Central Florida YMCA’s
top chef teaches the value of healthy cooking to make healthy eating easier.
Cilantro lime chicken. French toast with carmelized bananas. Or, maybe creamy everyday hummus.
Gary Appelsies will teach you how to whip up those dishes in your own kitchen — not so you can become a chef, but simply so you can eat healthier.
He holds a master’s degree in nutrition and is a certified holistic health coach. He’s also director of healthy eating at the YMCA of Central Florida, where last summer he launched a tour of YMCA family centers across Central Florida to teach people about the benefits of healthy eating and show them how to prepare healthy meals.
“I go into the community to educate about healthy eating, healthy food and good nutrition, and how it plays into healthy lifestyles,” Appelsies said. “I help people navigate their kitchen and cook meals that you already enjoy, but to create them in a healthier way.
“How do we change the way we look at food and make it a little more positive?”
During the classes, which are held periodically and are open to the public, he’ll demonstrate, for example, how to prepare that cilantro lime chicken — following a recipe that includes such ingredients as extra virgin olive oil, honey, cumin, kosher salt and black pepper. Participants then can taste the results and take recipes home, which also are available online.
The website also includes a virtual-chef component, where Appelsies answers assorted questions about food.
The key to healthy cooking, he said, is to have a plan and a list.
“Our society is rushed; we always have a lot going on,” he said. “And when we think about how to eat, we want everything quick and fast. But that’s not always the best way to do it,” he said.
In 30 minutes or less, however, you can put a meal on the table “using ingredients that are healthy that you have at home. So, this also includes shopping the right way and using a shopping list,” Appelsies said.
“We forget how simple it can be because we’re always on the run. If you have a
thought and a plan, you can really do it.”
Appelsies’ must-do advice also involves sticking to what you know best.
“Don’t try to make things that are not relatable to you, that you haven’t tried before. Take that recipe that you already know and love, and make it in a healthier way,” he said. His examples: Add vegetables to recipes and reduce refined grains and processed foods. Also, bake or grill instead of fry.
Mostly, Appelsies hopes to continue changing perceptions about meals, as well as the ability to prepare them.
“You don’t have to be the best chef in the world,” he said. “Just using some good, healthy ingredients will help you live a little healthier lifestyle.”
Kevin Woerheide, 33, agrees. Last December, the Titusville resident, who weighs more than 400 pounds, took Appelsies’ class.
“I’ve been trying to eat healthier,” said the YMCA member, adding that he’s learned about both preparing and portioning meals. “It’s helped. And it’s not really difficult, maybe for people who don’t cook a lot. But you pretty much just know how to read a recipe.”
Woerheide also cooks for his wife and two small children, which he said makes the lessons learned especially important: “I want to be around for them.”