Meghan Markle Reveals Her Approach to Desserts, Gardening, and Family Life During MasterChef Australia Appearance

Meghan Markle has shared details about the way she encourages healthy eating habits for her children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, during her guest appearance on MasterChef Australia. The Duchess of Sussex explained that when her children ask for dessert, she often encourages them to choose fresh fruit from their family garden at their Montecito home.

During the episode, which aired in Australia on Sunday, Meghan spoke about the benefits of having a large garden at the couple’s California property, which has been described as a luxury that allows the family to grow their own food and spend more time outdoors.

The 44-year-old former Suits actress told the judges that gardening has become an important part of family life and that her children enjoy being involved with the process of growing and preparing food.

“The kids are great eaters, we’re very lucky on that front,” Meghan said while speaking with judges Jean-Christophe Novelli, Poh Ling Yeow, and Sofia Levin.

She explained that Archie and Lilibet often participate in gardening activities, adding that having enough outdoor space gives them opportunities to learn about food and cooking.

“The kids jump in a lot, especially with the garden,” she said. “I think it’s such a nice luxury to be able to have so much space and things to cook.”

Meghan then described a family rule she uses when her children request something sweet after dinner. She said she encourages them to choose something they can pick themselves from the garden.

“If they say, ‘Mama, can I have dessert?’ we say, ‘If you can pick it, you can have it,’” Meghan explained.

However, judge Sofia Levin jokingly pointed out that chocolate cannot be picked from a garden.

“You can’t pick chocolate!” Levin responded.

Meghan laughed and clarified her point, saying that while chocolate is not an option from the garden, fruit is a healthier choice.

“No, you can’t pick chocolate, but you can pick a nice piece of fruit,” she said.

She later added that the family still enjoys traditional desserts, joking that they “always have a nice, as my husband would say, pud,” referring to Prince Harry’s British expression for pudding.

Meghan has previously spoken about involving Archie and Lilibet in gardening as a way of teaching them responsibility and appreciation. She has revealed that the children sometimes help sell produce from their garden at a local farmers’ market because she wants them to understand the value of hard work and everyday items.

In an interview on Emma Grede’s podcast, Aspire with Emma Grede, Meghan explained that gardening helps children develop patience and respect for food.

“We grow a lot of vegetables. We sometimes do a little farmers’ market stand,” Meghan shared.

She said that because her children are growing up with significant privilege, she believes it is important for them to understand that possessions and opportunities should not be taken for granted.

“There’s a cost and a price for things,” she explained. “Children who are very lucky to have a home that has privilege need to know that there is value in things.”

Meghan added that gardening teaches children important life lessons, including patience, gratitude, and appreciation for where food comes from.

During her MasterChef Australia appearance, Meghan also discussed Prince Harry’s food preferences and revealed that her husband enjoys traditional British meals.

When asked about the type of food she likes to prepare at home, Meghan explained that cooking for her family involves balancing different tastes.

“It’s a tough one because I have a lot of palates to appease,” she said.

She described Harry as someone who enjoys classic comfort food, saying that as a British person, he appreciates dishes involving meat, potatoes, and creamy sauces.

Meanwhile, Meghan said her own California background influences her cooking style, with a preference for grilled seafood, fresh ingredients, herbs, spices, and bold flavors.

“As a California girl, I like grilled fish, grilled meats, citrus, and using lots of really pure natural herbs and spices,” she explained.

Meghan also revealed that Harry enjoys spicy food and can handle a good curry.

During one tasting session, Meghan commented on a contestant’s celeriac dish and said it reminded her of an elevated version of the kind of meal her husband enjoys.

“I mentioned my husband was a real meat and potatoes guy. This feels like the most elegant, elevated version of that. H would love this dish,” she said, using her nickname for Harry.

Moments later, viewers were surprised when Harry appeared through a FaceTime call during the episode.

A producer interrupted Meghan to announce that there had been a phone call to the studio. Meghan then revealed that her husband was joining the conversation, creating an unexpected moment for contestants and viewers.

“My husband’s here,” she said, prompting excitement from those in the kitchen.

Harry greeted everyone warmly, jokingly asking whether he had interrupted something important.

“G’Day! What’s going on? Have I interrupted something important here?” he said.

Meghan explained that they were tasting dishes prepared by the contestants and praised the chefs for their creativity and talent.

Harry commented on the impressive surroundings and asked to see the dishes being prepared. Meghan showed him the food through the camera and told him how much she wished he could taste the creations.

After briefly chatting with the contestants, Harry ended the call by wishing Meghan well and apologizing for interrupting the cooking challenge.

For the episode, contestants were challenged to create dishes using ingredients selected by Meghan. The ingredients included Australian honey, macadamia nuts, citrus fruits, edible flowers, celeriac, and Brussels sprouts.

Meghan surprised the judges by revealing that her children happily eat Brussels sprouts, a vegetable that many children traditionally dislike.

“My kids eat Brussels sprouts,” she said, with judge Sofia Levin responding that it was impressive.

The Duchess also offered advice to the contestants, encouraging them not to become overwhelmed by the pressure of the competition.

She said that she prefers cooking in a relaxed environment rather than treating it as a stressful task.

“I don’t like to cook that way. I like to cook in a really relaxed fashion,” Meghan explained.

Her advice was to enjoy the process, maintain a sense of humor, and prepare food with genuine passion.

Meghan said cooking has always been one of the ways she expresses care and affection toward the people closest to her.

“Food and cooking are how I show my nurturing and love for my friends, family, and my kids,” she said.

She encouraged contestants to focus on creating dishes with personal meaning and emotional connections, suggesting that food can tell stories and preserve memories.

Meghan explained that the most memorable dishes often have a deeper connection to family traditions, personal experiences, or meaningful moments.

The Duchess said her decision to appear on MasterChef Australia was influenced by two major factors: her passion for cooking and her affection for Australia.

She described the opportunity as an easy decision and said she was honored to participate in the popular cooking program.

The appearance follows the success of Meghan’s Netflix lifestyle series With Love, Meghan, which features cooking, entertaining, and hosting advice. The show received recognition with a surprise Daytime Emmy nomination.

The series was launched alongside Meghan’s lifestyle brand, As Ever, and later expanded with additional episodes and holiday content.

Through her various projects, Meghan has continued to focus on themes of family, food, creativity, and creating meaningful experiences at home. Her MasterChef Australia appearance gave viewers another look at how she approaches cooking, parenting, and everyday family traditions.