Kym Johnson Just Told Us the Breakfast Smoothie She Makes Every Morning—Her Kids Love It, Too

You may know her from her reign as a professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars (both the American and Australian versions), but Kym Johnson has a new project up her sleeve. You can watch Johnson starring alongside NeNe Leakes and Denise Richards in the Lifetime original movie Hunting Housewives, premiering this Saturday, March 9. 

“It's a really fun movie,” Johnson tells EatingWell. “It was so much fun to make, and I think people will enjoy watching it too. I think it comes across on camera the connection that we all had together, especially the girls.”

We had the chance to talk to Johnson herself about the drink she swore by on set, plus her morning and evening routines and favorite sneakers, in this exclusive interview. Read on to find out her favorite workout gear and her go-to weeknight dinners she enjoys with her family—aka her twins and husband Robert Herjavec of Shark Tank fame.

EatingWell: While filming Hunting Housewives, did you have any favorite drinks that helped keep you energized?

Johnson: I love drinking hot water with lemon and especially on this particular set, we were out in the woods and we were sitting around campfires. And so my throat was getting really sore, I think from the smoke. I was drinking a lot of hot water with lemon and honey, which I think is always good when you're on set anyway.

EatingWell: Do you have a morning routine that you stick by?

Johnson: I start by drinking room-temperature water every day because it's beside my bed anyway. And then I have to have a coffee, but I put collagen powder in it and it's become a ritual. I make a nice breakfast smoothie for the kids and for myself with lots of spinach in it. I add blueberries, bananas, some strawberries—we all have that drink in the morning. I think it's a good way to start the day, and quite often I'll have my banana pancakes that I make with just one banana and one egg. You mix it together, put coconut oil in the pan and that's it. They're the best and it's an easy go-to breakfast, with a bit of Greek yogurt on top and some berries. That's something the kids love to help me make as well.

EatingWell: How about your nighttime routine?

Johnson: I like to drink peppermint tea or some sort of herbal tea at night, just to sip on that if we're sitting around watching TV. I decided on New Year's Eve that I didn't want to drink alcohol anymore. I drink sparkling water, but at night I like to just sip on some tea. Sometimes I'll do bone broth. Broya is my favorite—I'm not sponsored by them or anything, I just love their bone broth! So sometimes instead of the tea I'll have that at night just to sip on it, or I'll have it for lunch.

EatingWell: Favorite pair of sneakers for when you’re exercising or walking?

Johnson: The New Balance 327s. Oh my God, they are the best sneakers ever. They're amazing and are so comfortable. They're sort of like a lifestyle sneaker, but they're also great to run in and to hike in. They're good for everything, I live in them. I have them in every color.

EatingWell: Any other favorite workout gear?

Johnson: I love a legging with a pocket for the phone. If I go shopping for leggings and there's no pocket, I can't get them. I need leggings with pockets; when I put my phone in one pocket and my credit card in the other, we're good to go.

EatingWell: Are there any favorite weeknight dinners that your family is loving right now?

Johnson: I'm trying to get [the kids] involved in cooking more. My son still doesn't love to eat raw vegetables, so they still have pureed veggies. We’ll make it into a nice soup, but it's so bizarre because they'll eat that but not hard, proper vegetables. I try to sneak them into other things, but I want them just to eat actual bits of broccoli and carrots and stuff like that. They love tacos. We'll put everything out and go along like a buffet so you can make your own wraps. The kids are really into that, so that's a really fun night. My daughter loves a nice, petite filet—she's a bit fancy. They’re partly Australian, so they do like a sausage roll or a little meat pie. That’s a very Australian thing. I'm just trying to get them to cook with me, which I think is really good. We make healthy muffins and things like that together.

EatingWell: Favorite snacks that both you and your kids enjoy?

Johnson: They love fruit, any type of fruit they're obsessed with, so that's really good. That's always a go-to snack, they just love plain cheese and crackers with fruit, and they have that when they get home from school. They love baked chickpeas for a little snack too, I love those. Baked snap peas, they love those as well. 

EatingWell: What does “eating well” mean to you?

Johnson: I keep saying to my kids that we need to have all the colors of the rainbow on the plate. That's what we try to make meals about. I think that that's like a good way to live, to look at your plate and you've got some greens, you've got different colors and lots of fruit and vegetables. That's what I'm trying to teach my kids, and when I eat that way, I feel better as well.

Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited for clarity and length.