Sophia Bush reveals EXACTLY what she eats in a day - and how she manages to keep healthy on set while surrounded by junk food

She's a co-founder of a perfume brand with an impeccable sense of style on and off the red carpet.

But fashion and beauty are far from the only loves in Chicago PD star Sophia Bush's life.

The former One Tree Hill actress, 34, has lifted the lid on her eating habits and her passion for food, revealing the nine secrets she uses to stay healthy when surrounded by junk food on set. 

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Sophia Bush, pictured here in May, has lifted the lid on her eating habits and her passion for food, revealing the nine secrets she uses to stay healthy when surrounded by junk food on set

'Sets are literally the worst place on the planet for willpower,' she told Delish. 

'There's donuts everywhere. There's candy everywhere. There's Doritos everywhere.' 

However, she does admit she tries to make time to prepare her own dishes so she can take them on set.

Her passion for food is reflected on her Instagram page, which reveals how she likes to take photos with her favourite US chefs.

Sophia, pictured here at a Pride event in June, likes to take pictures of herself with chefs, admitting she 'shamelessly fanboys' them

After a recent visit to Chicago's Leña Brava, she wrote next to an image of herself with its owner, US celebrity chef Rick Bayless: 'I shamelessly fanboy chefs.

'The foodie in me loses all ability to be "cool" and I tend to babble about how their creativity inspires me and why. 

'When a chef I love also happens to have the sickest eye for design, and explains his beautiful restaurant to me in intricate design terms, my heart and brain basically explode simultaneously.' 

So what does the food-obsessed brunette beauty, once famously married to fellow One Tree Hill star Chad Michael Murray, actually like to eat?

Here are Sophia's nine secrets to how she stays healthy at work and home. 

Sophia, pictured right at a New York Fashion Week dinner last year with Jamie Tisch (left) and Monique Lhullier (centre), said it's difficult to stay healthy on set as she's surrounded by junk food

NO DAIRY 

Sophia, who co-founded perfume company I Smell Great, said she cut out dairy from her diet because it made her feel unwell, causing stomach problems and exacerbating her asthma.

But she does make exceptions when she feels it's worth it.

'Last week, a bunch of our cast and some of our writers went out to [LA restaurant] Mozza, and I ate—I swear to you—my body weight in burrata, and was like, "byyyye! I don't care, keep it coming!'" she told Delish. 

'Dairy does weird things to your body, and your lungs, and it's the same reason I don't eat as many nightshades [food group including aubergine and tomatoes], because they cause inflammation.'  

Sophia, pictured here at the White House Correspondent's Dinner in April, opts for scrambled eggs in the morning and soup for lunch when it's cold outside

SCRAMBLED EGGS FOR BREAKFAST 

Dairy free means Sophia can't eat cereal or yoghurt for breakfast.

Instead, she opts for scrambled eggs in the morning, either making it herself or from a healthy dining cafe in LA, where she orders organic eggs with bacon, sausage and scallions on gluten-free toast. 

SOUP FOR LUNCH WHEN IT'S COLD

The chestnut-haired actress said she always takes soup on set for lunch after the temperature drops below zero.  

MEAL PREPPING

The star has joined the meal prep craze taking Instagram by storm, confessing she makes big batches at home so she can eat them at work.

She often makes large, hearty portions of meals like shepherd's pie and turkey stew to warm her up while filming in chilly Chicago. 

Sophia has been eating bone broth since before it was trendy, saying she and her family used to cook it. She uses the bones from the turkey she cooks for her favourite turkey stew

SHE'S ALWAYS LOVED BONE BROTH 

Bone broth has been hailed by celebrity cooks like the Hemsley sisters for its supposed stomach-soothing properties.

But Sophia said she and her family have been making it for years, long before it was cool.

She makes it using the bones from the turkey she cooks for her favourite turkey stew. 

SEAWEED IS HER SNACK 

Sophia can't live without a pack of seaweed snacks in her bag.

She said she chomps through boxes at a very quick pace.

Sophia, snapped here with an iced beverage in LA in July, only has tea after 12pm after cutting down on coffee

NO COFFEE AFTER 12PM 

Sophia has been making a few changes to her diet to try and live healthier, and that includes cutting down on her favourite morning drink: coffee.

She now has one or two cups in the morning before switching to tea after 12pm.

She said she made the switch as she often doesn't feel well if she drinks coffee all day. 

SHE DOESN'T STICK TO ONE DIET  

Despite her problems with dairy, she revealed she doesn't want to adopt any strict diet like a dairy-free or gluten-free lifestyle, as it's too restrictive.

Instead she said she is now paying more attention to what she puts in her body and how that will make her feel, letting each meal inform her next one.  

LIGHTER FAVOURITES

Sophia said she grew up cooking classic Italian meals, which are not always the healthiest.

But now she's taking tips from a chef friend on how to make dishes such as risotto much lighter, using ingredients like vegan cheese.