(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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my fiance laughs at how much money i’m willing to spend on grapes when they’re out of season because i love them so much! i would love a cookbook full of new ways to enjoy them!
I am always searching for healthy versions of comfort food! Would love to add Comfort Food Fix to my library of cookbooks!
i’d love to win the cookbooks! the comfort foods made healthy caught my eye, as i am originally from the Midwest and it reminds me of home as a little girl when my mom would make “casseroles” all the time!
Being a college student I am always looking for healthy comfort foods to try and cook for me, my roomates, and friends. I try to avoid the normal greasy temptations we always tend to slide too, these books could add some variety to my cooking!!!
I would love to win Comfort Food Fix because lightening up family classics would be great!
My husband and I have been trying to eat healthy. But it is hard to find good recipies. I actually looked at Ellie Krieger’s book on barnesandnoble.com last week. I loved watching her show on foodnetwork. I would love to read her books and try the recipies.
I have been a big fan of Ellie Krieger for quite some time and love her cooking show. It’s refreshing to see a cooking show centered around healthy cooking. I think we need more shows and tv personalities like Ellie. I would loooove to win her cookbooks to learn more recipes that are not only delicious but good for you!!! 🙂
Great interview! I would love to try out new recipes! And I love that it’s a grape cookbook!
Ellie is a staple on the Food Network and love how she puts a health spin on all her dishes
I absolutely love Ellie! I don’t catch her show as often as i’d like, but having her cookbook on hand would make up for it. Great interview, Julie!
I am always looking for new healthy recipes so these cookbooks would be amazing to change up my meals! Plus, I love her!
I recently graduated from college and need to finally learn how to cook for myself!! Dorm living made that tough, but these cookbooks would be a great addition now that I have a kitchen.
I would love to win either one of those cookbooks because cooking is one of my passions and I always appreciate delicious and healthy inspiration!
I would be in heaven to find healthy ways to enjoy comfort foods again!
I tend to get stuck in dinner ruts. I’d love to win the cookbooks for new inspiration!
I love the Food Network and am always looking for healthy new recipes!
I love looking through cookbooks to get ideas for healthy meals!
I need motivation to cook healthy meals– this book would do the trick!
I am always looking for new meal ideas, so these would be great to add to my collection!
I would like to win this book because I’m always looking for ways to make meals healthier!
Oooh Comfort Food Fix sounds like a good one so I can healthify my meat ‘n potatoes husband!
As much as I’d love Ellie’s book, I have to say, I’m intrigued by the grape cookbook. I love grapes, but never cook with them. It’d be neat to see what all they can do.
I want to share these with my fiance who does all the cooking 🙂
ahh this giveaway is so exciting me because Ellie is one of the reasons I became interested in healthy food!! In high school I started to have this obsession with the Food Network and watched Paula, Guy, and Ina ALL the time!! But eventually all the unhealthy food started bothering me because I would never eat it. But then I found Ellie and would even wake up to watch her show at 6 AM (for some reason it played at a random time on my TV). But I love all her fresh ingredients and beautiful dishes. Plus she is GORGEOUS!!!
I love Ellie Krieger, she is awesome! I have made tons of her recipes, and even gave on of her cookbooks to my sister as a birthday present a few years ago. I would love to win these cookbooks! Plus, like the grapes, I am from California.
I’d love to get some ideas for new, healthier recipes that will get me out of my food rut!
Grapes are my all time favorite fruit, so that cookbook looks amazing!
I want to win this because I love Ellie and also because I have lost all creativity in the kitchen and my husband is probably tired of egg sandwiches!!!
I love browsing healthy recipe cookbooks!
I am always on the look-out for fresh, healthy meals!
I would love her new cookbook! Her curry chicken salad, Turkey Chili, Tofu Beef Lettuce Cups and Butternut Squash Mac n Cheese are staple recipes of mine. Never made anything of hers I didn’t like!
I really enjoyed Ellie when she was a constant on Food Network. I actually preferred her show over all the others, she was entertaining and realistic, not to mention her food was not layered with butter. She was simplistic and her ideas were fresh. I miss seeing her on the Food Network.
I would love to win a cookbook! I’m always looking for new, healthy recipes to feed my kids (and myself!). I’ve tried some of her recipes and they’re always a hit in our house.
I love Ellie’s whole philosophy and have never used one of her cookbooks so this would be a great opportunity to start!
I am a newbie to your blog as of last month, but since I found it by skipping around on my other go to healthy living blogs, I am obsessed! I love your recipes, your workouts, and ohh did I mention I love LOVE love grapes… frozen grapes to be exact! However, that is the extent of my “grape cooking”, thus I would love to win these cookbooks and expand my grape recipes beyond the realm of popping grapes in the freezer to be demolished less than hour later 🙂
I’m a Texas girl who loves comfort food as well as eating balanced healthy meals, so I think Ellie’s cookbook would be right up my alley!
I’d love to win one of those books because the recipe for the pita pizza was so lovely–and i’d love to read more of her recipes!
i love cooking and i love eating healthy! so this comfort food cookbook would be an amazing addition to my cooking!
I love Ellie’s tv show and would enjoy trying some of her latest recipes! I’m in the process of losing the weight I gained during my last pregnancy, so I’m sure these meals would be great!
I love trying new recipes and while they are abundant online, there is nothing quite like flipping through and book marking a “real” cookbook page.
I’m in a bit of a cooking rut, so these cookbooks would be great for some yummy new ideas!
I just started cooking meals for myself and would love some new recipes!
I would love to try her recipe book for healthy comfort food! I love to entertain and find comfort food is always a crowd pleaser, but I also want to keep it healthy for myself! win win right?!
What a great interview! She sounds so down to earth and grounded. I would love to try out some of her new recipes!
I am a retired registered dietitian and feel that Ellie is a great role model. These cookbooks will be a great addition to my menu rotation. Plus my college student could borrow them, next year she will be sharing an apartment with 3 friends.
Love your style of writing. Sadie is so cute.
I just got married three months ago and I would love to add more healthy recipes into our lives. My husband is big on the meat and potatoes diet. Me not so much. 😉
I’d love either but I’d probably pick the grapes one–I’m loving grapes in salads lately!
I feel like I’m in a food rut eating the same thing over and over. These would help me branch out and still stay healthy!!
I would love to try out her new cookbook! I’m a huge fan of hers.
I’m constantly on the hunt for new recipes to try for myself and my boyfriend. I usually turn to the internet because I don’t have any cookbooks at home… so these would be a wonderful addition to my kitchen! I love Ellie’s show too.