Ellie Krieger was a natural on TV on the Food Network in the days when that channel had some nutrition information in its shows. Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger ran on the Food Network from 2006-2011.
Krieger has shifted her TV home to PBS and even used Kickstarter to raise funds for Ellie's Real Good Food.
The Food Network and Cooking Channel feature a lot of food but not too much on nutrition. How to Live to 100 is a rare exception, though Jason Wrobel is as obnoxious a host as one can find even if his information is solid and useful.
PBS doesn't even have too many nutrition options. A telegenic registered dietitian wanting to talk nutrition on television is a rare sight.
The Washington Post adds Ellie Krieger to provide much-needed nutrition advice
Krieger also started writing in late 2014 for The Washington Post. She started doing biweekly online chats, though those chats have stopped.
Episode 2 had a chocolate theme. Krieger talked about the properties of chocolate and cocoa powder. Her presentation plays on food that is tasty and also good for you. She was clear about options within the recipe, even offering that you don't have to add sugar in making a coffee chocolate milkshake.
She recommended using dark chocolate with 60%-70% cocoa solids as the perfect mix "of taste and health." Krieger noted that the higher percentage "of cocoa solids that's in chocolate, the more of the good antioxidants it has, the more deep dark chocolate flavor but also the more bitter it is, so if you use 100% cocoa solids, it would be basically like baking chocolate."
We even learn the difference between natural cocoa powder (left) and Dutch cocoa powder (right).
The debut episode covers make-ahead recipes such as blueberry-chia overnight oats and turkey-stuffed pizza pockets. Episode 3 dealt with carbohydrate options; Krieger did a video chat with a woman who cooks different dinners for her family (with carbs) and for herself (no carbs). She had a low-carb dish that involved chicken, mushrooms, spinach, and penne pasta.
Krieger has a very relaxed style, slightly more relaxed than in the days of Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger.
For all the talk about food and losing weight, the reality shows are virtually only about exercise and the food shows are about what tastes good, nutrition be damned. Krieger has been a notable exception.
The opening segment designed to be more creative is a work in progress. The segment drags the show down. A better placement would be in the middle of the show, maybe a segment breaking down nutrition of ingredients on the show. Breaking up the show in the beginning is a bit jarring; that breaks works better later in the show.
For more information about the show and where and when the show airs in your market, click here. Ellie's Real Good Food airs on PBS stations across the country. Check your local listings.
photos credit: Ellie's Real Good Food/PBS
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