This week, read about healthy eater Amanda B. Steal her idea for “sweet sushi” (Orange in Chicago also makes it, called fruishi!), and find out why she’ll never drink a green monster at work again. Are you a healthy eater? Want to share your profile with fellow Nutritionista readers? Send me YOUR answers to the 10 questions below, and I’ll feature them on an upcoming Monday!

1. What’s the best thing about healthy eating?
My energy skyrockets, which inspires me to fit in adequate exercise and be more productive at work, which in turn stabilizes my mood, making me friendlier and less likely to stress out. And I admit: because my skin glows and I *feel* strong and sleek, I’m just a happier and more productive human being.
2. Do you give your eating a label (e.g., vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, high raw, etc.)?
Haphazard Omnivore. Most of the meals I cook for myself are vegetarian, though sometimes include chicken, turkey, or shrimp. I love sushi and won’t pass up a plump steak on special occasions. And since my job forces me to sample different cuisines, I try many types of seafood, plus pork, lamb, and other meats—but all in moderation and with concern for quality ingredients.
3. Favorite method of cooking and why?
Grilling, for its efficiency and easy clean-up. I have a Weber Baby-Q on my fire escape, right outside my kitchen window, onto which I’ll throw kebabs or a homemade turkey patty (or sometimes I use a special perforated grill wok). Dump ingredients over salad fixings with fresh lemon, evoo, and pepper and dinner is served.
4. Favorite versatile herb/spice?
Garlic. I go to a festival each year and stock up on garlic bulbs and real garlic powder, which I put on everything. I also like cumin for Mexican dishes and winter stews, and cinnamon for it’s blood-sugar-stabilizing properties.
5. Best healthy sweet treat?
What I call Sweet Sushi: TJ’s dried flattened banana (I’m hooked!) spread with crunchy natural peanut butter and granola or Kashi, all rolled up!
6. Your go-to five-minute meal?
1 egg + 2 egg whites scrambled with spices and folded up with sliced green/red pepper plus baby spinach/arugula inside a whole wheat pita lined with a slice of Cabot lowfat (50%) cheddar. Portable, too!
7. “Healthy” food you avoid like the plague?
I can’t stomach salmon. I *know* that it’s one of the healthiest sources of omega-3s, but I. just. cant. It’s fishy.
8. Who’s the person in your life that is the most baffled by how you eat? Probably my boss. Note to self: don’t drink favorite green(ish) smoothie (spinach, grapefruit, lemon, with fresh-pressed apple-celery-carrot juice and ground flaxseed and cayenne) from a clear container at your desk ever again…
9. What’s your healthy power/comfort food (the one food you know will get you through the day)?
Hot 5-grain cereal with two big pinches of ground flaxseed, a half-handful each of golden raisins and chopped almonds, a few shakes of cinnamon and nutmeg, and a generous pour of skim milk.(I’ve found that if I forget the milk at home, the 1% milk available at the shop next-door helps keep me satisfied even longer. It really makes a difference, but yet I can’t bring myself to buy a carton of it to drink at home.)
10. If you could change anything about your diet, what would it be?
I tend to overeat, often because I want to incorporate many different tastes and textures into a single meal, which in turn makes the meal larger than a portion reasonable or necessary. I’m addicted to nuts, too. I need to constantly remind myself that healthy foods can be unhealthy when eaten in excess!

This week’s healthy eater is Bianca. Find out this veggie freak’s kryptonite, and which cereal she can’t through the day without. Are you a healthy eater (of any kind, shape, or size?) Then send me your profile answering the following 10 questions!

1. What’s the best thing about healthy eating?
   The way it makes you feel. I never noticed how I felt when I would eat overprocessed junk food. Since I’ve begun eating healthy, I don’t feel bloated (you know that feeling I’m talking about) or sluggish. Also, it mentally makes you feel better about yourself that you actually care about what’s your putting in you.
2. Do you give your eating a label (e.g., vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, high raw, etc.)?
   Anythingism sounds good. I’m open to anything that is good for me and not overly processed. When you’re open to try any food, you discover so many different foods out there (however, I will NOT do pork).
3. Favorite method of cooking and why?
   For dinner each night I load up on all different kinds of veggies and I love to saute them in a frying pan with just a hint of olive oil. You can do so much with veggies (i.e., turning a zucchini all pasta-y and throwing in some fresh tomatoes over it). Delish!
4. Favorite versatile herb/spice?
   Not really a spice, but I love using balsamic vinegar with everything. It adds so much flavor for so little calories. Also, I add a little bit of fresh salsa with my veggies.
5. Best healthy sweet treat?
   Homemade granola or homemade peanut butter. They’re my kryptonite.
6. Your go-to five-minute meal?
   Egg white with fresh veggies, all set out on a Flat-Out. I can eat this for breakfast or dinner.
7. “Healthy” food you avoid like the plague?
   Not a fan of soy, it just doesn’t seem right to me.
8. Who’s the person in your life that is the most baffled by how you eat?
   My fiance. I know he thinks I eat a lot for dinner (I seriously have plates of veggies for dinner), but he’s always so understanding when I have special requests if we go out to eat.
9. What’s your healthy power/comfort food (the one food you know will get you through the day)?
   Oatmeal, it’s so filling and versatile.
10. If you could change anything about your diet, what would it be?
    My day does not feel complete unless I have a serving of Puffins and milk after dinner. I don’t know what it is about that cereal, but I wish I didn’t always crave it at night.

Today, learn about healthy fashionista Tatiana. Read about her favorite things to boil, and which healthy food she got her mom addicted to. Do you want to share your healthy eating with Nutritionista readers? Send me your answers to the 10 questions below and I’ll post them on an upcoming Monday!

1. What’s the best thing about healthy eating?
   I have to say that for me the best thing about eating healthy is the effect it has on me. I look and feel better; my skin is more radiant, I have more energy, and I am generally happier. Also it makes me feel like I’m doing something right. Every time I buy at the farmer’s market or meat from a local farm I feel like I am doing a little something to help these people that are trying to create change.
2. Do you give your eating a label (e.g., vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, high raw, etc.)?
   Not at all. I believe that most things if eaten in moderation are fine. Also, if you do a little research you can find milk and meat from local farmers that when consumed in small portions is ok. My dad grew up drinking whole milk, eating a lot of butter, potatoes, meat, and bread and yet every doctor he has been to say they have never met a healthier man his age. Why? Because their portions were small and controlled and because they grew their own vegetables and fruits, got meat from their neighbor, and milk from a friend that had two cows. They knew where their food came from. This is becoming extremely important to me.
3. Favorite method of cooking and why?
   I would probably have to say boiling. I love pasta, or mashed potatoes, or one of my favorite dishes is boiled new potatoes with some butter and dill. I also love soups.
4. Favorite versatile herb/spice?
   It would be a tie between dill and parsley. It reminds me of home, i.e. Russia.
5. Best healthy sweet treat?
   Fruit. I am a fruit fanatic, I love all of it and eat it constantly.
6. Your go-to five-minute meal?
   A sandwich: whole wheat bread, a little mayo, tomatoes, avocados, herbs, and maybe some deli meat.
7. “Healthy” food you avoid like the plague?
   Fake meat and tofu kind of scare me.
8. Who’s the person in your life that is the most baffled by how you eat?
   No one really. My husband is on board with me and it makes me happy to see my parents listen and make small changes in their diet and lifestyle for the better. I recently got my mum addicted to plain greek yogurt!
9. What’s your healthy power/comfort food (the one food you know will get you through the day)?
   Apples. I absolutely adore them! They taste great, don’t make me feel heavy, and give me an extra burst of energy. Plus they are so easy to pack!
10. If you could change anything about your diet, what would it be? I really wish I could cut out meat altogether but I’m working on it.

One of my favorite new food blogs is Veggie Booty. Emma always keeps it real (and delicious). Read her profile below to find out which spice her husband says is going to poison her if she keeps eating it in such large quantities, and how she eats the infamous banana soft serve.

1. What’s the best thing about healthy eating?
Without a doubt, it’s the way that you feel. You don’t even know how good it can be until you start doing it - when you start giving your body want it needs and wants, it responds very positively!
2. Do you give your eating a label?
Generally, I would say that I’m a pescatarian. But, the word I prefer to use is “balanced.”
3. Favorite method of cooking and why?
I am a big fan of anything that can be prepared in advance, so as to save time on busy week nights. And, roasting/baking is a favorite as well: a little EVOO and some spices go a long way when roasting veggies - light with lots of flavor!
4. Favorite versatile herb/spice?
Cinnamon, hands down. I dowse my breakfast in cinnamon every morning. My significant other has been trying to convince me that there’s such a thing as “cinnamon poisoning” to get me to back off! I just love it.
5. Best healthy sweet treat?
My absolute favorite dessert is banana “soft serve” (frozen bananas blended until creamy!) with almond butter and a few dark chocolate chips. It’s amazing. 
6. Your go-to-five-minute meal?
Peppers stuffed with black beans, whatever veggies are available, cumin, black pepper, and topped with a little bit of cheese. It takes about five minutes to throw together and then you just toss it in the oven! 
7. “Healthy” food you avoid like the plague?
I’ve thought long and hard about this one, and I really have no ideas. The best I could come up with is pears, which I’ve never enjoyed.
8. Who’s the person in your life that is the most baffled by how you eat?
This would be a toss-up between my significant other and my former roommate. Though, recently, my SO has been reading In Defense of Food, so he’s starting to get it more. Which would leave my roommate, who used to have a rule that she wouldn’t eat any green food!
9. What’s your healthy power/comfort food (the one you know will get you through the day)?
This is a no-brainer: Oats! Specifically, whipped banana oats with almond butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a few dark chocolate chips. As everyone is picking that, though, I’d say my second favorite is tomato soup. And third is anything with almond butter.
10. If you could change anything about your diet, what would it be?
I’m working on listening to my body. Sometimes, I eat *way* past when I’m full or don’t eat when I’m hungry because I’m over or under my daily “calorie allowance” - I want to learn to listen to what my body needs better!

This week, read about Lia. Lia has been one of my closest friends for as long as I can remember. Growing up, we spent many a night cooking and/or eating together. Lia is one of the best cooks I know, and her blog offers inspiring and informative tips about how to make your home healthy, sustainable, and beautiful on all levels. If you haven’t checked out her blog or tried one of her recipes, I’d suggest doing so now!

On another note, sorry for being absent so long. I’m back in action and ready to go. I’m going to get to all emails/questions asap. Thanks for being so patient, everyone!

1. What’s the best thing about healthy eating?
   As someone who has been at an unhealthy weight and lost it I can say that healthy eating is a great way to maintain a healthy figure.  Although weight is important for me the best thing about healthy eating is the balance that it brings to my life.  In our house eating with health in mind means focusing on flavor and quality rather than ease and quantity.  Seasonal foods and eating most meals at home help us to eat nutritious flavorful foods on a budget and keep help us to be responsible consumers.
2. Do you give your eating a label (e.g., vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, high raw, etc.)?
   No, I don’t eat red meat because I didn’t grow up eating it and it makes me ill when I try but other than that I try to keep an open mind.  For the most part I accept my place in the food chain and enjoy meat and dairy.  However I will say that the environmental impact and treatment of the animals at large scale farms is something I don’t like to support and keep my meat consumption confined to my house and the few restaurants that I know purchase humanely raised meat.
3. Favorite method of cooking and why?
   Marinading, sauteing, and baking.  I love baking and marinading because both techniques impart a lot of flavor.  Marinated chicken and roasted vegetables are both healthy, filling, and delicious and are the base for many of our meals.  Sauteing is great because it’s fast and a great technique for one pot meals.
4. Favorite versatile herb/spice?
   Hmmmm, this is a hard one.  Probably dried thyme (which appears in so many different cuisines from France to Qatar).  But I also adore smoked paprika and fresh garlic.
5. Best healthy sweet treat?
   Baked apples in the fall and winter (or if I have a bit more time whole fruit wrapped in pie crust and baked).  For summer fruit spritzed with citrus and eaten with fresh mint.
6. Your go-to five-minute meal?
   Salad, most of the other meals we eat take a bit of time.  Dinner usually takes me about 30 minutes to make from start to finish but I can get by with a big bowl of fresh veggies when pressed for time.
7. “Healthy” food you avoid like the plague?
   I can’t think of anything I hate but I generally don’t eat bars (granola, protein, Lara, fiber) of any kind for snacks.  I don’t find them particularly filling (probably a psychological thing) for how high they tend to be in calories.  I also like snacks that take a little time and ceremony to eat (cheese and crackers, carrots and hummus, fruit with yogurt etc…) because the longer it takes me to eat something the more satisfied it keeps me.
8. Who’s the person in your life that is the most baffled by how you eat? Probably my husband’s extended family.  They are big meat eaters and don’t tend to focus on health.  Lucky for me no one on my immediate life (including my husband and mother-in-law) eat junk or get on my case for serving healthy foods.
9. What’s your healthy power/comfort food (the one food you know will get you through the day)?
   Chopped veggies dressed with lemon juice and olive oil fill me up without making me feel bloated or sick.  Celery, grated carrot (for textural interest), tomatoes and cucumbers are my go to favorites.
10. If you could change anything about your diet, what would it be?
    I cook a lot which can sometimes make me feel burnt out.  I wish that I had more drive to tackle longer more tedious dishes (like bread and pizza from scratch).  I also probably need to eat more fiber.

This Monday, get to know healthy eater Kate. Katie loves stewing, dark chocolate for dessert, and calls her husband a “grain geek.” Read on to find out what other healthy quirks she has…

1. What’s the best thing about healthy eating?
   For me, the best thing about my decision to eat healthy is that it forces me to be creative with my menu.  To try new recipes and ingredients, plan in advance and think of ways to make meals work for me.  I know that I don’t need to eat “healthy” to eat creatively, but the two have gone hand in hand for me.  Since discovering healthy food blogs, and since buying NZ’s fabulous “Healthy Food Guide” magazine (www.healthyfood.co.nz), my meals have become far more interesting and far more varied.  And even though healthy ingredients can be more expensive, I’ve saved money because I’m less reliant on convenience food, I avoid waste, and I eat far less meat and cheese.
2. Do you give your eating a label (e.g., vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, high raw, etc.)?
   Nope.  I’m a regular old omnivore, though I’m a 90% weekday vegetarian now- more by coincidence than by design.
3. Favorite method of cooking and why?
   Probably “stewing”- I love dumping lots of stuff into a pot with a can of tomatoes, and cooking it up together until it tastes good.
4. Favorite versatile herb/spice?
   Cinnamon.  I must go through a jar a month!
5. Best healthy sweet treat?
   Dark chocolate, sometimes with some dried fruit and nuts on the side.
6. Your go-to five-minute meal?
   Whole wheat penne with white beans, tuna, parmesan, garlic, whatever veges I have on hand, and plenty of cracked pepper.
7. “Healthy” food you avoid like the plague?
   I don’t really do soy, and although I like tofu ok, I don’t really make it much.
8. Who’s the person in your life that is the most baffled by how you eat?
   I don’t really know anyone who would find what I eat strange.  My husband loves eating healthy, and is a total “grain-geek”- he’s always on at me to experiment with different flours and grains.  So when I spent nine bucks on quinoa flakes last night, I justified by calling it a present for him!
9. What’s your healthy power/comfort food (the one food you know will get you through the day)?
   Oats!  Totally unoriginal, but I have oats in some form for breakfast nearly every day.  My current favourite is zapping a chopped apple in the microwave with some water, then adding oats and more water and zapping again, then adding walnuts or almond butter, some agave, and a bit of milk.  Yum!
10. If you could change anything about your diet, what would it be?
    I definitely eat too many sweets, and I eat a little too much.  I exercise a lot (10-12 hours/week) and I tend to think that allows me to eat whatever I want.  It doesn’t!

Are you a healthy eater? Answer the above 10 questions and send them to me! I may use them on an upcoming Monday.

Welcome to another Monday edition of POAHE. This week, meet Stephanie. She loves her some spicy hot sauce, but wants to return her membership to the clean plate club. Another week, another kind of healthy eater…

1. What’s the best thing about healthy eating? The way I feel - once you’re used to eating well you really pay for it the day after eating fatty, salty (albeit delicious) foods.
2. Do you give your eating a label (e.g., vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, high raw, etc.)? No, though I prefer to avoid meat when I can (I don’t miss it when it’s not there). Living with someone who can’t get on board with a meatless or vegan diet makes it tough to consistently eat that way myself.
3. Favorite method of cooking and why? Grilling and roasting - brush veggies with olive oil, salt, & pepper and I’m set.
4. Favorite versatile herb/spice? Hot sauce. On everything. Especially Frank’s Redhot.
5. Best healthy sweet treat? Peanut or almond butter and a square of super dark chocolate. Also, whipped cottage cheese with honey and fruit or nut butter mixed in.
6. Your go-to five-minute meal? Soup from Soupergirl, a huge salad, or an open face tofu salad sandwich.
7. “Healthy” food you avoid like the plague? I really don’t hate many foods - does bleu cheese count?
8. Who’s the person in your life that is the most baffled by how you eat? The fiance is supportive and eats whatever I make, but you will never convince him he will be “full” without eating meat. Paying more for better quality food is rough for him, too.
9. What’s your healthy power/comfort food (the one food you know will get you through the day)? PB & J oatmeal (sensing my obsession with peanut butter?). Seriously decadent and fills me up for hours.
10. If you could change anything about your diet, what would it be? I have a real issue with wasting food so I feel a strong need to clean my plate. Working on taking food home from restaurants. I’m also trying to be better about eating slowly and really enjoying what I’m eating instead of eating at warp speed all the time.

I’m giving you one more profile this week as a bonus. This one belongs to Amanda, who seems to love soup as much as I do.

1. What’s the best thing about healthy eating? Feeling in control and smart about making active choices that will make me feel better now, and for years to come.
2. Do you give your eating a label (e.g., vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, high raw, etc.)? I eat everything, but I like to focus on low calorie veggies that I can eat a lot of, and then supplement with proteins and use fats more as a flavoring agent. Meat isn’t mandatory, but it often adds protein and texture that’s hard to duplicate with veggies.
3. Favorite method of cooking and why? Grilling and pan searing.  I like it to be quick, and it snows too much to use my grill year round.
4. Favorite versatile herb/spice? I use a ton of cilantro in the summer on both fruits and veggies, and lots of lemon and garlic in the winter months.
5. Best healthy sweet treat? Bites of dark chocolate and coconut popsicles in the summer; diced apples cooked with cinnamon, raisins, and honey in the fall.  Pop the apple stuff in a pan and cover, cooking on low while you prep and eat your meal, and violia, it’s soft and delish and just like apple pie without the crust when you’re ready for dessert!  Top it with some oats and brown sugar if you need to jazz it up even more.
6. Your go-to five-minute meal? Hearty soup!  I make tons of fresh soups out of leftovers from big meals or big hauls from the farmer’s market, then I freeze in meal sized portions. I also make and freeze healthy dinner rolls with dill or carrot or pumpkin in the mix and defrost a couple of those in the toaster oven while the soup is defrosting.  A great lunchtime soup I always have on hand is Thai Tomato.  SO GOOD!
7. “Healthy” food you avoid like the plague? I can’t think of anything I don’t/won’t eat—if I do avoid something its always due to cost or availability reasons not because of taste.
8. Who’s the person in your life that is the most baffled by how you eat? I’m pretty flexible and good in the kitchen, I’ve never served/prepared anyone something they didn’t enjoy, and I don’t carry any restrictions to public dining scenarios like restaurants or group gatherings.  I plan ahead and make a situation work.  One of the best things to do to avoid looking fussy is to bring a healthy dish with enough for everyone and pass it off as a shared platter.  I think it’s off putting when people bring their own meal, or don’t eat at all (ie, they ate before the event) when going to a restaurant or other group dining event.
9. What’s your healthy power/comfort food (the one food you know will get you through the day)? I love baby spinach or baby greens.  I can always make them into something that satisfies.  If I need to go really bare bones, I could get by on skim milk, tons of water and giant dishes of greens.
10. If you could change anything about your diet, what would it be? I wish food wasn’t such an emotional experience.  Eating makes me happy, and I truly love “inventing” new stuff in the kitchen-it’s instant gratification and stress relief, but even healthy food is a whole lot more calorically dense than knitting or doing yoga :)

Miss Tina is kicking off my new weekly feature with her Profile of a Healthy Eater. Since she’s a long-time healthy eater, I was very curious to hear her answers. Tina’s a big fan of finding a healthy balance in her diet and it definitely shows in her answers:

1. What’s the best thing about healthy eating? The way you feel! I always seem to have more energy when I eat well.
2. Do you give your eating a label (e.g., vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, high raw, etc.)? Balanced.
3. Favorite method of cooking and why? Fast and simple!
4. Favorite versatile herb/spice? I love fresh basil! Fresh ginger is another favorite!
5. Best healthy sweet treat? A big oatmeal raisin cookie on Cookie Friday. It’s good for the mind, body, and soul!
6. Your go-to five-minute meal? Scrambled eggs with lots of fresh veggies cooked in.
7. “Healthy” food you avoid like the plague? Water chestnuts. They’re probably the only healthy food I don’t like.
8. Who’s the person in your life that is the most baffled by how you eat? My husband sometimes thinks that my “kitchen experiments” are a little too creative!
9. What’s your healthy power/comfort food (the one food you know will get you through the day)? Oatmeal and peanut butter!
10. If you could change anything about your diet, what would it be? I’d like to add more fresh fruit and veggies.

Starting Monday, I’m introducing a weekly feature called Profile of a Healthy Eater. The goal is to demonstrate that healthy eating comes in a variety of styles and there is no “one size fits all” way to eat well. I’m going to do one as an example (below). If you’d like to be featured this Monday or a subsequent Monday, please email me with your own responses to the following questions.

1. What’s the best thing about healthy eating? The variety of delicious food. There’s way more variety at a farmers’ market than there is at a McDonald’s. Also, making something healthy AND delicious takes creativity and thought whereas it’s pretty easy to add a lot of sugar/fat/sodium to something and know it will taste good.
2. Do you give your eating a label (e.g., vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, high raw, etc.)? Nope, except maybe “omnivore.” In theory, I eat everything (and in practice, I’ve eaten everything at one time or another!). However, I enjoy eating vegetarian/vegan/raw often.
3. Favorite method of cooking and why? Roasting/baking! I love being able to stick something in the oven and return half an hour later to find a delicious meal.
4. Favorite versatile herb/spice? Paprika — it seems to enhance any flavor — and fresh basil.
5. Best healthy sweet treat? Medjool dates stuffed with a bit of dark chocolate and almond butter… also, watermelon. Period.
6. Your go-to five-minute meal? Annie’s instant organic mac & cheese with fresh spinach and edamame (aka Lean Green Mac & Cheese).
7. “Healthy” food you avoid like the plague? I just can’t do Brussels sprouts. I’ve tried and tried. I can’t stomach them.
8. Who’s the person in your life that is the most baffled by how you eat? Though he tries, my boyfriend just can’t understand why you would eat a meal without meat.
9. What’s your healthy power/comfort food (the one food you know will get you through the day)? I guess I’d have to say oatmeal (specifically, steel-cut oats). It never does me wrong. I also like to have a LABABAR around just in case.
10. If you could change anything about your diet, what would it be? Sometimes I wish I didn’t have the urge to end almost every meal with something sweet, but as long as it’s something nutritious (see #5), I’m pretty okay with it.