Donald Trump is on his way back to the White House … and his former chef hopes he cuts back on the crap and really takes eating healthier seriously.

Chef Andre Rush tells TMZ … 78-year-old Trump is not the man he was in 2016, and it is imperative he eats better to make sure he’s as healthy as possible for his age, and the demands of the job.

And, if DT is not going to do it on his own … it’s up to the kitchen staff to get creative when it comes to meals — basically, tricking him into eating healthier via tasty dishes, AR tells us.

Chef Rush — who also served in the administrations of Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama — says the first time around, DT loved munching on a burger, often. He was also a big fan of steaks, tacos and meatloaf … all washed down with a Diet Coke.

From what AR recalls, the prez-elect never had any outlandish requests … his favorites were mostly classic Americana, which he scarfed down at dinner — rarely ever eating breakfast or lunch.

To his credit, one of Trump’s other favorite dishes was salmon … which Chef Rush hopes is still the case — with fewer fast-food requests.

As for whether he was ever asked to make a burger “like McDonald’s” … AR says it never happened, which is a good thing, ’cause he would have said, no … order out for that junk!