Healthy Cooking for the Unhealthy Eater

I've recently made the decision (for the hundredth time) to count my calorie intake and output and loose some weight and get back into shape. I've also made the decision that it's past time I put my considerable cooking skills to good use to aid me in this endeavor. I made an A in every class in culinary school... except for Nutrition. Why? I'm a lover of all things full of fat and flavor. Fat = flavor, and you can't convince me otherwise. It's a struggle for me when cooking to reach for the olive oil and not the European butter. Heavy cream will beat Greek yogurt every time. Deep fat frying is superior to almost any other cooking method. I reject the notion that something that is nutritionally balanced and "healthy" can also taste fantastic. These are my deep-seated cooking philosophies.

Time to change my philosophy, and convince my taste buds to follow. The fact is that if I continue to eat my full flavor fatty foods, I will be in big trouble within the next few years (as will most of us!). The amazing metabolism I enjoyed in my teens and early twenties has officially left the building. I can work out like a fiend and not loose a pound. The key to finding the level of fitness I desire is clear: changing the way I eat and focusing on health and nutrition, without sacrificing flavor and the foods I love. To be clear, I wont be dieting. I won't be covering meals and eating plans that are low carb, sugar free, or fat free. I believe that a balanced diet that focuses on a wide variety of foods, even some traditionally seen as unhealthy, is much more conducive to creating a healthy lifestyle that can last a lifetime. This means I won't throw out my butter or heavy cream, but I will be reaching for the olive oil and yogurt a bit more often.

The purpose of this blog is multifaceted. I've had very little motivation to cook since leaving my career as a professional chef. If I continue eating out at restaurants (especially with the lack of late night dining options in Fort Mill), I won't achieve my goals for calorie intake and nutrition. So, it's time to dust off the cutting board and sharpen my knife. Having the responsibility to update this blog with meals I've cooked and snacks I've stumbled across will hopefully provide me with motivation to actually do it, even when it's easier to grab a burger at Steak n' Shake at 11pm. This blog will also force me to put forethought in to preparing meals that are healthy AND flavorful, and help me plan ahead (something I'm not a huge fan of). Lastly, by sharing some recipes that get gold stars in my book for being low calorie, nutritious, and yummy, hopefully I can help my friends who are on the same journey as I am and we can all reach our goals of being swimsuit models. Or, maybe just loose a few pounds and live a healthier lifestyle.

I plan on posting a few times a week whenever I create something (or buy something) that scores high in the nutritious and delicious departments. I'll do my best to include a photo of the finished product as well as a vague recipe (I'm not a follower of recipes) and the nutritional low-down for the meal. As a bonus, almost everything I share will be pretty quick and easy to prepare, or able to be prepared ahead of time and put together within a few minutes. Wish me luck as I venture in to this uncharted territory of healthy cooking and healthy living!