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

Jaime Ruiz knows all about food, or the lack of it. As a contestant on Season 44 of Survivor, Lewis quickly learned that tribes have to fend for themselves and survive on the land.

Lewis started a new series on his Instagram account, showcasing different ways to prepare the dishes he ate during his time on the hit CBS series.

The 38-year-old was quick to dispel rumors that cast members were secretly fed food behind the scenes. In previous seasons before the “new era” began in season 41, contestants were given rice from the beginning, but this was not the case in Lewis’ season.

While participating in Survivor, contestants were given a “survival” guide that showed them what they could and could not eat on the island. From there, Lewis was able to identify the various elements and ingredients needed for cooking.

“I studied plants and then started forging and hunting. You become more part of the island than people realize,” she tells PEOPLE. “When you wake up at sunrise and go to bed at sunset, your body begins to transition into this natural state.”

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

“Finding the coconuts was the easiest part, but finding the papaya trees was a different story. Many of the items, I want to emphasize this, are minimal,” she added, noting that the already limited supply had to be divided among multiple people.

“This is the first coconut we’ve opened and we’ll be splitting it between six people. We know we’ll probably only have five coconuts in the pile, but we’re hoping to have one for lunch, one for dinner, and one before the next day’s challenge,” she continues. “And if you don’t consume coffee or food, you’re expected to feel great.”

“After the first day, you’ll see that we’re not here to eat out. We need to be serious about this and be smart about this.”

In addition to gameplay and strategy, Lewis says contestants also need to consider aspects of their diet. Contestants do not want themselves to be in charge, hoard food or look out for other players, but at the same time they have to check their own mental and physical health.

During the weeks of competition, Lewis ate mostly coconuts and papaya. In rare cases, her tribe was able to catch and cook crabs. On the fourth day, she added worms to the menu.

“The first few bugs do give you a boost,” she admits. “According to our survival guide, 70% of it is protein. It’s strange how such a small insect can fill you up. Instead of chewing, I swallowed it. I would gulp it down with water to fill my stomach.”

“This is part of what I love about being on the island. I loved foraging for food, cooking, and finding ingredients to put together,” she added. “It’s been a lot of fun to be creative and it’s a relief from the reality that I’m still starving.”

“It’s interesting what the brain does when it doesn’t have anything,” Lewis said.

“Humans are very creative by nature,” she says. “When you’re activated, you’re out there creating, living, and surviving. This is the true survival aspect.”

When all the tribes merged, they shared recipes and knowledge, as well as the custom-made food items each had in their camp. Some tribes had access to limes and chili peppers and used them as seasonings. However, as the number of people increases, the amount of rations will become even smaller.

“Coconuts were down, papayas were down. At that point we were rationing majors,” she recalls. “The potion size will be even smaller. But you will have the ability and opportunity to get a reward, which is also a reward.”

Lewis said nearly all of the contestants reach a point on the island where they’re “hungry and not hungry.”

They were so dependent on all the food that Lewis says that when Matt Blankinship was voted off the island, the other contestants had to find a way to get his papaya back, which they did.

In the middle of the season, a new world opened to the contestants when they were presented with rice.

“When I get rice, it’s fun because it gives me more to eat. It’s a very bland, delicious, filling carbohydrate, so from the first bite, I felt like myself again,” Lewis says. “That’s when it started, ‘I’m playing a game right now,’ because I’m eating right now.”

There was always an opportunity to win a challenge and get a meal from the challenger, but this came with the drawback of eating too much quickly and feeling sick afterwards. Each reward had to be received with care. Then, during the game, a point came when the participants lost their appetite for rice, despite hunger.

After being voted off the island and having the torch extinguished, Lewis headed to Ponderosa, where he was reunited with previous contestants who had also been voted out. Once on the boat, she was given a Hershey’s Kiss, which she said was the “tastiest” thing she had ever eaten.

“It was the most divine chocolate kiss I’ve ever had in my life. It was so delicious,” she says. “I get excited the moment I first touch my tongue. It’s so delicious. Then we got on the boat and ate nine more.”

When she arrived at Ponderosa, she ordered her first real meal in 25 days, requesting a cheeseburger and fries. When Lewis returned to the United States after the show ended, he readjusted his daily diet. However, Lewis says, “I didn’t want any of our survivor items, especially papaya and coconut.”

“The thought of coconut was enough to make me gag. It took me a year to be able to eat coconut again,” she says. “Then I put it back into my diet, and it was papaya and whatever else was out there. It took me a year to be able to eat papaya and coconut again. That’s why the[Instagram]series was delayed and why it sparked something in me to create it.”

Lewis points out that the contestants often talked about food, even though they didn’t eat enough on the island.

“Every season of ‘Survivor,’ we talk about food when we’re on the island. That’s the topic of conversation,” she says. “You’re talking about recipes and restaurants. It’s such a cool, fun topic. It’s always on your mind. You want everything.”

Still, when Lewis looks back on his time on the Fiji islands, he fondly remembers the food and how everyone used their imaginations to create delicious meals.

She has connected with current and past Survivor hopefuls and participants through the Survivor Food Series. Since then, she’s shared recipes for coconut “popcorn,” spicy lime-coconut mocktails, and sautéed papaya. She even decorated her Christmas tree with food ornaments to celebrate her time on the show and the food she ate.

“For me, food is like a connection between community and relationships. This series is really fun for me, sharing how I use food to connect with people and how I did it,” she says. “Food is a big part of that, and the ingredients and experience are so unique that we’re excited to share them with you.”