Guy Fieri says he's a big fan of salad and CrossFit despite what people think

• Celebrity chef Guy Fieri said he is a "big salad fan" and tries to work out four days a week.
• The king of American comfort food told GQ HIIT training and CrossFit are "super important" to him.

Guy Fieri, owner of several barbecue and smokehouse restaurants, says he's actually a big fan of salad and works out four times a week in a GQ interview published Thursday.

The Mayor of Flavortown discussed his real-life diet, seemingly contrasting his public persona as the king of American comfort food.

"People always think that I must just eat deep-fried pizzas and cheeseburgers for lunch but I'm a big salad fan, big sushi fan, and Thai food fan," Fieri told GQ's Christopher Cason. "I typically cook every meal in the home. I don't eat out a lot because I'm usually on the road eating out."

It's not the first time Fieri spoke out about his healthier eating habits. He previously told Insider he's not a huge breakfast guy, but when he does eat in the mornings — "maybe twice a month" — he rotates between grits, granola, and juices made up of "kale, beets, spinach."

And not only is he a fan of leafy greens, but he also told GQ he's a big believer in high-intensity exercise and spoke about his regular workouts with trainer Scott Butler.

"CrossFit and HIIT training is super important to me," Fieri said. "I don't have a lot of time so I need to get that heart rate up, keep it up, and make the workouts count."

"I love to hike and lift weights, but I realized I'm not getting the most out of it if I don't do that interval training to get my heart rate up," he added.

When he's not out "on the road" working or making appearances at his restaurants, Fieri said he cooks at home. His eclectic cooking style can be "chaotic" for his wife Lori, who he's been married to for over 25 years, he told GQ.

"My wife doesn't always understand why I cook nine things and she's left with where to store it," he said.

But when it comes to leftovers, the chef told the publication the Fieri household is well-equipped with two fridges: one for the family and one for his "experiments."

"We have the family fridge, which is on the right-hand side of the kitchen. That's where the condiments and normal stuff is," Fieri said. "On the left-hand side, that's my fridge and that has all the experiments, the things that are brining, pickled, or left over when I thought it was a great idea to make turkey pastrami."