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Meghan Markle has told MasterChef Australia audiences that she encourages her children to 'pick' fruit from their garden when Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, ask for dessert.
During the episode, which was broadcast Down Under on Sunday, the Duchess of Sussex, 44, described the sprawling garden in their £23million Montecito mansion as a 'nice luxury'.
The former Suits actress shared she is trying to foster healthy eating habits in both her children by sending them out to 'pick a nice piece of fruit' after dinner.
'The kids are great eaters, we're very lucky on that front,' Meghan told judges Jean-Christophe Novelli, Poh Ling Yeow and Sofia Levin.
'The kids jump in a lot, especially with the garden,' she continued. 'I think it's such a nice luxury to be able to have so much space and things to cook.
'If they say "Mama, can I have dessert?", we say "If you can pick it, you can have it,' Meghan said with a flourish, when Sofia interjected with: 'You can't pick chocolate!'
'No, you can't pick chocolate, but you can pick a nice piece of fruit,' Meghan retorted, before seemingly backtracking to clarify 'we always have a nice, as my husband would say, pud' or pudding.
Meghan has previously revealed Archie and Lilibet, who were recently reunited with their grandfather King Charles in the UK, sell produce from their garden at a local farmer's market so that they understand the 'value of things'.
Meghan Markle told MasterChef Australia audiences that she encourages her children to 'pick' fruit from their garden when Prince Archie , seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, ask for dessert
The former Suits actress shared she is trying to foster healthy eating habits in both her children by sending them out to 'pick a nice piece of fruit' after dinner. Pictured: Archie and Lilibet on an Easter egg hunt in one of Meghan's holiday snaps from April
In an interview with British-born fashion entrepreneur Emma Grede, the Duchess said she tries to keep her children grounded by getting them to do gardening, admitting they are 'very lucky' to live in a 'privileged' home.
Meghan was one of the guests on Emma's 'Aspire with Emma Grede' podcast last June, when she revealed: 'We grow a lot of veggies. We sometimes do a little farmers' market stand.'
The Duchess also revealed that she and Harry want Archie and Lili to know the value of money.
She said: 'There's a cost and a price for things, and I think that's key for children to understand, especially children who are very lucky to have a home that has privilege, you need to know that just like manners, and taking care of the things around you, there is a value on things.
'Gardening is really, really so great for children because it teaches them patience and teaches them to value and appreciate their food.'
Elsewhere during Meghan's MasterChef guest spot yesterday, the Duchess shared that Prince Harry, who surprised Meghan with a FaceTime call while she was judging the final dishes, is 'a real meat and potatoes guy'.
When asked about his spice tolerance, Meghan confirmed the duke can 'handle a really good curry' when quizzed about her family's food habits.
The moment on Sunday night's episode came when series judge Jean-Christophe asked Meghan about the dish she loves cooking at home most.
Meghan replied: 'It's a tough one because I have a lot of palates to appease. My husband, being from the UK, loves a lot of meat, potatoes, cream sauce.'
'As a California girl, I like a grilled fish, grilled meats, citrus. I just like using lots of really pure natural herbs and spices. I like heat in my food, anything with spices.'
After trying a contestant's celeriac-based dish, Meghan, who refers to Prince Harry as 'H', said: '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.'
A producer then said: 'Sorry to interrupt. We've had a phone call to the studio,' as Meghan proceeded to FaceTime Harry as a treat for the Australian viewers.
In what has been labelled by fans as a 'cringe' cameo, Meghan said 'My husband's here', prompting cheers and shocked faces from contestants.
Meghan with MasterChef Australia judge Poh Yeow Lin on last night's episode
'G'Day! What's going on? Have I interrupted something important here?' Harry joked.
'Well, we are actually in the middle of tasting all the dishes. We have four incredible cooks here! It's amazing, they are so talented!' Meghan said.
'I can see the chandeliers in the background; they look very nice... wonderful!' Harry said.
He then asked to see the contestants' dishes and Meghan panned the camera over them.
'I wish you could try these. These dishes are fantastic,' she cooed, before showing him the food. Harry signed off by telling her to enjoy it, adding: 'Very sorry to disturb.'
During last night's episode, contestants were asked to transform one of Meghan's handpicked ingredients into a dish 'fit for a duchess'.
The 'bounty' included Australian honey, macadamia nuts, citrus, edible flowers and celeriac, as well as Brussels sprouts when Meghan boasted Archie and Lilibet had no problem eating the divisive food.
'My kids eat Brussels sprouts,' Meghan told the judges, before Levin added 'that's impressive'.
The Duchess, whose Netflix series With Love, Meghan was recently nominated for a Daytime Emmy, also had a few words of wisdom for the contestants as she acknowledged 'there is a lot of pressure in this kitchen'.
'I don't like to cook that way, I like to cook in a really relaxed fashion,' she continued. 'So, all I can say to the competitors was to just remember to have fun, to keep a sense of humour about it, and to cook from the heart'.
Meghan added that 'food and cooking are how I show my nurturing and love for my friends, family and my kids' in another sweet nod to her and Prince Harry's children.
She told the contestants: 'The hope is that you'll really hone in on one [item] as your hero item. These are all things that, for me, feel really nostalgic. And I love if there's a connection that you can find when, as you're cooking something, you ask: what is the story behind it? It almost feels like an heirloom, right? What is something from your family or from a memory, something sentimental that we can also taste as we taste your dish?'
Meghan has said her love of good food and Australia were the two reasons she chose to be a guest judge on the country's biggest cooking show.
'What attracted me to the MasterChef Australia kitchen? Two things: my love of food and my love of Australia. It was an easy yes,' she said in a press release announcing the broadcast date.
'It's such a great show. I'm just really honoured that I was asked to be here with you and to be able to judge some of these meals.'
Meghan earned a surprise Daytime Emmy nomination for her Netflix cooking series With Love, Meghan, eight years after she reportedly 'politely turned down' an invitation to the awards.
She launched the first series on the streaming platform in March 2025, alongside unveiling her lifestyle brand As Ever.
A second series and Christmas special followed, with the mother of two offering hosting tips and cooking lessons from a rented multimillion-dollar mansion near the Montecito home she shares with Harry.