Ashanti Spills on Boyfriend Nelly's Signature Dish

The secret behind Ashanti's fabulous figure may just be that boyfriend Nelly isn't exactly what you would call a five-star chef.

"He makes good pancakes, but that's about it," the singer/actress, 28, told FOXNews.com at a charity event at Planet Hollywood in Times Square Monday.

Luckily, the "Resident Evil 3" actress knows her own way around the kitchen.

"I love to cook — especially during the holidays. I make a special orange chicken dish, mac and cheese, rice and beans ... all that good stuff."

But she still finds time to keep in top shape by making sure to squeeze in a workout or two.

"It's really hard this time of year," she said. "But I find ten minutes here and there to do some ab work or throw on a DVD while I get on the bike. You just can't think about it too much."

What is on the starlet's mind, however, is making sure that "kids that don't have as much as we do" still get to enjoy the holidays. So when the charity Edwind Gould Services for Children and Families (EGSCF) and Planet Hollywood asked her to help play Santa to a group of foster children, she says she jumped at the chance.

"I'm always down for a good cause," she told FOXNews.com. "It's important to give back."

But while the "giving back" came in the form of high tech robotic dinosaur toys she distributed to the kids, Ashanti says her fave childhood toys were much simpler.

"I liked My Little Pony and Rainbow Brite. Oh and I did like those Nintendo watches. Now those were high-tech."