Tag Archives: food blogger

Kelly Guy Lost 66 Pounds with Jenny Craig and Became an Award-Winning Food Blogger

On her award-winning blog, No Thanks to Cake, Kelly Guy shares tasty, easy-to-make recipes, offers advice on how to eat healthy while traveling and professes her love for the Gilmore Girls. After a 66-pound weight loss, Kelly has firsthand experience with the struggle to find a healthy balance with food. I’m her newest fan.

kelly guy collageMore from Kelly in her own words –

What habits specifically led you to gain weight? Emotional eating habits. I can remember coming home after school and eating cheese and crackers, chips, cookies, and anything else that was available. I consumed way too much fast food , ate larger than necessary portions and had no physical activity.

What caused you to realize you needed to change? I was overwhelmed by the idea of losing almost 100 lbs. A good friend had just scheduled gastric-bypass surgery. It terrified me that weight loss surgery was also becoming an option for me. A few days later I took pictures with a friend who was 6 months pregnant and I looked bigger than she did.

How did you lose the weight? I followed the Jenny Craig program for about 12 months, finding great success with the simplicity of the program. I told friends that I “took it like a prescription.” My meals were planned and I didn’t have a ton of decisions to make on a daily basis. The weight started rolling off.

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Food Blogger Spotlight: Once a Month Meals

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the thought of what to feed your brood or found yourself schlepping to the grocery store three times a week because you didn’t have the organizational skills to plan for more than one or two meals in advance, let Kelly Seaton and the staff of Once A Month Meals lend a hand.

The site offers a low cost membership program that provides: Access to serving size customizable recipe cards, freezer directions, organized grocery lists, step by step cooking day instructions, and printable labels. Everything you need to cook a month worth of meals in one day. A video on the site explains the membership process.

Not sure if you want to commit to a membership but still want to peruse a variety of healthy recipes for free? You can do that too. Kelly tells us about a few of her favorite recipes below, but I’m jotting this one down for breakfast next week: Whole Grain Banana Pecan Muffins. Nom-nom!

whole grain banana muffins

More from Kelly at Once a Month Meals –

Why did you start your food blog?  Once A Month Meals started back in 2024 as a way to share information on how freezer cooking can help people get back into the kitchen creating meals they’ll love for better health and to ease their budgets.

How would you describe your approach to eating/health? Once A Month Meals helps you to stay on track toward healthy eating. With seven different menu types, we focus on getting quality and diverse meals into your plan. We like to focus on seasonal ingredients when they are at their peak. Our Paleo and Diet menus help those on more strict eating paths to stay on track and not feel the need to indulge during a time-crunch.

Have you always had an interest in healthy food or did it come later in life? Our writers have always had an interest in food. Over the years, our attention has grown more focused on getting the right foods for our needs. And by healing with food instead of drugs.

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Food Blogger Spotlight: Amy from Fit Fun and Fantastic

Amy from Fun Fit Fantastic Living a fantastically inspired life of food, fitness, and fun? That’s the tagline for Amy Clevenger’s blog, Fit Fun and Fantastic.  The site is so bright and cheery, I wasn’t surprised to learn it actually started as an Instagram account before it blossomed into a legit foodie blog.

More from Amy including her recipe for Pumpkin “Ice Cream featuring a non-dairy alternative for sensitive bellies –

Why did you start your  food blog? I actually started my Instagram account first (@fantasticallyfit) as a way to share recipes and hold myself accountable. Then, after a few months, and at the request of some of my followers, I started FitFunandFantastic.com!

How would you describe your approach to eating/health? My eating approach is focused on intuitive eating. I listen to my body. If I am hungry I eat and if I want candy I have it. That being said I try to primarily eat wholesome ingredients that are unprocessed and rich in nutrients. I also believe that eating healthy does not mean you have to live in the kitchen! Most of my recipes take less than 10 minutes to prep.

Have you always had an interest in healthy food or did it come later in life? I definitely was not always this interested in healthy eating. My main sources of food before I taught myself how to cook were: cereal, pizza, and fast food. Until about 3 years ago the only thing I knew how to cook was a box of mac n’ cheese!

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Food Blogger Spotlight: Tina Paymaster “Eat Clean. Live Green.”

Tina Paymaster is a green-smoothie-loving health coach who strives to eat in a way that’s clean and free of processed foods, but that doesn’t mean she never eats “fun” food or that her diet is limited to kale and carrots. In fact, because of her vast knowledge about the newest NYC restaurants, her friends call her, “The walking Zagat.” Not only does she seek out interesting food when she’s dining out, she creates unique pairings and daring recipes on her blog too.

TinaPaymaster 2

 

More from Tina –  

Why did you start your food blog? I’ve always been inspired by the recipes and photography on healthy food blogs. I used to be a photography major in college so I loved how photos could bring out the flavor and beauty of each dish. Once I started building my business as a health & lifestyle coach, I knew that it was the perfect time for me to show others that cooking clean, nutritious food could be fun, easy and absolutely delicious!

How would you describe your approach to eating/health? First and foremost, health has to be looked at as multi-dimensional. Balance must be achieved in all areas of your life for you to achieve optimal health, not just nutritionally. In terms of eating, I believe in consuming mainly clean, unprocessed, whole foods and cooking at home as much as you can. Although I eat a primarily plant-based, gluten-free diet, I do occasionally have a cheat meal and I think that’s totally fine as long as it’s not a severe compromise to your health and you don’t go overboard.

Have you always had an interest in healthy food or did it come later in life? My interest in healthy eating started when I went to college and began to work out more consistently. I started to pay more attention to how the food I was eating affected the results I was seeing in the gym. After going through years of digestive issues and severe fatigue, I got more interested in the internal effects of food on my body and my interest in health and nutrition just kept climbing from there.

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Food Blogger Spotlight: Laura Theodore from The Jazzy Vegetarian

jazzy veg 1Laura Theodore wants to show you how simple it is to introduce plant-based choices into your everyday diet. Gearing up for season 3 of her cooking show, The Jazzy Vegetarian, on the Create Channel, Laura is a high-energy host who even appeared on The Talk with Julie Chen and Sara Gilbert.

Recently, we spoke to this busy chef/host/singer, about her food blog and allll those other irons she’s got in the fire.

Why did you start your food blog? I was inspired to create my cookbooks, blog, television show and radio podcast to make delicious, plant-based recipes available to anyone looking to prepare tasty vegan meals in their own home. My mission is to make recipes available to dedicated vegans, and omnivores alike – with a jazzylicious twist, of course!

How would you describe your approach to eating/health? I focus on the plant-based approach by incorporating whole foods like veggies, fruits, beans and whole grains into my recipes and daily menu plan. I strive to stay away from overly processed foods as much as possible, while using vegetables, fruits, legumes (beans) grains and some nuts and seeds as the base ingredients for my recipes.

Have you always had an interest in healthy food or did it come later in life? I have been interested in healthy eating for over 20 years. For me, plant-based cooking is like singing jazz: making creative and spicy improvisations with a delicious twist! As a jazz singer, I love scatting a new phrase to enhance a classic song, so when I cook, I savor the process of improvising new, healthy versions of traditional recipes, depending on what’s in my kitchen or available at the local market.

What is your favorite ingredient to use in the kitchen? I love reduced-sodium tamari! Sounds so simple, but it really adds taste and depth to so many recipes. Tamari helps to produce a rich “meaty” flavor and it has a more complex flavor profile than ordinary soy sauce. The reduced-sodium version has about 25 percent less sodium than regular tamari. I always buy tamari that has been made with GMO-free soybeans, is MSG-free, and contains no artificial preservatives. Reduced-sodium tamari is great used as a flavor enhancer in sauces, casseroles, pasta dishes, vegan gravies, steamed vegetables dishes, and in soups. It adds great flavor to both sweet and savory marinades for tofu, tempeh, mushrooms, or squash.

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Food Blogger Spotlight: Megan from Take A Megabite

Megan from Take a MegabiteMegan is a pizza-lovin redhead who’s known for her unique recipes and food styling. Megan is not only a regular contributor to Betty Crocker, but her blog, Take A Megabite, has also been featured on CNN, Huff Post and Buzzfeed. I forgot to do a name-drop alert, there, but seriously, she’s hot stuff right now.

I was first introduced to this talented foodie when I wrote about my fave food blogger of the year, Billy from Wit & Vinegar.

More about Take A Megabite –  

Why did you start your food blog? I started to realize that I wanted to bake, and talk about food with other people who also loved to talk about food. It also stems from growing up with a mom whose cookies were known as the best ever and coming home to homemade bread after school.

When I got older, and my parents moved away, I realized that I couldn’t count on my mom to set me up with homemade jam and bread. I had to make it myself! Food and entertaining has always been a big deal in my family, and now, I like to show my love with food too!

How would you describe your approach to eating/health? I would say my approach is all about balance. I can totally eat cake, but I need to eat plenty of salads and veggies too. If I’m making mac & cheese for dinner, I’ll do my best to pair it with a veggie-filled salad.

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Food Blogger Spotlight: Donna and Tora from Donna & Tora

Donna and Tora want you to have a, “joyful relationship with food.” As authors, health coaches and fitness professionals, these fit ladies know a thing or two about creating healthy recipes but that wasn’t always at the forefront of their minds. Donna (pictured left) struggled to lose weight while Tora (right) fought her own demons and battled an eating disorder that once left her at just 81 pounds. After finding the strength to help themselves, they vowed to help others. Donna & Tora.com is their love-child blog.

Donna and Tora

 

More about Donna and Tora –

Why did you start your food blog? We started off just having a few recipes on our healthy living blog, but the recipes were by far the most popular things we wrote about so we kept going! We love food but also want to stay slim and be healthy, so we set out to find recipes that were easy to make and, “upgrades” of the things we love. For example, our recipes are all gluten-free and sugar-free, but we don’t want to feel deprived so we find delicious alternatives instead.

How would you describe your approach to eating/health? Our philosophy is “health is a lifestyle, not a life sentence,” so we are firm believers in eating healthy food and also having treats – we actually plan treats into our week so we don’t end up with such severe cravings that we go and pig out. We’re always upgrading, but we make it fun as we go.

Have you always had an interest in healthy food or did it come later in life? Great question! Donna used to be a smoking, drinking, dieting disaster and I used to be extremely fit but very unhealthy. Donna’s real passion for healthy food has grown since we started our business, while I had a wake-up call in my early 30s that I needed to start eating healthy food, and my passion for healthy food has grown ever since.

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Foodie Spotlight: Rachel from Little Chef Big Appetite

I believe cupcakes deserve their own food group and seafood gives me the heebie jeebies.

I can get behind that kind of food philosophy! Her strong feelings about seafood aside, the thing that drew me to Rachel’s blog, Little Chef Big Appetite, was the fact that she likes to cook a little bit of everything. Even though she’s a tee-tiny little thing that I want to keep on top of my flour canister like a non-creepy Elf-on-a-Shelf, and could probably eat whatever she wants, her recipes are healthy and flavorful.

Rachel talks about why she started her blog and shares a few of her favorite recipes –

Why did you start your food blog? I started my blog in college at the University of Pennsylvania as a way to share my love of healthy food and cooking with my friends and family.

little chef big appetite

How would you describe your approach to eating/health? I try to eat healthy most of the time so that I can “indulge” worry-free occasionally. I make sure all of my meals have lots of protein and fiber, so that way I am less likely to snack on unhealthy things throughout the day. When I do treat myself, I love wine and anything that has the words “cookie” or “cake” in its name.

Have you always had an interest in healthy food or did it come later in life? My interest in healthy food came in college. Before then my diet consisted of fried chicken fingers, pizza, and Easy Mac. Once I got to college, I began to realize I wouldn’t be able to keep that up without packing on the pounds. I started researching healthy foods and learned my way around the kitchen by watching my dad (who is still the best cook I know).

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Food Blogger Spotlight: Lauren from I. AM. YOU.

I’d like you to meet Lauren, a Cali girl with a Princeton education who moved to New York and left her job as vice president of Morgan Stanley to create I. AM. YOU. Located in Manhattan, I. AM. YOU. is a, “lifestyle company based on Yoga, Nourishment, and Music.” You guys, she is just the coolest!

If doing yoga in NY is not on your to-do list, first of all, where are your priorities, second of all, no problem, her site still provides a wealth of information about healthy living and a ton of delicious recipes you’ll want to make – right after your sun salutation. Namaste!

Lauren  I AM YOU

More from Lauren –

Why did you start your food blog? As soon as I started I.AM.YOU. in 2024. I view wellness and happiness as one integrated theory, one in which movement and sweat (in my case, yoga), a strong mind, and nourishment all play vital parts. So blogging about food was an obvious necessity.

How would you describe your approach to eating/health? Simple. Indulgent. Realistic. Accessible. With I.AM.YOU. I try to show people how noninvasive healthy eating can be to your lifestyle. Eating and health do not have to be a big, stressful, dogmatic endeavour. It just has to be clean, enjoyable, and un processed. I eat what I want, when I want it, and just avoid processed foods and believe greens and veggies should be half of a person’s diet.

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Food Blogger Spotlight: Liesl from Lieslicious

Liesl resizeAt Diets In Review, one of my responsibilities is to seek out food bloggers who are interesting, have a great voice and create healthy recipes. This week, Liesl Maggiore from Lieslicious, made my job easy.

Lieslicious is not cluttered or fussy. The header is a close-up picture of a paper towel, for heaven’s sake, but once you dig in, you realize that Liesl approached her website creation the same way she approaches food – clean, simplistic and lovely.

We asked this wife, mama, animal-enthusiast and self-described, “booty-shaker,” a few questions about her blog, and she was kind enough to share.

Why did you start your food blog? Working as a food stylist, I have been exposed to amazing recipes and surrounded by inspiring, creative people for years. I guess they rubbed off on me and I realized I have my own stories to tell through food. I wanted to share the foods I was making every night in my own home, and hopefully inspire other families to get cooking!

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Food Blogger Spotlight: Pamela from My Man’s Belly

Pamela - My Man's BellyI believe the best way to a man’s heart (or anyone’s heart for that matter) is still through their stomach. . .No matter how many times you crack open the Kama Sutra or don a latex suit . . . cooking him something is the best way to catch his attention. ~Pamela

Today’s foodie spotlight is shining on Pamela, the saucy minx behind My Man’s Belly (MMB). This is not your Nana’s online cook book, unless she likes eye candy in the blog header and cookies nick-named Unicorn Farts. If so, your Nana rocks!

We asked Pamela to tell us more about her tasty, unique site:

Why did you start your food blog? I had been working as an internet consultant for a few years and when the economy took a hit in ’08-’09 I found myself clientless. Since I’ve always enjoyed cooking, and I was doing it pretty much everyday, I thought I’d start up a food blog. It was a way to help fill my days and gain some new internet skills at the same time.

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