Make sure you grab a copy of the Iatest issue of First For Women if you want my tips on making summer burgers slimming! The magazine is dedicated to healthy living made easy, and in its June 2009 issue, Stephanie Izard, June Lin and I share our “chef’s secrets” on getting more flavor into burgers with less beef.

“I always use extra-lean beef when making burgers at home, but they sometimes lack the big flavor punch of restauarant-style patties. To add savory flavor, I like to mix in a little toasted flaxseed. Then I add a splash of skim milk and Worcestershire sauce for extra moisture.”

Izard, winner of season 4 of Bravo’s Top Chef, favors mixing in rice to rev metabolism, while Lin likes to add mushrooms.

Jennifer Iserloh discusses
healthy grilling tips for AOL Food.

As many of you know, I am always on the lookout for new ways to prepare delicious American Classics - all while reducing fat and excess calories, but without skimping on flavor!

With the grilling season around the corner, I think everyone should take a quick refresher on outdoor eating and grilling tips, so that the BBQ season doesn’t derail your healthy eating habits!

In my latest feature on AOL Food, I share smart grilling tips that make your summer cookout healthier and tastier.

After showing how to make a great summer drink with fruit juice and seltzer, I went through healthier swaps for grilling. Watch my video on AOL Food!

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Most of my readers probably won’t have access to today’s print edition of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, featuring my interview in the Sunday Food/Lifestyle section

In conjunction with the 2009 Pittsburgh Marathon, the Post-Gazette’s China Millman recently asked me if chefs in the restaurant business exercise and if they care about staying fit. I told her that people who have physically demanding jobs need to exercise just like everyone else and a lot of my friends in the restaurant business are curious about yoga and how it could potentially help them to withstand the grueling hours in the kitchen.

“Chefs aren’t known for their svelte physiques. The stereotypical chef tastes food all day then stays out late eating and drinking. [And] hitting the gym isn’t a top priority. Although cooking professionally can be physically arduous, it involves activities that mostly leave them exhausted without helping them manage their weight or get in shape.”

“Stand for eight hours on a cement or tile floor and see how well your back holds up. Add some deep knee bends as you’re taking heavy pans in and out of the oven (also great for the back), repetitive motion injuries from cutting up meat, fish and vegetables for hours at a time and the occasional burn or cut.”

Several Pittsburgh chefs told Millman about their running routines, yet my unique take on how to stay fit and healthy as a (skinny) chef concluded the lifestyle article in May 3rd’s edition of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette:

While running is one way to stay fit, Jennifer Iserloh, known as “skinny chef,” says yoga and cooking are an ideal match. Ms. Iserloh was raised in Pittsburgh by her grandmother, who was a wonderful cook. Everyone in her family loved to eat, and everyone ate too much. She struggled with her weight into her 20s, until she decided to change careers and become a chef.

Today Ms. Iserloh is a personal chef and media consultant. She worked as the recipe developer for Joy Bauer’s cookbook “Food Cures” and Jessica Seinfeld’s cookbook “Deceptively Delicious.” She’s also a frequent contributor to Self magazine.

On her Web site, skinnychef.com, she writes about how to eat well without overdoing it, as well as ways to increase healthful habits like exercise. She recently became a certified yoga instructor.

“What I like about yoga is it’s able to combat some of the joint and muscle issues [chefs] have” from standing for long periods and engaging in repetitive, stressful movements such as filleting fish or flipping vegetables in a saute pan for hours, she said. Ms. Iserloh has even designed a yoga routine for chefs that she teaches to friends in the restaurant community.

Getting chefs to do yoga can be like getting football players to take ballet classes. Everyone’s heard it’s a great idea, but somehow they can’t get past the tights - or in this case, the back bends.

Excerpted from the online edition of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
May 3, 2009 | Read the full article »

Jennifer Iserloh discusses
healthy eating tips for AOL Food.

As many of you know, I am always on the lookout for new ways to prepare delicious American Classics - all while keeping the amounts of saturated fat and extraneous calories in check!

Want to eat healthier, but don’t know where to start? Checkout my healthy eating tips, and see how one family got a fresh food makeover - starting with their fridge! In my latest feature on AOL Food, I share smart grocery shopping swaps that pack maximum health benefits into everyday eating.

After sneaking through their pantries and cabinets, I started out with their fridge - zeroing in on dairy, meat and condiments. Watch the video for smart grocery shopping swaps…

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Just when you think you’re doing something healthy like cooking at home, you might be surprised about several common mistakes that could be adding inches to your waistline! In this segment, which aired in March 2009 on Better TV, I discuss the top five cooking mistakes and how to easily overcome them:

• Don’t Be Cheesy - Many people cook with cheese - pizza, lasagna - but many cheese contain too much saturated fat.
• Don’t Be Picky - Every home cook likes to taste as they go along, but if you’re picking too much, that could add up to a whole meal worth of calories.
• Don’t Be Colorblind - Load up on green vegetables so that you know you’re getting your dose of vitamins and nutrients - the trick is how to add a little extra flavoring.
• Don’t Be Washed Out - White processed grains are everywhere, but you should use whole-grain whenever possible - its bran and added fiber content will make your meals so much healthier
• Don’t Be A Grease Monkey - Watch how much oil you’re using - though it may be olive oil, it still contains fat that will show up on your waistline.

Wanna know what I mean by these titles? Watch the video and hear my tips on how to overcome these mistakes.

How Do I Start?

For more information on how to get started on your journey to healthier cooking and living, download my 45-page digital book Enjoy Life The Skinny Chef Way that makes my healthy living philosophy easily accessible and gives you the knowledge and tools to jump-start a totally new way of thinking and living!

Also, take a minute to listen to my Ditch the Diet course introduction. You can also get instant access to over 100 healthy living secrets that I have put into practice from my own experiences as a professionally-trained chef, as a certified yoga instructor, and as chef contributor for health publications.

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Who doesn’t like to make their New Year’s resolutions last throughout the year? In this segment, which aired in January 2009 on Better TV, I share easy tricks that allow you to ditch the diet and still lose weight!

In my discussion with Audra Lowe, I touched on many aspects that I am also teaching in my Ditch the Diet email course, including why radical fad diets can be harmful or why resisting your guilty pleasures may actually put on the pounds!

Fad diets can make you cranky or stressed out, and are too often hard to follow. That’s why part of my easy solutions focus on the following:

• The trick to healthy eating and losing weight is not depriving yourself. How? It’s easy when you prepare your favorite foods at home and cut out unnecessary fat while maintaining taste.
• Eating more at home not only saves you money, but also calories. It puts you in control of portion sizes as well as fat and fiber content.
• One of the most important concepts is to stop skipping meals, which means that you should really start your day with an appropriate breakfast. This will keep your insulin and metabolism balanced, which in turn reduces snack attacks.

How Do I Start?

For more information on how to get started on your journey, take a minute to listen to my Ditch the Diet course introduction. You can also get instant access to over 100 healthy living secrets that I have put into practice from my own experiences as a professionally-trained chef, as a certified yoga instructor, and as chef contributor for health publications.

Eating right just got easier! In the November 2008 issue of Self Magazine, I share delicious suggestions for breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner and dessert - for each day of the week!

What’s more, I’ve included a handy shopping list that really saves you time. Simply buy what’s on the shopping list to make a week’s worth of tasty, low-calorie meals. Bonus: Wherever there’s a star, we’ve made the plan even more convenient with precooked ingredients to use in later dishes. You’ll gain time and may even lose a pound or two!

Here’s a selection of my suggestions…

• Breakfast Suggestions

  Zucchini-Spice Bran Muffin, Hot Autumn Apple Oatmeal, Pumpkin Muesli, Citrus Smoothie

• Lunch Suggestions

  Shrimp Tacos, Spicy Steak Salad, Egg Salad Sandwich, Cheese Plate, Vegetable-Taco Salad

• Dinner Suggestions

  Chicken Parmigiana With Pasta, Shrimp Scampi With Pasta, Spinach, Cherry Tomatoes and Olives, Chimichurri Flank Steak With Black Beans and Brown Rice, Beef Kebabs and Creamy Brown Rice, Skinny General Tso’s Chicken

• Dessert Suggestions

  Graham cracker squares, Chocolate-Covered Strawberries, Sweet Pumpkin Parfait

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In this segment, which aired in November 2008 on Better TV, I show how to cut the chaos of holiday meal-time with easy steps, tips, and tools that anyone can use. Cut cooking time in half but still enjoy all those classic home made, family recipes that everyone loves and looks forward to for the holidays.

Microwave It

When you think of home cooking, the microwave normally doesn’t come to mind. But here are some microwave steps that can cut lengthy holiday recipes and cooking time in half!

• Love scalloped potatoes, but hate the mess and time of pre-boiling your spuds? Just microwave potatoes, cool slightly and slice before assembling your favorite potato dishes. Take a look at my fast and luscious scalloped potatoes that take half the time to bake compared to traditional versions of the recipe.
• Used to serving the cranberry sauce that comes in a can? Try my super fast 5-minute, microwave cranberry sauce recipes with orange juice and ginger - no stove top cooking and no extra dishes to do!

Chop It

Every home cook knows that chopping vegetables can be time consuming. But fresh vegetables add flavor and texture to old fashioned recipes.

• Chopping veggies can be fast when you use a mini chopper or slicer or attachment on the food processor. Most holiday dishes like stuffing, soups, and sauce use plenty of chopped veggies like garlic, onions, carrots and celery. Just bag the chopped veggies the night before.
• Take it a step further by putting together your casseroles the night before, like Thanksgiving Stuffing, so they are ready to bake the next day.

Blend It

Blenders aren’t just for smoothies and mixed drinks! You can make fast soups, pudding and jello desserts, sauces, marinades, and even pasta sauce, all in the blender. Whip them up the night before and chill, drizzle, or marinade ready for the next day. Here’s another recipe idea: Dust off your blender and make some of your soups and dressings silk smooth.

Zip It

Use a zipper lock bag to store all your dinner prep and label each bag with a sharpie. The next day, just grab and saute, stir, toss and mix your way to a faster holiday meal .

• Use zipper lock bags to store premade stuffing or mashed sweet potatoes, marinade meat, store icing and dressings, anything that you might be transferring to a fancier dish later. Save bags that just have veggies in them and use for that nights left-overs.
• Disposable zipper lock bags are particularly great for desserts - You can even pip fillings and frostings for cookies or cakes straight out of the bag!

Wrap It

Use plastic wrap or wax paper to roll up home-made cookies dough for easy slicing and baking for the next day. I love wax paper because it’s easy to handle and inexpensive too.

You can roll out pie dough directly onto wax paper to chill or overnight storage in the refrigerator. I use it often to bread chicken and to roll out dough instead of dirtying a dish or countertop. For easy-to-slice ginger cookie dough, just roll in wax paper and refrigerate. Anyone can slice it the next day to bake off fresh cookies.

Assemble It

Use the fast steps above the night before, but make the morning of the holiday even easier on yourself. One thing my Granny taught me about cooking holiday meals - prepare just a few things the day before your meal can really take the pressure off. So getting those casseroles, meat dishes, and baked goods started the day before leaves you plenty of time for socializing with your guests the next day.

Here are dishes that can even be completely assembled the night before. Just refrigerate in their baking dish and pop into the oven a few hours before dinner.

• Sweet Mashed Potatoes
• Scalloped Potatoes
• Thanksgiving stuffing
• Creamy Corn Bake

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Why is comfort food so good and why can it actually be good for you? Comfort can be good for you since it satisfies something your body might need. For example, when the seasons change you might be craving a warm bowl of chili or that hearty baked macaroni and cheese that both warms the body and can provide nutrients that you need - like vitamin C from broccoli and calcium from cheese.

In this segment, which aired in October 2008 on Better TV, Jennifer showcased comfort food classics like mac and cheese and chili.

Wondering about weight control? Comfort food doesn’t have to stick to your bones. Find out the secrets among my top fall and winter comfort foods that satisfy the skinny way and help you get the nutrition you need to fight those fall sniffles.

After you watch the segment, you’ll learn that you can still enjoy comfort foods without packing on pounds. The best part? Eating healthy versions of all your favorite comfort foods can keep you from snacking on unhealthy high-fat or high sugar foods after dinner.