Ok, so everyone is asking me, "Angela - do you eat?  How can you write recipes, teach classes with Baked Brie en Croute, Baklava and Creme Brulee L'Orange and never eat it??  You have to taste as you go if it's going to be any good!"  There seems to be this myth that if you are a chef, you can't be thin.  It's even a myth that if you want to be thin, you can't eat good food - YIKES!   

So, here is what everyone wants to know...are you ready?  Well....yes, I eat!  And yes, I eat the recipes I write, I taste them and test them and those from the classes I teach - how else would I know they are any good?  But, to be 5'9" and just under 135 pounds, it seems impossible, right?  Well, it's not and I'm going to tell you how I do it.  And for the record, 131 pounds is my ideal body weight, but I'm a little over and fine with it.

  Yep...that's another one.  Love yourself! 

Moderation is key.  Yeah, I know.  When you're looking at a large order of fries or a great piece of chocolate cake, you wonder, "How can I NOT eat that?"  Well, my guess is that eating patterns are off.  A day in the "eating" life of the Kook:

1.  Breakfast

Breakfast is KEY.  Start your day off right!  I have two eggs, one piece of whole grain toast and a bit of jam.  Or, I have pancakes I make with wheat flour, flax seed, blueberries and top it with a bit of agave nectar rather than maple syrup and it's SO good - and better for you than maple syrup.

But on a budget?  Flax seed?  Wheat flour?  What will I use blueberries for besides pancakes once a week or less often than that?  Brings me to my next point...

2.  Snacks

You have to snack throughout the day or you will gorge yourself on lunch and dinner.  I eat until satisfied and then snack an hour or two later when I am hungry again.  Those blueberries?  Use your blender or immersion blender (I LOVE mine, btw) and mix a tablespoon of agave nectar with a cup of yogurt, 1/2 c. blueberries and 1/4 c. strawberries and 1/4 c. water.  Delicious and filling AND healthy!  Have healthy snacks ready.  Smoothies, trail mix, crackers with a nice cheese (just enough to take the edge off - we're not eating lunch at 10 AM!)

Doesn't that smoothie look great?!

3. Lunch

What to do for lunch...hmm....Well, don't let that yogurt go to waste if you don't want your snack to be a smoothie everyday!  Use a cup of yogurt, chopped chicken (I poach several chicken breasts at the beginning of the week), chop some grapes and throw in some basil and slivered almonds and you have a GREAT chicken salad for a sandwich or to throw on top of a bed of mixed greens.  Get creative and use what you've got so that eating healthy isn't expensive!

  Healthy DOES taste good and LOOKS great!  Don't you agree?

4. Snack

Again, I might have a smoothie (put it in a thermos to stay cold and keep it in a lunch bag with a frozen cold pack).  Or, have veggies like celery with peanut butter.  Got a craving for a cupcake or candybar?  Eat almonds and raisins instead and you'll be stunned - the craving for those refined sugars and carbs goes away!

  Dried fruits and nuts are filling and help take away your sweet tooth!

5. Dinner

You should keep your meat to 3 ounces (the size of your palm).  Have a cup of green veggies and a starchy veggie (corn or root veggies, for example) and if you like bread, eat just a bit and wait to eat the bread until you are half way through the meal so that you don't fill up on bread.  Eat only until satisfied and snack before bed.

  Even if it's fish - 3 oz!  Even this is a bit too large.  Veggies are perfect!

6.  Snacks before bed?

Yes, eating many times throughout the day keeps your metabolism going and it teaches your body to eat when hungry rather than when you are upset, anxious or bored.  Popcorn makes a great snack or baked crackers with cream cheese and sliced cucumber.  There are so many options!

Also, my habits around eating are very structured.  I never eat in front of the television.  You don't keep track of how much you are eating and often you don't even realize WHAT you are eating.  When I eat out, I ask for a to go box at the beginning of the meal and box half of it immediately so that I'm not tempted to eat more than I need.  Dessert?  I treat myself once a week and I don't eat the entire pint of ice cream, the entire piece of cake or pie.  I eat enough to enjoy it without thinking, "Oh gees...I'm miserable now!" Or I share it!

So, can a chef be skinny?  Of course!  I exercise too, but mostly it's eating in moderation that keeps me the size I am comfortable with and once you get into a routine, watch the pounds drop and you'll start thinking, "Wow, this wasn't so hard after all!"