Former ‘Survivor’ Contestant Makes Recipes Inspired by Show (Exclusive)

Jaime Ruiz knows about food, or rather, the lack of it. As a contestant on season 44 of Survivor, Ruiz quickly learned that the tribes must fend for themselves and live off the land.

Ruiz has started a new series on her Instagram account, showcasing different ways to prepare the foods she ate during her time on the hit CBS series.

The 38-year-old was quick to dispel rumors that cast members were secretly given food behind the scenes. In previous seasons, before the “new era” began with season 41, the contestants were given rice from the start, but that wasn’t the case for Ruiz’s season.

During her time on Survivor, contestants were given a “survival” guide that indicated what they could and couldn’t eat on the island. From there, Ruiz could identify the different elements and foods she’d need to cook.

“I studied the plants, and then we started forging and hunting. You become part of the island in more ways than people think,” she tells PEOPLE. “You’re up with the sunrise, you’re going to bed at sunset, and your body starts to shift into this natural state of being.”

Once she and her tribe set up shelter, they gathered coconuts for fuel. 

“Finding the coconuts was the easiest part, but spotting the papaya tree was a different story. A lot of the items, and I wanna emphasize this, are minimal,” she adds, noting that the already limited supply had to be split among multiple people.

“Our first coconut that we open, you’re splitting it by six people. You know you only have a pile of maybe five coconuts, and you want to have one for lunch, one for dinner, and one before the challenge the next day,” she continues. “Add to that not having coffee or food, and you’re expected to be in your best mood.” 

“After the first day, you realize that we are not eating out here. We need to get serious and be smart about this.”  

Ruiz shares that, aside from just gameplay and strategy, contestants have to think about the food aspect. Contestants don’t want to be the ones taking charge, hoarding the food or not being mindful of other players, while at the same time, they have to check in with their own mental and physical health.

During the weeks-long competition, Ruiz mostly ate coconuts and papaya. On the rare occasion, her tribe was able to catch and cook a crab. On day four, she added worms to the menu. 

“The first couple of worms, they do get you energized,” she admits. “They’re 70% protein, according to our survival guide. It’s weird how you get satiated from that little worm. I did the swallow method, not the chewing. I would chug it with the water and try to fill my stomach.”

“This is the part of being on the island that I love. I loved foraging for food, cooking food and finding ingredients to put together,” she adds. “It was so fun to be creative, and it takes you out of the fact that you’re still starving.”

Ruiz notes that it’s “interesting what your brain does when you’re out there with nothing.”

“Inherently, we’re so creative as humans,” she says. “When you’re activated, out there, you’re creating, living and surviving. This is the true survival aspect of it.”

When all the tribes merged, they shared recipes and knowledge, as well as bespoke food items they each had at their own camps. One tribe had access to limes and chilies, which they used as seasoning. More people, however, meant even smaller rations.

“The coconuts dwindled. The papayas dwindled. We were rationing major at that point,” she recalls. “Your portion sizes get even smaller. But you have the ability and the chance to go to rewards, which again is a reward.”

Ruiz says nearly all the contestants get to a point on the island “where you’re so hungry that you’re not hungry.”

They relied on every ounce of food so much that Ruiz says, when Matt Blankinship was voted off the island, the other contestants had to find a way to retrieve the papaya in his possession — and they did.

Midway through the season, when the contestants received rice, it opened up a new world for them.

“We get rice, and then it’s fun because you get more food to eat. It’s such a bland, yummy, filling carb that, in that first bite, I got my personality back,” Ruiz says. “That was when it started, ‘Now I’m playing the game.’ Because now I’m eating.”

There were always opportunities to win challenges and earn meals from the challenger, but this came with the downside of overeating too quickly and feeling sick afterward. Each reward had to be taken with caution. Then, there came a point in the game where the contestants lost their appetite for rice, despite their hunger. 

After being voted off the island and having her torch snuffed, Ruiz traveled to Ponderosa, where she reunited with previous contestants who had also been voted off. When she got on the boat, she was given a Hershey’s Kiss, which she describes as “the most delectable” thing she’s eaten.

“It was the divine chocolate kiss that I’ve ever had in my life. It was so yummy,” she says. “You are in overdrive on the first touch on your tongue. It is so scrumptious. Then, I had nine more on the boat ride.” 

Once she got to Ponderosa, she ordered her first real meal in 25 days, requesting a cheeseburger and fries. Once Ruiz returned to the United States after the show was over, she readjusted to eating her everyday foods. However, Ruiz shares she “did not crave any of our Survivor items,” specifically papaya and coconut.

“The thought of coconut was gag-worthy. It was a year before I could eat coconut again,” she says. “Then I added it back to my diet. It was the same with papaya and anything that we had out there. It took a good year before I was able to eat papaya and coconut again, which is why the [Instagram] series was delayed and why it sparked something in me to create it.”

Ruiz notes that despite not eating full meals on the island, the contestants frequently talked about food. 

“When we’re on the island, every season of Survivor, you are talking about food. That is the topic of conversation,” she says. “You’re talking about recipes, restaurants. It’s such a cool and fun topic to connect with. It’s always on your mind. You crave everything.” 

Still, looking back on her time on the islands of Fiji, Ruiz thinks fondly of the food and how they all used their imaginations to make good meals.

Through her Survivor food series, she has connected with both current and past Survivor hopefuls and participants. She has since shared recipes for coconut “popcorn,” spicy lime coconut mocktails and sautéed papaya. To celebrate her time on the show and the foods she ate, she even decorated a Christmas tree with ornaments of the foods.

“Food is such a connector in communities and relationships for me. This series is so much fun for me to do, sharing how we leveraged food to connect with people, and how I did it,” she shares. “Food is a big part of it. I’m excited to share with everyone because the ingredients and experience are very unique.”