What Christopher Meloni Eats Every Day on the Set of Law & Order

Christopher Meloni has played NYPD detective Elliot Stabler on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit over the course of 26 years, making him one of the most recognizable faces on TV.

And while an actor's life can have a glamorous side, it can also be hard work, with lots of long days on set. To make sure he has plenty of energy to get through those 14-hour days, the 64-year-old actor has a very specific eating plan, which he recently shared with Men’s Health.

"My lunch is usually ground chicken, brown rice and spinach," he said. "As a matter of fact, when I'm working, that is really basically all I have—and it's called the 'Meloni Meal.'" But Meloni’s lunch isn’t only about function: The iconic actor shared that he adds a secret ingredient to really make it pop. “You put Worcestershire sauce on it," he said. "That's the secret."

Even though this meal sounds slightly intense, there’s a reason why Meloni is so consistent with his lunch. Read on to learn more.

Related: What Walton Goggins Ate on the Set of White Lotus Season 3 To Transform Into His Character

What Makes Christopher Meloni’s Law & Order Lunch So Special?

Meloni has this meal dialed in from a nutrition standpoint. Ground chicken is a lean meat, delivering nearly 20 grams of protein per serving without a lot of fat. Brown rice is packed with magnesium and fiber for blood sugar control, while spinach delivers lots of antioxidants and iron.

While Meloni acknowledged that he eats healthfully to try to look a certain way to play a convincing tough detective for TV, he also shared that he’s keeping some potential health issues in mind, too. “I have almost pre-diabetic numbers. I have almost high cholesterol numbers,” he said. “So, I have to juggle the correct kinds of foods, but I have to ingest enough calories to push the weight that I need in order to maintain whatever this thing is.”

It should come as no surprise that Meloni likes his dinners to be filled with whole foods. Meloni shared that he’ll usually have a “disciplined” meal of ground turkey, fish or chicken, with rice, spinach, asparagus, or Brussels sprouts. “I'm just not partial to really fatty meats—I like a filet mignon as opposed to a prime rib," he added.

Related: Keanu Reeves’ Favorite Sandwich is So Relatable

😋😋 SIGN UP to get delicious recipes, handy kitchen hacks & more in our daily Pop Kitchen newsletter🍳

How to Make Christopher Meloni’s Law & Order Lunch

Not only is Meloni’s meal really nourishing, but it’s also really easy to make. Brown rice can take a while to cook, so it’s helpful to start with that first. (If you're a fan of meal prepping, you can make a large batch and save the rest for later.) Boil the rice in lightly salted water on a stovetop or use a pressure cooker to get the job done faster.

Next, sauté ground chicken in a pan. For an extra bit of flavor, you can add some fresh garlic and a bit of olive oil to the pan. Add a little salt to the mixture and add other seasonings as you'd like.

Related: Bruce Springsteen’s Favorite Sandwich is Surprisingly Relatable 

Meloni didn’t specify if he cooks his spinach or not, so you have options there. While you can nestle your rice and chicken on top of a bed of fresh spinach, it’ll really taste amazing if you saute it with garlic and olive oil first. We're also not sure exactly how Meloni serves this trio, but we'd suggest making a rice bowl with the brown rice as a base, followed by the chicken and the spinach.

No matter how you serve it, it’s good to know that Detective Stabler approves.

Related: The Surprising Two-Ingredient Breakfast Clint Eastwood Eats Every Day