INTRODUCTION

Growing up in the eighties and nineties, my family always ate “healthy,” or what I like to call “eighties/nineties healthy.” Butter was banished from our refrigerator, white bread was unheard of, and I never once tasted whole milk. We always had a nice tub of margarine in the fridge, lots of whole wheat bread for turkey and American cheese sandwiches, and a boatload of nonfat milk. It was oatmeal for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, and pasta and frozen vegetables for dinner. We even spent some time as vegetarians.

Don’t get me wrong—there are worse ways to eat, and we definitely weren’t the unhealthiest family on the block. But what we know about nutrition and what helps our bodies function properly today is vastly different from what we knew back then.

Today, I focus on making meals for my family that are rich in fresh produce, high-quality proteins, and healthy fats. With that said, we’re still busy people with jobs, school, activities, and, well, lives outside the kitchen. My children love sweets and snacks, I love being able to make a meal quickly, and my husband just likes to eat.

This cookbook was designed with on-the-go people like us in mind. The recipes I’ve created use easy-to-source ingredients and simple cooking techniques to make healthy food with lots of flavor. Long gone are the days when healthy eating meant a boiled skinless chicken breast and a bowl of steamed broccoli. These recipes are amazingly delicious and made to keep your attention in the long run.

Welcome to your new healthy.