(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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I’m always looking for tasty healthy meals and I know I would find a lot in those books!
I am a creature of habit and eat the same things all the time, I would love to have a great healthy cookbook for new meal ideas!
I would be ecstatic to win Ellie’s cook book! I enjoy cooking healthy meals and would love some new inspiration!
love new ideas!!!
Since “healthy” doesn’t always come easy to me, anything that can help point me in the right direction would be great!
Her cookbook sounds fantastic! I like frozen grapes in the summer. Sometimes I even dip them in a bit of yogurt before putting them in the freezer for extra creaminess 🙂
I would love to make healthy comfort food! And I love grapes as well.
My hubby LOVES comfort food and I don’t fix it often bc it’s not very good for him! This book would be perfect for us!
Love Ellie Krieger’s show and would love her cookbook!
Im trying to get into cooking more so this would be great for me!
My family loves comfort food and would love to see her healthy spin on yummy dishes! 🙂
I love trying new recipes! And a new cookbook always sparks new ideas 🙂
Now that it’s summer, I’m looking for new healthy ways to spruce up my meals and these books would be perfect! Nothing better than a delicious and healthy meal!
I got married 9 months ago and was living in a tiny apartment, wistfully htinking about all my cooking gear packed up at my parents house bc it didnt fit. this past weekend we moved into our new house, and of course the first room set up was my amazing kitchen. as a healthy vegetarian i am always looking for delicious recipes to entice my husband, who before me thought it was normal to live off of hot pockets. these cookbooks would be a great staple to some amazing family meals in our new home!
I’m working as an RD and am always looking for healthy recipe ideas to share with clients! 🙂
I’m always looking for new healthy recipes to try! It also seems like these books would have great pictures and I usually try recipes that look good in pictures 🙂
Love her! I’m so in need of a good cookbook, these would be great!
I’d love to try Ellie Krieger’s comfort food recipes – her recipes seem interesting and accessible!
I will have an apartment with a kitchen for the first time come August (I’m a college student) and I am trying to look for healthy recipes to bring with me instead of eating out all the time. This book would be perfect!
Always love finding new healthy recipes to cook!
I LOVE cookbooks!!! I love “reading” them from front to back! And I don’t have any of her cookbooks in my collection! Would love to add one to my collection!
I would love to win the cookbooks because I am sick of my own cooking! bring on the new ideas 🙂
umm ANY kind of comfort food, sign me up! ellie seems so friendly and sweet from her interview! i’d love to see what kind of recipes she uses for comfort food too! 🙂
I love watching her on TV. I would love to be able to use her cook books to come up with healthy dinners.
Awesome interview. I love Ellie!!
I’m always on the hunt for new healthy recipes but lately I’ve been in a cooking rut and find myself eating the same old thing! A new cookbook to mix things up would be wonderful! Bring on the healthy comfort food!
I have loved Ellie’s books when I checked em outta the library but haven’t purchased any yet…I would love to own one! Her recipes always have such great flavor!
Ellie is great! She was on food network long before it was “trendy” to be healthy-she portrays healthy b/c she loves it!
Hoorah for Ellie!
Bit nerdy, I know….
But I like Ellie AND i like grapes….especially black grapes! Oh yum.
Great job with the interview! I love finding healthy ways to make recipes! I also, am a HUGE fan of grapes!!
I love grapes! Especially in chicken salad!
i’m not a good cook at all and these cookbooks look great and will give me a reason to work on my cooking skills!
I never use grapes. Maybe if I had some recipes….. 🙂
I’ve been wanting to try these out!
Would love this cookbook to help give me more inspiration for healthy cooking!!
I would love a new cookbook for a bit of inspiration for summer cooking
I am always on the lookout for a great cookbook with healthy meals my entire family will eat. I have two young boys, 6 & 2 so our meals tend to be somewhat basic. I have been following your blog for a few months now and I have learned so much and enjoy reading it everyday, I wish I would have found it a long time ago 🙂
I love all fruit, so grapes are awesome. I also am always trying to healthify comfort food, since my guy loves all pasta and casserole dishes!
I am always looking for heatlhy foods to make… and I love cooking! (:
I would love to win either one of her cookbooks, she always makes the most delicious looking recipes that are healthy and easy to make! Win win!
The simplest foods always make the best tasting and healthiest meals! Love this post and would love to read more of Ellie’s fabulous recipes.
the comfort food one is appealing, though I’m sort of intrigued by a whole book based on grapes!
I love how Ellie puts a healthy spin on typically not so healthy comfort food
I would love the comfort food fix because I am always trying to adapt my mom and grandmother’s recipes to make them healthier!
I always love new recipe ideas and I am especially curious as to the recipes in her grape cookbook!! 🙂
I am new to healthy cooking and reeaallllyyy need new ideas, especially comfort foods!! My weakness 🙂
I would love to have one of Ellie’s books, her recipes and advice are great.
I’m getting married in Sept. and would love to start off with some fresh recipes!
I love her recipes I have tried in the past!
I love cooking and am really trying to incorporate healthy cooking into my diet.
I love her! She just seems like such a genuine person. I have never made one of her recipes, so this seems like a great way to start!
I’d love to win so I can start cooking healthy!