Lisa Brisch, Certified Personal Chef, Dinner Thyme Personal Chef Service

OK. It’s that time of year – the end of an old one and beginning of the new. Instead of New Year’s resolution to lose X amount of pounds, why not try to eat better? It’s less restrictive than dieting and you concentrate on foods you should eat as opposed to what you shouldn’t eat.  As a result, you’ll lose weight because you’ll be eating smarter.

So where do you start?

How about breakfast? You do eat breakfast, right?
If you don’t, you should. Your body and brain need the fuel. Lean protein and/or whole grains are good choices. Eggs are great and are no longer considered a “bad” food. Have a batch of hard-boiled eggs in the fridge for those fast – on the go breakfasts. I like to make muffins with whole-wheat flour, flax meal, and bran with some dried fruit. Muffins freeze well so having a dozen in your freezer means breakfast in a flash.

Lunch options may seem easy.  A salad at a restaurant or fast food place sounds ideal. But is it really? Unless you get the salad dressing on the side, you are getting more fat in your diet than you need. Make your own chicken salad – olive oil based with herbs and citrus – add some vegetables like green beans, asparagus, or bell peppers, and serve over whole grains like brown rice, barley, bulgur, or quinoa (not really a grain but a seed). Sub the chicken with tuna or shrimp. Change the grain, the vegetable, the dressing and you have so many possibilities.

Dinner is always the hardest especially if you are feeding a family. At the end of the day, you’re probably tired and hungry. You’re susceptible to eating a few cookies or chips (or the whole bag – I’ve done it) before even starting dinner. Ideally, you should eat every few hours so you are never overly hungry. Having a plan can help. Know what you are cooking for the week and make sure you have everything on hand to get dinner on the table. Buy your non-perishables on your regular shopping day plus perishables (vegetables and proteins) that will be eaten within 3 days. Make quick stop midweek for the rest of your perishables. So what about healthier eating? Where does this fit in? Well, by cooking mostly from scratch you’re already ahead of the game. Here are some tips to consider when planning your healthy meals:

• Use less butter (a little is great for flavor) and more olive oil.
• Choose lean protein – chicken (white or dark – dark is “fattier” but it’s still lean and I think it tastes better and doesn’t dry out), turkey, pork tenderloin, flank steak, top sirloin, fish, shrimp, scallops, crab, tofu.
• Use seasonal vegetables and fruits – they taste better when they are in season although some are grown year round, like broccoli.
• Incorporate whole grains – start with half “white grain” and half whole grain if you think it will take some time to get used to it.
• Limit the use of processed foods – canned soup and sauces – read the label – pay attention to sodium and fat.
• Use full flavored cheeses in small amounts instead of bland tasting fat-free “cheese”.
• Eat a salad before dinner.
• Jazz up a salad with different greens – spinach, arugula, baby lettuces – and add toasted nuts, dried fruit, and some full flavored cheese – goat, blue, feta.
• Make your own vinaigrettes – they’re easy and so much better than bottled dressing.

You might be thinking this is all great information but you have no time to plan because of your family and work obligations. If there were just 3 more hours in the day. Consider getting help from a personal chef. A chef can help you make that conversion to eating healthy by doing the planning, shopping, and cooking for you. All you have to do is heat and eat.

Testimonials:
“I’ve lost 26 pounds since December 1st!!!! I’ve been going to the Weight Watchers meetings (before I was trying to follow the program but without going to the meetings). I honestly don’t know how people who don’t have someone like you can plan and cook low points meals every night. You are a godsend.”     ~ Robin K.

About Chef Lisa

Lisa Brisch is the chef/owner of Dinner Thyme Personal Chef Service www.dinner-thyme.com. Chef Lisa, a transplant to Middletown, DE from Phoenix, AZ, started her customized cooking business in February 2000 while in Phoenix and introduced her service to Delaware in early 2002. Dinner Thyme offers customized meal service for those individuals and families who are too busy to cook, don’t like to cook, or don’t know how to cook. Chef Lisa is able to provide optimal results by inquiring about your likes and dislikes and any specific dietary requirements you may have. From this information, she develops a personalized menu for your approval. Chef Lisa comes to your home armed with groceries and cooking equipment and prepares personalized meals in your own kitchen. Each meal is labeled, packaged, and stored in your refrigerator and freezer with detailed reheating instructions to ensure your satisfaction. She graduated March 2001 with highest honors from the Art Institute of Phoenix culinary program. She also has a B.S. in General Business from Arizona State University.  Brisch belongs to the United States Personal Chef Association, a leader in the personal chef industry, and became a USPCA Certified Personal Chef (CPC) in December 2001. Her CPC designation is an industry endorsement of professional expertise, showing her commitment to excellent customer service. She is also a member of Women Chefs & Restaurateurs and is president of her local USPCA chapter, Mid-Atlantic chefs.

For more information, contact Dinner Thyme at 302-275-7401 or
email Lisa at lisabrisch@verizon.net.