It's easy to feel like you know Soleil Moon Frye. After all, many people have grown up with her, from her pigtail-rocking, "Grossaroo"-shouting days as Punky Brewster, to her teen years playing Sabrina the Teenage Witch's bestie, Roxie. Or maybe you just recognize her voice from The Proud Family or Bratz (she's Jade, in case you're wondering).
But what you may not know is that when cameras aren't rolling, Moon Frye is a serious crafter and killer cook. During her downtime, the actress/mom—who's expecting her fourth child later this year—shared some of her snack obsessions, the Pinterest-worthy baking projects she and her kids love, and the time she dieted to look more like a "WB girl."
Pregnancy Has Changed the Way She Eats.
"While pregnant, I'm a total carb junkie," Moon Frye admits. "Today I started out and had a little fruit and toast for breakfast, and a couple bites of oatmeal. I loaded up on those carbs."
Most mornings, though, she tries to start the day with plenty of protein, opting for fresh avocado or a plate of egg whites.
That doesn't mean she won't occasionally splurge on chocolate chip pancakes and bacon, though.
She Doesn't Deny Her Sweet Tooth.
Moon Frye often eats salads and lots of organic fruits and vegetables throughout the day, but during our interview, her diet had taken a slight detour—she had just spent the afternoon at Lindt, where she autographed a porcelain Lindt Gold Bunny for a special auction that raises money for Autism Speaks (you can bid until noon on Sunday, actually).
"I ate every chocolate in sight," says Moon Frye. When it comes to sweets, she doesn't discriminate—some days she's all about milk chocolate, other days she craves dark.
The actress balanced out all of the sweets with a lighter snack: carrots and celery in hummus.
"After all of those sweets, I dove into the organic veggies," she jokes.
Her Spring Salad Game's Strong.
When she's not lunching on truffles and carrots, Moon Frye often makes salads using ingredients from her local farmer's market.
"I go for whatever looks freshest—arugula with different kinds of lettuces and heirloom carrots, whatever's in season," she says. "I love to mix in some cheese and fruit for that salty-sweet combo, like adding apples and peaches, or dried cherries and cranberries."
Her most unexpected addition? Dates. "They're so good in a salad," the actress says.
She's Totally into Tacos.
At Moon Frye's house, tacos are a go-to weeknight dinner. "We love to cook and have family dinner together, and we'll often do something festive, like Taco Tuesday or Thursday," she says. Pasta is another close second, though once a week, she bypasses the kitchen and orders in or goes out to a restaurant.
"It's our splurge, and there's one rule: No gadgets allowed," Moon Frye says. "We all talk about what we're grateful for, and it gives us time to connect as a family, which is so important."
Thai, Chinese, Indian and Italian—particularly pizza—are family favorites.
She Has A Brilliant Use for Leftover Easter Candy.
After the holiday, Moon Frye melts down remaining chocolates and dips fresh fruit into it.
"We do tons of crafting at Easter, and we bake lots of cookies, but one of my favorite things to do is fruit dipped in chocolate," she says. "We go crazy in our house, dipping strawberries, grapes, all kinds of stuff, and then decorating them with sprinkles."
This Grocery Store Staple Always Reminds Her of Punky Brewster.
Plenty of scenes in Punky Brewster showed the star eating Ding Dongs, chocolate bars and packaged cookies—things Moon Frye never had at home.
"My mom was an amazing chef, and she cooked a lot from scratch," Moon Frye says. "We didn't really have things like [packaged sweets] in our house, so those kinds of treats really remind me of the show."
Boxes of donuts can also take her back to her years on the show. "They always had those big boxes of donuts; they were a classic staple of a crafts service table. Same with those platters of veggies with ranch dressing you'd buy in bulk."
When the cameras weren't rolling, she'd often grab lunch at the NBC Commissary, where Moon Frye went crazy for one dish in particular: grilled cheese and French fries.
"I'd go there and indulge," she says.
She's Glad She Ditched Her "WB Girl" Diet.
Moon Frye left her indulgent days behind her when she landed her role as Roxie King on Sabrina the Teenage Witch in her early twenties. "I was now more college-aged and starting to learn about my body," she says, explaining how her first visit to the WB left her with one lasting impression: Wow, those WB stars are fit.
"I was like, 'I'm going to get healthy and be a WB girl,' whatever that means," she laughs. "I would eat rice cakes with cream cheese and a slice of cheese on top, which is so funny to me now."
These days, her definition of healthy has less to do with rice cakes and is more about moderation.
"I try to find a good balance of protein and fruits and vegetables and carbs," she says.
And a little chocolate, every now and then.
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