Julia Rivas had one goal in mind when she attended Light of Chance’s interactive Clever Cooking food seminar Thursday evening at the Historic L&N Depot.
“I’m trying to get healthy ideas on what to feed him and the rest of my family,” said the Bowling Green woman as she nodded to her 2-year-old son, Matthew. “I feel like we’re eating the same thing over and over. We have recipe books, but we don’t have time to open them.”
By the end of the lesson, Rivas would have plenty of ideas courtesy of Bowling Green Hot Rods executive chef Stephanie Gillespie, who talked to the audience about healthy eating while whipping up scrambled egg whites, which are lower in cholesterol than whole eggs.
“I use no oil other than cooking spray,” Gillespie said. “Egg whites have a really good flavor. Egg whites take on the flavor of whatever you have with it.”
Busy cooks can use them as well.
“Eggs freeze. You can separate your egg whites,” she said. “Beat them and freeze them for up to six months.”
Next she made a chicken salad using baked chicken, yogurt, diced red onions, cranberries, carrots and sweet pickle relish.
“Cranberries and carrots are high in Vitamin C,” Gillespie said. “They help with vision and memory.”
She let the audience sample her recipes and other foods, which included turkey sausage, wheat toast, turkey sliders, oven fries and spring mix salad with berries.
“Food brings everybody together. Everybody needs food to survive,” she said after the seminar. “Most of my recipes I cook like my mother. I realized the love and care she put in my food. It’s the love and care you put in everybody’s food.”
When considering healthy eating, “don’t listen to other people’s opinions,” Gillespie said.
“Your taste buds are what matter if you’re going to be healthy. Research your own food and learn your own body,” she said. “Try a new recipe every week. Every single change does not have to be drastic.”
Foods that are thought to be bad for you can still be a part of a healthy diet.
“If it’s something you’re absolutely in love with, keep it. Just eat it in moderation,” Gillespie said.
Eric Logan, founder and executive director of Light of Chance, hopes people learned a lot at the seminar. Light of Chance uses arts and wellness programs to serve youth in the community. The seminar was geared toward the entire family,
“People think it’s expensive to eat healthy. They have small budgets and they’re really busy,” he said. “We wanted to give them recipes and make it quick, easy, inexpensive, healthy and delicious.”
A similar seminar will take place later in the year, Logan said.
“We want to give them tools that will be sustainable for a lifetime,” he said. “We want to meet people where they are. I tell people we’re learning together.”
By ALYSSA HARVEY The Daily News aharvey [at] bgdailynews [dot] com