Ellie Krieger is a world renowned dietician, author, and the host of Food Networks hit television show “Healthy Appetite.” Krieger has come a long way since her start as a teen model for Wilhelmina Modeling Agency, and has turned her love of nutrition into a household name. Krieger has written four books, two of which have become New York Times bestsellers, and have won her numerous awards and nominations. Not only is Ellie a champion of health for women, but she has also done a considerable amount of work to improve the health of our country on a national and state level. From her work alongside Michelle Obama, in the 2009 “Lets Move” campaign, to her help in reforming school lunch menus for students of New York City. Krieger has made it a priority to teach and inspire all people to live healthier lifestyles.
With this month being American Heart Month, Krieger sat down with TheCelebrityCafe.com to talk about her role in creating heart healthier meals for all women, and her partnership with Campbell’s Soup. She even let us in on a few of her world famous “Ellie Tips” and spills the beans on one of her new heart healthy recipes. Not only do her tips inspire heart healthiness, but what is good for your heart is good for your entire body. Your skin, nails, hair—all of it! Ellie dishes on ways to protect your heart and not sacrifice flavor.
TCC: Why is it especially important for women to maintain a heart healthy diet?
EK: Most people don’t realize that heart disease is the number one killer of women. One in four women dies of heart disease. So it’s really important to recognize this, to have that awareness, and to make changes in your life that are heart healthy—and start now. Because the sooner you start the better… the way you eat can make a huge difference in heart health. So bringing attention to that is really important. I wanted to share with you this fabulous recipe that I have: Campbell’s Chicken with White Bean and Vegetable Simmer. A perfect way that you can eat heart healthy— and do it in a way that you can really manage on a really busy day. (See video below for recipe)
TCC: You use Campbells products a lot in your recipes. What does Campbells do to promote Heart Healthiness within their products?
EK: Campbell’s has had a long standing commitment to the American Heart Association. [Campbell’s has] 80 different products that have the American Heart Association Seal. Which means it meets those specific standards: being low in sodium, having nutrients that support heart health, like their tomato soup which is a good source of Vitamin C, for example. They have really been tremendously committed to this effort and to promoting and raising awareness for women’s heart health.
TCC: How do you bring all of these facets of heart healthiness into play on your Food Network show Healthy Appetite?
EK: Oh gosh! Well the thing is— I mean the funny thing is, what’s good for your heart is good for every cell of your body. So the same sort of eating that’s good for your heart, is also good for your skin, is also good for your energy level, is also good to prevent cancer. The good news is that not everyone has to be on a different plan, it’s all the same good food that helps you thrive. So I bring that to the table, literally, in my work; in my cookbook, in my shows, and so on. So that’s really what it’s all about: to eat so that you can enjoy life, you enjoy the meal, and then you enjoy life in general and you can have it all in that regard.
TCC: You mentioned that starting the sooner the better, and I know you worked alongside Michelle Obama in the “Let’s Move” Campaign, and you’re a mom yourself. So how should parents begin to instill healthy choices in their children at an early age?
EK: I think making family meal time a priority is really important, and this is one of the dishes that my family really loves. Also getting kids involved in the kitchen. Bringing them to the store and letting them pick the vegetable at the market so that they can get involved in those kinds of decisions. Maybe even as they get older let them choose the recipe to cook and talk about which recipes are best, which may be healthiest for you. And actually there is a lot—a whole slew of heart healthy recipes on campbellskitchen.com. So that’s one great resource. For kids starting habits early, this is when you really form habits when you’re young. Isn’t it great to not have to break bad habits, instead start off with great habits? Just exposing them, you know, and not giving up; maybe your child might not like something on the first bite, but research shows that it takes about twelve tries of a new food before a child will like it. So really without getting stressed out about it or showing any anxiety, just put it out there, and encourage them to try it with no forcing or pressure, because there tends to be a lot of battles with kids—they love a power struggle! So just pull out of that, put it out there, and make meal time a joyful experience in your home and that will go a long way.
To see the live interview, and learn how to make Ellie’s recipe for Campbell’s Chicken and White Bean Simmer watch the video below!