do four, five, zero, 16 minutes, let it sit for five minutes, you have an absolutely juicy steak. And of course, if you're doing that, one of my main staples, and I'm not sponsored by any of these brands, I'm not asking for sponsorships or anything else. I'm just telling you what I'm buying over here. Get a good salt and pepper blend. Nice coarse salt and pepper. Coarse is the key. You don't want just fine, you know, kind of feathery, dusty salt and pepper. You want coarse salt and pepper. It'll give you a nice crust and a nice char on that. So salt and pepper, which I do on steak, but I do on pretty much everything else. Then I mentioned to you guys, and this was a little controversial when I mentioned it last time, chicken thighs. Chicken thighs. People think about the breasts, but I want you to think about the thighs, okay? I know people like the breasts, but I want you to think about the thigh and focus on the thigh a little bit more. Thighs are a little juicier. You can cook them a little bit longer. And you're not going to dry them out. Is there anything worse other than a Democrat than dry chicken? No, obviously you are not going to dry this out. I'm telling you, if you got an air fryer, get yourself an air fryer. What are we talking about? Preheat it to about 390 for like 3 minutes. Throw these bad boys in there with a little salt and pepper, maybe a little garlic powder. That's all you need. Or do do your favorite rub.

[Co-host]

That's it.

[Dave]

Throw them in there for about 18 minutes. You're gonna have the juiciest, crispiest chicken you ever had. This one has become a major, major staple for me. So just ground beef in general is just good, right? You're getting protein, you're getting some fat. This particular brand has this great blend. Again, these are not sponsors, but this is force of nature. And this is grass fed beef. And it's regenerative farming. And the ancestral blend, which has grass fed beef, obviously, but it also has beef liver and beef heart. And you can even see, I mean, there's some stuff in there that's not just beef. You're getting the organ meat in there. And you can talk to Paul Saladino about the value of Oregon meat. So I do a lot of that. Sometimes I'll just take a pound of that tiny bit of olive oil in the pan. And I'll crack like four eggs in there and that probably be like two lunches. Then like the easiest thing in the world that everyone loves but nobody should forget about is just a simple can of albacore tuna. Don't get that chunk like cat food. Stuff the mush. Don't do that. Throw in the extra dollar a can, get yourself some good tuna. I mean, the numbers on here you're getting, it's 180 calories and you're getting 23, no, 33 grams of protein in one can. Like, this is good stuff. As some of you know, I used to survive on industrial strength tuna, giant vats of tuna that a buddy of mine when I was a struggling comic, he worked in food service, used to give me huge vats of tuna. And I'll probably die of mercury poisoning one day. But it's worth it. It's worth it. Okay, then. This has been a new one and you don't have to buy it pre. I know, I know. I'm an elitist over here. Yeah, you don't have to buy it pre sliced or pre cubed, but just watermelon. Watermelon, it's good for you. It's not gonna spike the sugar. Especially if you live in a warm place. You're gonna get some extra hydration. Sometimes I just do a steak and watermelon for lunch and it's great and it's crunchy and if it gets a little bit of the salt or some.

[Co-host]

Of that meat juice on there, really delicious.

[Dave]

My main go to on the side. The only lettuce that I will ever need, ever is arugula. I love the arugula. As Steve Martin said in my Blue.

[Co-host]

Heaven, arugula, it's a vegetable.

[Dave]

Get yourself some arugula and then just something simple. Little olive oil drizzle on top, little balsamic, you're good to go. Honey people. Get yourself some local honey. It's just, you don't need sugar on anything. I don't do sugar. I can't remember the last time I took a spoonful of sugar and did anything. Honey on top of anything, put it on top of your chicken. After you grilled up your chicken, you could put it on your steak. If you want to put on your steak a little bit on the side of your plate just to kind of dip around. You don't need any saucy sauces and.

[Co-host]

Any of that crazy stuff.

[Dave]

This one's not something that. Well, I do have it every day, but it seems like it's slightly misplaced. Here, but just electrolyte tablets. I just throw one of these in some water in the morning, just get that burst of electrolytes again. I'm in a place that you sweat all the time. So just replenishing some of those nutrients.

[Co-host]

Really, really simple, really good.

[Dave]

And then probably the thing that I eat more than anything else besides the meat, organic eggs. Just get organic eggs. Make sure the chicken's treated okay. Nobody wants the chicken that's been smacked around and abused, you know what I mean? Like purd do to those chickens. Remember those Purdue commercials? This guy would walk in there, pretend he liked all the chickens and then he'd walk out like, okay ladies, see you later. But we know what he was doing to those chickens and it wasn't good. Get yourself some good old chicken eggs. Organic, hopefully pasture raise is nice. Make sure they see a little sun, touch a little grass as the kids say. And well, it's here. As long as we're doing things like electrolytes, we'll also do just some whey protein powder. I happen to like this one. And I throw this chocolate, just a spoonful of this in my coffee in the morning. Just get a little burst of extra protein. And I think that is 10 things. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. We're gonna count these two as one. Electrolytes and protein count as one, that's 10. And then they said, what's the bonus, Dave? What ties all of this together? What could you have while you're having all of these delicious things in the most wonderful, exquisite meal ever? And of course the answer.

[Co-host]

Is copa.

[Dave]

You want a nice 3 month aged reposado tequila that has just the perfect essence of agave. 100% blue Weber agave, by the way. And just light and refreshing and fun.

[Co-host]

And if you do all of these.

[Dave]

Things for a series of weeks, you could be just like me.

[Co-host]

Goodbye.

[Dave]

All right guys, we got a bonus for you. Because the number one question I get is Dave, how do I make eggs? And I thought, let me show the people, let me show the people how to make eggs. There actually is a little bit of a trick to it. And we're going to throw in a little bonus thing besides just the eggs. Eggs. You cannot eat too many eggs. I don't care what your doctor says. I'm not a doctor, Trust me, don't trust me. I just don't think anyone can eat too many eggs. Eggs is the perfect food.

[Co-host]

It really, they really are. So what do you do? You're going to take a little Grass fed, little grass fed butter. Nice and simple. Leave that butter out.

[Dave]

By the way.

[Co-host]

There's no need to keep the butter in the, in the fridge. Let it get going.

[Dave]

I like a low heat on almost everything. Like, where are you going? Are you in such a rush? Slow down on the heat.

[Co-host]

Let's let that butter go for a little bit.

[Dave]

And then I've got three pasture raised organic eggs. These chickens that laid these eggs, these were happy, happy chickens right until the end where it didn't end well. But it usually doesn't end well for most of us.

[Co-host]

Okay, we're going to get that butter going nice and easy. And you could do a little pan like this just for three eggs and super easy. Just gonna crack three eggs. And if you get a good egg, I mean you really can tell. The color of the yolk is just so much nicer. So much either a yellow or an orange. It's just richer. You can do that nice and easy. And here's the secret, guys. If you want just like a little bit of extra protein and you want a nice creamy scrambled egg. Look at this. One scoop cottage cheese. I went with low fat cottage cheese right there. Get them in there. You got your low heat going.

[Dave]

I like a wooden spoon.

[Co-host]

Like I'm a good Amish guy. And we're just gonna mix a little bit every now and again, get those yolks broken. I like when it's kinda a little bit messy, actually. I don't like my eggs to be totally uniform. So I don't mind a little bit of a Rorschach going in there. And you let that go for maybe two, three minutes and you're gonna have delicious, moist, creamy, fluffy, Other adjective, other adjective, Eggs.

[Dave]

And I definitely invented this method. So make sure everyone on Instagram knows that when you see all these other people that put cottage cheese in eggs.

[Co-host]

You know what I'm talking about. Or used butter for the pan and boom, look at that. You got cheesy, moist, delicious huevos, as we say down here in Miami, right on the plate. You don't even, you don't even need salt and pepper. Just nothing. That cottage cheese gives it some flavor.

[Dave]

And the flavor of fresh eggs, nothing's better.

[Co-host]

Do they have taste o vision on this thing yet? Let's go.

[Dave]

That good. And communication.