The Good Fat and Bad Fat Dilemma: the problem may just be too much food

 In a most recent food research study done by Martijn Katan ( Professor of Nutrition at the University of Amsterdam), suggests that saturated fat (fat found in meat, butter, and dairy) may not be as bad for your heath as you think. Of course, don’t go celebrating by eating a whole stick of butter. The whole purpose of the study was to challenge the idea that doctors have told us our whole lives to replace saturated fats with unsaturated fats, but after all the problem may not be the fat but how much we eat of it.  The problem with past studies is that they were unable to find the link between the bad fat (saturated fat) and the increase of cholesterol. Now, that both fats cause cholesterol to increase is beyond doubt. The study found that in the end the problem is not that fat itself, but how much we eat of it. Food is cheap and access to it is easy. Most of our important occasions or celebrations involve food. For many, food may even be used as a pastime. We are surrounded by food and tempted by it. That’s what is making us fat and our cholesterol high. So make the right choice and control your eating.

Here at Atlanta Personal Chef Service, we cook healthy and tasty meals. Quit going to restaurants every night. The amount of sodium that these places add to their food is in ridiculous amounts and they do that with reason. They must preserve the food and salt is the best way to do that. Here at Atlanta Personal Chef Service, our chefs go grocery shopping everyday in order to bring our clients fresh produce. We are here to help you maintain good heath without giving up on taste. Right now we serve cities around Atlanta including Marietta, Roswell, Buckhead, Dunwoody, Vinings, Brookhaven, and other cities surrounding Atlanta. We do weekly meals, dinner parties, cocktail parties, and more. So, contact us and find how we can help you eat right. Find us on Facebook.  

Three Simple steps to Keep/Maintain a Healthy Brain

The brain is the most important organ of the human body and of all animals as well. In fact, the brain is so important that Doctors only declare when someone is dead when their brains are no longer working or considered “dead.” The brain is the pilot. It’s where all commands takes place. A person can live with an arm or a leg, but no one can live without a brain. Being the most important of all human organs, it would be wise to treat the brain with such importance.

Atlanta Personal Chef Service is here once again to teach you simple steps, so that you can maintain a healthy brain now as we age.

1. Exercise: Exercise should be of no surprise. Every study about maintaining a great heath, exercising is always one the most important things anyone can do. According to Laura Baker (Associate Professor of Internal Medicine-geriatrics at the Wake Forest University of Medicine in North Caroline), “Most studies find a lower risk of dementia over time for people who exercise or are lifelong exercisers versus those who don’t. If you are sedentary, blood doesn’t get to the far reaches of those small vessels. These are the areas that support the kind of executive function that’s vulnerable to aging.” What is great about exercising is that it improves your heath in many levels, including stress, blood flow, cholesterol and many more.

2. Keep an eye on your blood pressure. People that have high blood pressure have higher risk of having strokes (when the blood supply gets cut off, thus affecting the levels of oxygen that reaches your brain, which causes brain tissue to die). A few ways to lower the blood pressure is by exercising, maintaining healthy diet and medication if necessary.

3. Use your brains: Many studies have shown that there is lower risk of Alzheimer’s symptoms and dementia in people that have higher education, read books, work on professional occupations, and are involved with activities that stimulate the brain (puzzles, playing games, attend classes).

Other steps that it’s proven to help, but researchers are not 100% yet: Sleep, eating fish, drinking coffee, berries, and Vitamin D.

Atlanta Personal Chef Service is to help you maintain healthy diet, while eating tasty foods. Everyday our private chefs are cooking meals around Atlanta, Buckhead, Marietta, Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Vinnings, and Roswell. We keep up with the latest in heath and always informing our clients. Try us out and I’m sure you will not regret it. Contact us!

Anti-Cancer Foods

According to CDC (Center of Disease Control), the number one leading cause of death is heart disease; followed by cancer as the second. Cancer is one of those diseases that science does not fully understand yet. We don’t have a cure for it. The only thing we can do once the cancer is found is to remove it surgically and use chemotherapy to contain it, decrease it, and hopefully stop it from growing. Everyone can get cancer, from young kids to senior citizens. The best way to fight cancer is to prevent it in the first place. One of the best ways to do that is to fill your diet with anti-cancer foods. Atlanta Personal Chef Service is here to help you prevent cancer with the wholesome ingredients we use in our cooking that should be a part of every diet.

Garlic, Onions, Green Onions, Shallots, and Chives: Can all prevent cancer cell growth.

Tomatoes: Research shows that an antioxidant found in tomatoes (Lycopene, which is what makes the tomatoes have the orange pigment) reduces the risk of prostate cancer by reducing the cancer cell survival and reducing the growth of cancer cells.  Also, other tomato components have stopped lung and breast cancer cell production.

Dark Chocolate at least 70% Cocoa: There is no concrete evidence, but research shows there is a connection with dark chocolate (a daily treat of 1 ½ ounces) and preventing cancer.

Green Tea: It's one of those super foods that has great cancer fighting abilities.

Blueberries: Powerful phytochemical and anthocyanins  found in blueberries may prevent colon, prostate, breast, and mouth cancer.

Other great anti-cancer food include: Apples, oranges, grapes, strawberries, grape fruit, cherries, collard greens or any dark leaf greens, broccoli, seeds, wholegrains, winter squash, or any rich in color fruits and vegetables.

Remember: No single food component can prevent cancer, but it’s a combination of them eaten on a daily basis that can really make a difference.

Atlanta Personal Chef Service is here to make a difference in people lives by cooking with wholesome food that also tastes great. We have personal chefs in Buckhead, Dunwoody, Atlanta, Decatur, Marietta, Sandy Springs, Vinings, and other cities surrounding the Atlanta area.

Seasonal Menus at Atlanta Personal Chef Service

The fall is here and the Atlanta Personal Chef Service team is excited for a busy season of holiday parties, special occasion dinner parties, corporate events, and romantic dinners for two. We bring excellent dishes to dinner tables around Atlanta and the surrounding areas, including Buckhead, Marietta, Dunwoody, Vinings, Brookhaven, Decatur and Alpharetta. In the state of Georgia, fall offers seasonal ingredients such as apples, corn, eggplant, field peas, peppers, squashes, Vidalia onions, cabbage, pecans, sweet potatoes, arugula, beets and kale.  We update our menus each season to bring the freshest, healthiest, tastiest dishes to your dining room.  Contact us today to find out about our dinner parties and see our sample fall menu. Also, don’t forget to check out our Facebook page!

Sample Seasonal Starters:

Maple Bacon wrapped Shrimp with Butternut Squash Purée garnished with Fried Edamame

Goat Cheese Tart with oven roasted Tomatoes and Caramelized Sweet Onions garnished with Arugula tossed in Lemon Vinaigrette

Grocery Shopping with Atlanta Personal Chef Service

Have you seen Atlanta Personal Chef Service's team of chefs shopping in your local Publix and Whole Food's stores?  We do most of our shopping in the early afternoon hours, so that dinner is ready when you come home from work.  But we also shop over the weekends to get the freshest ingredients for our dinner parties around Atlanta.

Take a look at the photo's below as we follow one of our Personal Chefs, Kym, who joined the Atlanta Personal Chef Service team in early January.  Kym cooks dinner three nights a week for a family of four in Buckhead.  With two working parents, and two school-aged children, there's just not enough hours in the day to prepare healthy, home-cooked meals as well.  But you don't have to give up that family time of dinner each night.  For many families, its the routine of enjoying a meal together every night that binds the family together across everyone's busy schedules.  Our service allows busy families to return to the dinner table, and create a lifestyle of eating together, and eating healthy, tasty meals.

If you'd like to find out more about Atlanta Personal Chef Service, please visit our website here.  Take a sneak peak into one of Kym's latest shopping trips.  Menus are customized for each family at the beginning of each week, and chef's bring the menus to guide their shopping each day.  Of course, we also always select the freshest ingredients, so you'll always see seasonal items on the menus.  Here, Chef Kym is shopping in Publix, but we also shop at Whole Foods, Harry's, and some specialty stores on occasion.

Hire a Personal Chef to bring your Family Back to the Dinner Table

The summer months are just about over, that is if you have school aged children. The kids are getting ready to go back to school and that means even busier schedules, more transporting the kids around, and typically a heavier workload in the office. How do families these days find time to enjoy healthy meals together at the dinner table? Personal Chefs.

More and more families are depending on personal chefs to provide healthy, family meals one to seven nights of the week. With a personal chef, you don't need to worry about planning menus, going grocery shopping, following recipes, or cleaning your kitchen. All you need to do is show up, and enjoy the food, which is cooked in your own home.

There are a few different types of personal chef services, most notably the "fresh cooking" and the "freeze-and-go" styles. Atlanta Personal Chef Service cooks fresh, visiting clients homes every day the family plans to eat at home together. They start the day picking the freshest ingredients and then cook the food to be enjoyed that evening. "Freeze-and-go" personal chefs will visit a clients home less frequently, and one day may make up to five different entrees, which they will freeze for their clients later consumption. While this is typically the cheaper option, unfortunately the food isn't as tasty nor can it deliver the nutritional quality of fresh meals.

If you're worried that your family will be strapped for time this fall, and you're looking for a practical solution to bring your family together for home-cooked dinner every night, look no further than Atlanta Personal Chef Service. We have a team of professional personal chefs, who each hold a degree in the culinary arts and years of cooking experience, who can help bring your families back to the dinner table. Please contact us if you have any questions!

Açaí--is it worth the hype?

If you haven’t heard of açaí (pronounced ah-sigh-EE), the superfood which comes from the açaí palm, a tree native to the Amazonian rainforest, you certainly haven’t been keeping up on the latest trends in food. This deeply rich purple colored, grape-like fruit is high in antioxidants, vitamin C, and boasts many super power properties such as helping weight loss, arthritis, cancer, cholesterol levels, fight aging, and cardiovascular and digestive health.

Açaí is also rich in fiber, amino acids, and healthy fats, and chocked full of nutrients following the rule of other deeply colored fruits and vegetables--the richer the color, the more nutrients inside (think kale and blueberries, for example) The berry is also touted for its energy boosting abilities, making it a great pick-me-up snack for mid-afternoon.

Acai na Tigela served with banana, granola, honey, and of course, two spoons!

On my recent travels through Brazil, açaí was nearly everywhere, most commonly in a sorbet-like manner served “na tigela” (in a bowl) with sliced banana and granola, or as a juice. A picture of a typical “açaí na tigela” is to the right. What a delicious and tasty snack! I rarely saw a day go by on vacation without a sweet indulgence of açaí.

Like many other tasty fresh fruits, açaí is high in sugar, and for this reason should be consumed within moderation. This is a general rule of thumb that Atlanta Personal Chef Service advises their clients--enjoy all foods but in moderation. Açaí can certainly be incorporated into a healthy diet, but don’t be fooled for a minute thinking its going to add 10 years to your life or make your wrinkles disappear.

If you want to purchase açaí in Atlanta, it is becoming readily available in juice form in most large grocery stores. The juice is typically blended with other fruit juices, but also available as just açaí for a little bit more. You can also find the frozen pulp (which is great for mixing into smoothies) or taste the typical “açaí na tigela” pictured here in Brazilian grocery stores or eateries in the Marietta area.

If you ask me, “Yes, its worth the hype!” I you haven’t tried açaí yet, treat yourself one day.

How and Where to Buy Fresh Fish in Atlanta

As personal chefs here in Atlanta, we’re cooking fish on a weekly basis--if not more frequently. Its uber-important that we serve fresh and tasty fish to our clients. If you’re going to pay more for fish, make sure you get a great tasting fish by following these simple tips for purchasing fish.

First, only buy fish from a store that sells a high-volume of fish, thus helping to ensure that no fish stays on their shelves longer than a day or two maximum. When you approach the fish counter, it should, in no instance, smell like a briny waterfront. We recommend purchasing fish at Whole Foods, which has various locations around Atlanta. There are plenty of other suitable stores in the area as well, just make sure they are receiving fresh shipments daily.

When selecting the actual fish, it too should have no discernible fishy odor. Second, take a look at the eyes. If the eyes are cloudy looking, the fish has been sitting too long and should not be purchased. Make sure the skin of the fish looks bright and shiny--it should look a bit metallic. If the skin has lost its luster, don’t purchase it. Lastly, look for red gills, and move away from any fish with dark red or reddish brown gills, which indicates an old fish.

When selecting a fillet the fish should be moist, with a watery coating, but nothing that looks white or milky. This is a signal to steer clear. Also, touch the fillet to test for firmness and resilience. Your fingerprint should disappear on a good fillet. Of course, your fillet shouldn’t smell weird or fishy either.

Atlanta Personal Chef Service cooks fish frequently for both weekday meals and for dinner parties. Since we have a working relationship with the area Whole Foods, we always order our seafood in advance to ensure fresh fish, and enough of it. We special order the best cuts of the fish for fillets, so our servings are uniform, will cook evenly, and will look beautiful on the plate. You can easily pay well over $20 per pound for fresh fish, so make sure you know how to pick what will be the tastiest and freshest option. Fish is so versatile and so tasty, we hope this article provides you with the guidance you need to enjoy that fresh fish fillet!
Pictured below is seared halibut in a beurre blanc sauce served over homemade ravioli, which was served at a recent dinner party. For more information on our dinner party or weekly meal services, click here.

Seared Halibut served over Haricot Verts and Shrimp Ravioli

Fava Beans – Worth the effort!

The picture above shows grilled red snapper served over a fava bean sauce. So what exactly are fava beans?

Fava beans are fast growing legumes, bright green in color, that grow in pods about 5-8 inches long. They can be purchased fresh in some local grocery stores, but only during a short season in the spring. The beans, which are notorious for being difficult to prepare, offer a rich source of protein and a light, nutty flavor. Fava beans can be prepared into summer salads, sauces, soups, spreads, eaten alone with olive oil, salt and pepper, or many other preparation options.

The tricky thing about the fava bean is that they are a bit labor-intensive to prepare. When buying fresh fava beans, you must first remove the beans from the larger green pod. Each pod holds between 4 to 8 beans, which sit in a spongy white layer. Once the beans are removed from the outer pod, you’ll find they are still in a waxy type of layering, which also will need to be removed before eating. This layer can be removed using fingernails or a knife, or can be quickly steamed for easier removal. Once both outer layers have been removed, the fava beans are ready to be prepared according to your chosen recipe. Sometimes you may find pre-shelled fava beans in grocery stores, but be prepared to pay a bit more for these ones.

Atlanta Personal Chef Service enjoys preparing healthy and tasty foods for our clients, and fava beans are a favorite when they’re in season. Give them a try for yourself!

Mark’s Meatballs and Three Cheese Stuffed Zucchini

Mark's Meatballs and Three Cheese Zucchini

Tonight’s dinner entrée is both beautiful, healthy, and can easily be made gluten-free! These home-made meatballs have been named after Mark, one of our clients, since he requests them so often. Served with the meatballs are three-cheese stuffed zucchini. Preparing these zucchini “wraps” (should you be looking for a special name for them) deliver great taste and vegetables in a unique way. While traditional ravioli would be stuffed with a similar cheese mixture, we’ve replaced the carb laden pasta part with a healthy veggie alternative. And to pull together the entrée, the entire dish is served on a bed of homemade tomato sauce and then drizzled with fresh parsley.

Atlanta Personal Chef Service will help your family return to the dinner table by making tasty, yet healthy, meals like this one pictured for dinners during the week. We take the hassle out of dinner, without having to sacrifice taste or health, by choosing unique, sophisticated menus for our clients, and preparing each meal fresh right in their homes. Want to find out more about our weekly meal service? Read about it on our website here.

How do I find and hire a great personal chef?

Personal chefs are in demand as happy clients tell their friends about the great food and service their in-home chefs provide. They’re enjoying healthy, tasty meals without the stress of meal planning, grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning. Small wonder more and more Atlantans are choosing to outsource their cooking and spend more time with their families.

If you’re reading this, you’re likely exploring the personal chef option. But how do you find a great personal chef—one who’ll cook great food and also have a great working relationship with you and your family. A personal chef may spend many hours per week in your kitchen—your home’s nerve center. So you want to invest thought and effort into finding the right private chef.

Looking for a personal chef is not unlike looking for a good doctor. You’d prefer to have a friend recommend the trusty professional they’ve been using for years. But sometimes you can’t get a good recommendation. More likely, you don’t know anyone who’s already using a personal chef. In that case, the internet is a good place to start looking.

If you search “personal chefs” in Atlanta, you’ll get tons of results. It may be overwhelming at first, but look carefully at the following criteria:

1. Credentials. Anyone can call himself a chef, but if you’re paying someone to cook for you, you want a professional. Make sure the chef has some formal training-- ideally a degree in culinary arts. Professional training ensures mastery not just of cooking skills, but also of safe food handling and storage techniques.

2. Experience. Like anything else, kitchen skills improve with practice. Many chefs start their careers working in restaurants. Some have worked in the fine dining rooms of country clubs or top hotels, which demand excellent service and food presentation.

3. Meals. Read sample menus, and view on-line pictures of the chef’s dishes. Be aware that some websites don’t picture the chef’s own dishes, but use purchased images of someone else’s food or photos of colorful fruits and vegetables. If you’re going to be eating a chef’s food on a regular basis, make sure it looks appetizing and appealing. Also, consider how healthy the meals are. Does the chef use heavy cream-based food, or heavily breaded or fried dishes? Or does the chef focus on balanced meals, full of vegetables and cooked nutritiously?

4. Professionalism. Check whether your chef runs his business in a professional manner, is organized, and can be easily contacted. He or she should carry liability insurance to protect against the rare event of a kitchen fire or other potential problem.

Once you’ve narrowed your list, start calling a few of chefs to see whether they sound like someone you’d enjoy working with. Remember, this chef is going to be coming to your home on a regular basis, so should be friendly, polite and easy to get along with.

When you find a chef who seems promising, hire her to prepare a meal for you and taste the food for yourself. Chefs typically start a new client relationship by taking a food inventory. What are your food preferences, which foods you love, do you have any allergies, how much spice do you prefer, what foods do you avoid? A good chef will continue to learn about your food preferences and tastes as she continues to cook for you.

Finally, make sure you understand the type of service the chef provides. Some chefs come to your home once or twice a month. They prepare and freeze foods to be reheated later, which is also the more economical option. Other chefs will visit your home daily to prepare meals, so you’ll always be eating fresher and tastier meals and won’t be bothered with meal planning, grocery shopping and cleaning.

Hopefully this brief guide helps you to better understand personal chef services. You may even decide to join the growing ranks of Atlantans who have found—and hired—their own personal chef. We’re happy to help you with any questions. Want to share your comments? Please feel free to post them here. Bon appétit!

Deconstructed Salads: An Artful Food Experience

Trends are emerging among fine dining restaurants around the country to serve deconstructed salads (also referred to as decomposed salads). A deconstructed salad is like any other deconstructed dish; one that takes food and flavors that are normally served and eaten together, rearranges them, and serves them in a different manner. Deconstructed salads offer a fresh way to think of that sometimes overly typical array of lettuce, veggies and dressing. A deconstructed salad will oftentimes have different proportions of tastes (less lettuce, for example) and drastically changed appearance. The salad pictured below is a deconstruction of a typical summer salad, yet, it’s far from typical. Indeed, it is a work of art.

Deconstructed Salad

At Atlanta Personal Chef Service, we don’t just focus on serving healthy and tasty food, but we make sure that the food looks great as well.  Deconstructed salads are also a fun way to get the meal started at dinner parties, since the salads look so interesting and spark  conversation.  Visit our Facebook page to see more artful food presentations.

Juicin’ – The Latest Craze

I’ve heard of so many people who’ve taken to juicing in the past few months. I’ve heard of everything from a one day “cleanse” to a 30 day juice-only diet (popularized by the movie “Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead”), from citrus juice only, to anything you can put inside a professional $300 juicer. While fruit juice isn’t bad for you, many people misunderstand the contents of popular “juices” lining the aisles and fridge cases of our common grocery stores.

Juice bottles claim all sorts of things. “Heart-Wise.” “All Natural.” “Energy Boost.” “50% Less Calories.” But the reality is that these are just over-priced, over sugared versions of the true all-natural, low sugar, heart-wise, energy boosting option: water.

Juices that claim energy boosting features use caffeine from coffee beans – so why not drink the coffee itself and cut out the rest of the sugar and calories you’re in-taking with the juice? Juices that claim low calorie or sugar content are usually watered down versions of the original juice, with an artificial sweetener added. So why not drink half a cup of sugar, and half a cup of water instead, leaving out the artificial sweeteners altogether? All Natural claims are often quite misleading. If you pick up a sparkling blackberry drink that claims it is “all natural,” would you expect to see that a majority of the juice is actually that of grape and apple, both inexpensive and not-so-nutritious?

If you’re going to drink juice, then make it count. Fresh is best. Don’t spend an arm and a leg at the grocery store on juices that are full of waters and unwanted additional sweeteners. The best juices, according to a ranking done by Nutrition Action Newsletter, are carrot, orange, tomato, and grapefruit. But even 100% natural juices contain calories and sugar, and most people don’t adjust their food intake to compensate for calories consumed in liquids. For this reason, its recommended to drink about 6 oz of fresh fruit juice per day, and avoid all those over-marketed juice claims in the grocery store.

At Atlanta Personal Chef Service, we always strive to inform our clients about healthy eating habits. Some of our clients do enjoy juicing fresh fruits and vegetables, and we encourage that, and will even assist in buying fresh, seasonal produce and preparing it by washing and cutting. However, many attempted juice diets fail because they result in a high-sugar, high-calorie intake – just the thing you want to avoid when dieting. So instead of dieting, incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables in a healthy way into your normal diet, and if you do choose to juice, do so in moderation. If you’re looking for a personal chef to help you maintain a healthy diet by preparing wholesome and nutritious meals, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Homemade Chicken Stock -- Why its worth the trouble

For many people, the thought alone of homemade chicken soup is soothing to the soul.  Especially in the fall and winter time, its a dish that can warm you up quite nicely from the inside out.  We've all heard how chicken soup is great for those who are sick with a cold or the flu, but chicken broth itself is in fact an ideal food to intake regularly, mainly for its many health benefits.

There are so many dishes which call for chicken stock, and many folks don't even realize it.  Many soups, risottos, chicken pot pie, stir frys, and other chicken dishes all call for chicken stock.  While you can buy chicken stock in the store, there are a few drawbacks.  First, the chicken broths are typically made in such a way that the true nutrients of the chicken bones aren't maximized.  Also, they are lacking in taste, and extremely over-priced when compared to making it at home.  Further, be always cautious of the sodium content in store bought chicken broths.  Often, the store bought stocks are full of salt, MSG, or other additives to enhance the coloring or mask the poor taste.

Making homemade broth is downright more nutritous and comes with many health benefits.  Calcium as well as other minerals are extracted through the chicken bones during the simmering process.  For those people who do not consume much calcium through dairy products, broth offers another healthy and natural method to improve bone health.  The broth also aids the digestive system, liver function, and overall joint health.

Another benefits of homemade broths are that it enhances the flavors of any homemade dish.  Store-bought broths don't come close unless you pay top dollar for the more natural offerings.  At Atlanta Personal Chef Service, we always prioritize both the flavor and nutrition of every dish.  Our chefs will make homemade broths to use in those recipes which call for broth.  Your personal chef will typically make large batches of broths at a time, and freeze the leftover broth for use in future dishes.  Stored properly, frozen broth can last a few months in the freezer, without losing nutritional quality or taste.  While many people simply don't have the time or know how to prepare their own broths, they end up losing out in taste and nutrition in their diets.  When you have an Atlanta Personal Chef preparing your meals, you won't miss out in either.  To view some of our sample menus, click here.


 

Meaty facts on US Protein Consumption

The Nutrition Action Newsletter ran a very interesting article last year about how protein over-consumption is negatively impacting the environment and our natural resources.  According to the article, the US produces over 9 billion animals for food each year. (That breaks down to 100 million pigs, 35 million cattle, and over 8 billion chickens.)  While the animal meat does provide our population with needed protein, as a society we are severely over-eating protein, and not consuming the best kind there is.

The average male intakes 70% more protein than is needed on a daily basis.  For women, the over-consumption is at a rate of about 25%.  And, most of our protein comes in the form of animal products, whereas we could be easily getting more protein through vegetables, nuts, and other non-animal meat sources.  There are a few problems with over-eating animal protein.  First, it causes a drain on our nation's resources, since it takes significantly more water per pound of protein compared to the water required to generate an equivalent amount of non-animal protein.  When you think of the water that it takes to grow enough grain to feed to the 9 billion animals we eat each year, you'll start to get a sense of impact on our water supply.  Further, the animal waste generated by the large amount of animals, is now a major pollutant in our land's water, soil, and air.  Animal waste was once a great source of fertilizer, but this much only becomes a pollutant.

While the article explains the movement of "Meatless Mondays" as one way to remind us to consume less protein and help the environment, that is just one possible action to take.  At Atlanta Personal Chef Service, we serve only the highest quality meats, and in healthy portion sizes.  Our conscious decision to make smarter,  healthier choices, not only benefits your health, but it also controls food cost, eliminates wasted food, and helps the environment.

Grilling – Another Great Option for Healthy Eating

Atlanta Personal Chefs love to grill!  Grilling is tasty, low-fat, and with a gas grill, relatively easy to clean up afterwards.  With various options including citrus marinades, cedar plank fish, grilled veggies, or even fruit, the grill never gets boring.  Keep these tips in mind to maximize your grilling experience:

• Marinade!  Not only do marinades add tastiness and tenderness to grilled meats, they are also a key component to reducing cancer causing agents which can form on meats when they become charred.  This happens when fat from the meat drips and causes flare ups, which temporarily overheat the food on the grill, causing charring.  When this does happen, be sure to cut off the charred part of the meats so they are not ingested.
• Variety!  Think outside of the box and past your meat-only tendencies.  Corn on the cob, sliced peppers, onions, and pineapple all make for great grilled treats.  I continue to come across recipes for grilled pound cake with grilled peaches, but have yet to give it a try myself.
• Herbs and Spices!  Using herbs and spices such as sage, thyme, basil, and oregano is a health-friendly way to infuse great flavors into your meats without adding unnecessary calories.  Using herb and spice rubs is also an effective way to reduce the formation of those cancer-causing substances mentioned earlier.
• Choose Lean Meats:  When you’re grilling, the heat of the grill will naturally bring out the best in taste and tenderness of your meats.  A lean cut will taste great on the grill, and your body will thank you as well.  If you do have a piece of fatty meat, be sure to cut off any excess before you take it to the grill.
• Maximize the grill:  Understand that all surfaces on your grill don’t heat evenly.  Cooking wisely, you’ll utilize the right heat zones to control the speed of cooking and the temperature of your grill surfaces.  Areas closest to the source will be the hottest, and those further away, or elevated, will be cooler, and are often ideal for your more tender items, like your vegetables.

Atlanta Personal Chef Service loves to incorporate grilling into the diets of our clients.  For those clients who have easy access to a grill, we’ll prepare great grilled dishes that are healthy for you as well.  

Personal Chefs will help you eat more fish – But not too much!

Fish is a welcome addition to your weekly diet, when, like so many folks, your main protein staples are chicken and beef.  Not only are chicken and beef most readily available in restaurants, they are both simple to prepare.  But the benefits of incorporating fish into your regular diet are numerous, and for these reasons, everyone should eat fish, in moderation.

Seared Salmon over Citrus Quinoa with Snap Peas

Fish provide a rich source of protein.  While fish may or may not be less fatty than certain cuts of beef or chicken, they contain healthy fats that will also help lower your cholesterol.  Curious about Omega-3 Fatty Acids?  Many people will take Omega-3 supplements to improve heart health, but why not just incorporate fish into your regular diet?  This is an essential fatty acid for your body to have and a prolonged lack of it could cause health issues.  Many cultures rely heavily on fish, and fish is often associated with longevity.

The only real concern with eating fish is the high levels of mercury that some fish contain.  The FDA recommends that children and pregnant women eat no more than two servings of fish per week, since very high levels of mercury can eventually cause kidney and brain damage.  Among the fish low in mercury are oysters, scallops, clams, salmon, and whitefish.  Some higher in mercury include grouper, sea bass, and tuna. 

As with most things in life, fish should be consumed in moderation.  Atlanta Personal Chef Service recommends incorporating fish into their client’s weekly diets.  While individual preferences vary, our chefs are skilled at preparing tasty dishes ranging from scallops to salmon, shrimp to clams, and more.  Remember, we’ll repeat the meals you love, but if you’re not crazy about it, we’re constantly researching recipes to find the ones that match both your tastes and your bodies’ nutritional needs.  Check out some of our sample menus here.

Quinoa – The Cherished Incan Superfood

You’ve probably heard of quinoa by now.  But what exactly is it, and what makes it so great?  Quinoa was once revered by the Incans living in the Andes Mountains.  This grain (in fact, it is really a seed) contains all eight life-sustaining amino acids, including lysine, which is lacking in many other grain crops.  Quinoa also delivers a great source of protein.  In one cup of cooked quinoa, you will find 8 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber.  All for about 220-calories.  Quinoa is also low on the glycemic index, a 35 compared to brown rice’s 50 and whole wheat pasta’s 40.  This means that your body will increase its blood sugar levels slower when eating quinoa, making you feel fuller, longer.  

Quinoa is cooked similar to rice, and its faint nutty flavor can be boosted by cooking it with some olive oil, or adding some vegetables or chopped nuts to the dish.  It’s a great choice for both vegetarians (with all its extra protein) and for those on a gluten-free diet (since it contains no gluten or wheat).  Next time you’re thinking about making rice, swap in quinoa instead, for a healthier choice.

At Atlanta Personal Chef Service, we often include quinoa in our menus. Our clients love it, and we know you will too! Check out our sample menus here.