(You have the chance to win her cookbook at the end of this post!)
As I chatted with Ellie, I was able to watch her live on video which was super cool! You may see the video of Ellie chatting with me below.
Isn’t she so warm and kind? I was a little star struck!
I was told I had 15 minutes to talk with Ellie about healthy eating and jotted down a bunch of the questions you guys submitted for me to ask her. You may see the questions I asked in the video below, along with a summary of her answers since I know that videos sometimes don’t show up the best, depending on your internet connection.
- What are your tips for great skin?
Ellie says that so many things go into having good skin, including sleeping and eating well. She says that the research is really strong saying that foods that are rich in antioxidants and healthy fats are great for your skin. She also tries to stay out of the sun.
- What are your thoughts on high-protein diets? Is getting enough protein a concern of yours?
Ellie said that protein is important, but emphasized that there are a lot of great non-meat sources for protein, including grains, nuts, dairy and beans. Ellie said that one cup of milk has as much protein as an egg, adding that people may be eating more protein-rich foods than they realize. She encourages people to look at all the ways to get protein into your diet, including those from non-meat sources.
- What is your go-to easy meal to prepare on a hot summer day?
Ellie said she loves putting out a spread of salads and different nibbles, including a bulgur salad, sliced tomato drizzled with olive oil, shrimp cocktail or anything cold or room-temperature.
She also mentioned a recipe for a pita pizza made in the toaster oven that sounded fantastic!
Start with a whole wheat pita and tear it in half, spreading the two halves with ricotta cheese. Add sliced grapes on top and place the pita pizzas in the toaster oven until the edges of the pita get a little crispy. Then drizzle honey and lemon juice over the cheese and grapes, adding a sprinkle of fresh basil at the very end.
- What does your workout regimen look like?
Ellie said she has a “minimum” in her head of doing something active three days a week and loves to take her workouts outside. She lifts weights, does yoga at least once a week, runs, and loves spinning as well as biking, walking and hiking outside.
- Do you have any tips for healthy eating while dining at a restaurant?
Ellie recommends picking a restaurant that specializes in preparing food with local produce or has a chef that leans toward healthy cooking. She often checks the menu of a restaurant she’s planning to visit online before she goes, so has an idea about what to order ahead of time. Ellie also tries not to dig into the bread basket right away, but says that if she really wants the bread, she waits to eat it until after her entrée is delivered.
- What is your favorite indulgent dish?
Ellie said she is more of a savory person than a sweet person and loves warm, crusty bread and butter. She also loves French fries!
- If you could offer one piece of advice to someone who is just beginning their healthy living journey, what would it be?
Ellie said, “Don’t worry about being perfect.” She encourages people to stay as close to the healthy track as possible, but says not to get down on yourself if you slip up.
***
My interview with Ellie was set up by the California Table Grapes Commission and they wanted me to pass along the word about the opportunity for one of you to win $5,000 simply by submitting your idea for a healthy snack made with grapes! No photo is necessary to enter the contest – just your healthy grape snack idea, which you may submit via the Grapes from California Facebook page.
And now for the giveaway!
Comfort Food Fix and Green Black Red Giveaway
One PBF reader will win the following two cookbooks:
- Comfort Food Fix, Ellie Krieger’s beautiful cookbook featuring 150 delicious comfort food recipes that are lower in calories and fat
- Green Black Red, California Table Grapes’ cookbook, featuring recipes ranging from fresh salads to rich desserts
To enter this giveaway, simply comment below, telling me why you’d like to win either one of these beautiful cookbooks.
I’ll randomly select a winner tomorrow.
Good luck!
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Why I should win? Because I am friggen starving and the pictures look delicious! Its tormenting me having to look at them. 🙂
In all seriousness though, I love the healthy options she has and how she makes food so that everyone will like it. Not everyone in the family is as gung-ho as I am on nutrition so its nice to have recipes that are flavorful and delicious that the family will like.
I’d love to find a healthy way to enjoy my favourite comfort foods!
My son loves grapes and i would love to use a recipe book for anything that would help him eat more healthy foods!
Great interview, Julie!!!
I’m a bit of a cookbook junkie, and I’m dying to read through these 2! I’m always looking for ways to cook healthier, and Ellie’s recipes look amazing, plus I really love grapes – can’t wait to try out those pita pizzas 🙂
Thanks for getting my question answered Julie! I’d absolutely love to win one of Ellie’s cookbooks. She’s my favourite female celebrity chef and I love how she proves that healthy and delicious can co-exist. She doesn’t promote or endorse any fad diets and encourages clean eating, which is exactly the type of lifestyle I like to follow. I read more cookbooks than I do novels (pretty pictures are a huge bonus too lol!) and would love to add one of hers to my collection! 🙂
I would love to win this giveaway! I’m always on the lookout for quick and easy recipes for my husband and I 🙂
I would love to win one of these cookbooks because my soon to be husband in ONE MONTH wants me to cook more and frankly, I need all the help I can get for quick and easy recipes 🙂 xo
I cookbook all for grapes? I would love to try that out! I feel like grapes are underrated these days…
I love grapes. Love them. A cookbook – now that would be cool
oooh fun giveaway! I’d love to win this cookbook because Ellie is awesome and such a role model. plus i heart healthy food!!
I’d love to win because I am super into healthy cooking and am always looking for new recipes. Also, I have an obsession with grapes. Eat ’em everrryday 🙂
I’d love to win the comfort food cookbook!
I would love to win because Ellie Krieger is my idol, I love healthy cooking and I am on track to becoming an RD.
I’m always looking for healthy non-gluten or modifiable options!
Both cookbooks sound great! I love grapes and making comfort foods healthier is something I’m learning to do. Thanks for the giveaway!
I’d love to win comfort food fix by Ellie!! Having just graduated college and stepping out on my own I’ve found that the days that I’m most homesick what makes me feel better is healthy, delicious comfort food.
As an Ellie Krieger fan, I would love to win these because she always has such great ideas!
I love Ellie and am so jealous that you had the opportunity to speak with her! I have one of her cookbooks, “The Food You Crave,” and I love it because the recipes are easy, yummy, and nutritious! Plus, she provides all of the nutritional information for each recipe which is a huge bonus in my book. I’d love to try some of her new recipes!
I’m always looking for healthy meals to try!!
I loveee comfort food. If there’s healthy comfort food options, I’m all about it!!
I do my best to eat healthy, but I fall into such a boring routine of food. I would love some recipes that spice up the routine and that I don’t have to feel guilty about making!
Ellie is beautiful, down to earth, inspiring, and a great cook- I’d love to win!
As a fellow dietitian, I really look up to Ellie. I love her outlook on life and nutrition, and I would LOVE a cookbook of hers!
Great giveaway! I’m always looking for heatlhy new recipes that are still yummy!
I’ve never heard of a cookbook about grapes before! I love them fresh and also frozen as a cool summer snack! And my boyfriend would love the comfort food cookbook 🙂
I love Ellie! I used to watch her show on Food Network all the time – her first cookbook was very helpful in college. Love her take on mac & cheese 🙂 YUM!
Awesome! Love the idea of cooking comfort foods in a healthy way 🙂 My hubby would be super excited also!
I’m looking for healthy recipes to make for my husband and I.
Healthy and good food is a must in my household but I am in need of some new recipes. This would be great.
Since graduating college in may, I have realized that the last 4 years did some not-so-great things to my body! I am always looking for new recipes to try to help me regain a healthy lifestyle
My go to dinner is always something easy like cereal. These books would be a life saver and something for me to look forward to trying!
I remember watching Ellie’s show when it was on the foodnetwork and I’d love to see what she’s been up to!
I am always on the hunt for new recipe’s to feed a picky eater husband. You can’t go wrong with comfort food!!!
The interview was so cute!! Yum I love a new cookbook. I am so unmotivated to cook most nights but I love feeding my family healthy and new meals.
I love love love Eli Kreiger, I have her first two cookbooks and have been dying to get her second one. My husband loves comfort foods, but loves them even more when they are done healthy.
I Eat grapes everyday and am always expirmenting with different flavors, I love the sweet and juicy(ness) that you get out of them!
I would love to win these cookbooks! I love healthy cooking!
I would love one of her cookbooks because I love to cook, especially healthy recipes!
I love to cook and am always on the lookout for healthy and yummy new recipes to try!
I’m always on the look-out for fresh HEALTHY ideas for lunches and dinners!!!
I’d love to have a copy of one of these books. I love looking through cookbooks…I’m always inspired by other people’s healthy creations!
I always love to find new, healthy recipes to cook!
I love Ellie Krieger and her recipes. It would be awesome to win these books and try out some of her healthy & creative recipes 🙂
I love cooking, especially healthy food!
I love Ellie Krieger and would love to win her cookbook to try some new recipes.
I’d love to win the cookbooks! The comfort food one especially appeals to me–I love food that makes me feel cozy, but it’d be great if it didn’t also make me feel guilty!
Great interview, Julie. 🙂
Now that I have a new little baby, fresh healthy meals are even more important!
Oooh! I’m a huge fan of grapes in both sweet & savory recipes, so I’d love a grape cookbook to add to my collection!
I no longer have cable TV and I miss the charming chef personalities and their creative new recipes.
This looks fantastic! Like Ellie, I am a huge fan of savory foods and would love to find some health-ified versions of some classic favorites!
i feel out of my cooking kick and ned to get back into it! a new cookbook would def help!