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Besides being Food Network stars, there aren’t too many things that the Barefoot Contessa Ina Garten and Rachael Ray have in common. While Garten is known for creating fancier, more gourmet fare, Ray made her career creating no-fuss menus meant for busy people who wanted to get dinner on the table in 30 minutes or less.

That’s not to say that one style is better than the other — both women have impressive followings and their unique recipes appeal to different tastes. But there is one very important life detail that both Rachael Ray and Ina Garten share that most people probably don’t realize.

Ina Garten and Rachael Ray
(L-R) Ina Garten | Mike Smith/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images; Rachael Ray | D Dipasupil/Getty Images

Neither Rachael Ray nor Ina Garten has children

Both Food Network hosts and cookbook authors openly share details about their private family lives. And one interesting commonality is that both women decided to focus on their careers rather than motherhood.

That dedication to work has certainly paid off. Both Ray and Garten achieved success in their fields and even without kids, both have been super busy promoting their products and whipping up delicious recipes fans can’t get enough of.

Rachael Ray says she loves keeping busy

During an interview, Ray admitted that she can’t stand sitting still. “Relaxing freaks me out. … It just freaks me out. I’m not good with the calm … I’m high-strung … I’ve been in a knot since birth. I want to stay that way,” she said.

And all that energy is currently channeled into books, shows, a magazine, TV shows, and multiple product lines. Her busyness is also a huge reason she decided to skip having kids.

“I work too much to be an appropriate parent,” she told People. “I feel like a bad mom to my dog some days because I’m just not here enough. I just feel like I would do a bad job if I actually took the time to literally give birth to a kid right now and try and juggle everything I’m doing.”

Ray is married to John Cusimano and both have said they don’t feel like they’re missing out on anything, even without children.

Ina Garten appreciates having her freedom

The Barefoot Contessa and her husband Jeffrey have a sweet and loving relationship that would melt the cold heart of any cynic. One reason they have so much devotion to each other is the undivided attention they pay to each other.

Both were also on the same page about not having children. “We have more freedom because we decided not to have children—that’s made a huge difference,” Garten revealed to People. “Every year for many years we had that conversation. It would keep coming up and we would say, ‘Oh, let’s just wait.’ Eventually, we said, ‘What are we still having this conversation for?’”

Besides not having children, both Ray and Garten are also beloved Food Network hosts with successful product lines and legions of devoted fans. They may have chosen a different path compared to many others, but they’re happy and thriving just the same.

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