Daniel Green

For this television host, fat is definitely off the list

Minneapolis-based chef and author Daniel Green, who appears on the Food Network’s ‘Food Fortunes’, has carved a career advising people how to make healthier dietary choices. Currently working on his 12th book, Green is a true purveyor of healthful cuisine.

I had always loved to cook as a kid but never thought that it would turn out as a career. When I lost a great deal of weight 25 years ago, I came up with different ideas about serving low fat food, so that when I realised I must share these ideas.

You are only as good as your last meal. At any point you can jeopardise your image so you always have to be at the top of your game. You also depend on a team, and they can either raise your game or worsen it

If you go on a hard core diet, you will come off it and that means you would have failed. If you can tweak what you do on a daily routine, then you have a chance at keeping the weight off. My diet rules:  a low fat and high protein diet from Monday to Friday with no deep-fried food, cream, butter or cheese. I also have a cheat meal or a cheat day each week

I always have passion in what I do and even if it’s work, it won’t be stressful. I believe in doing what I love.

Families no longer cook at home as both parents work. This is a worldwide issue. No one is teaching us how to perform the simplest of tasks in the kitchen. So we have started to depend on YouTube, television and Facebook to find material that inspires and teaches us these skills.

Miso paste is my current favourite ingredient as it can be used in so many other ways besides soup. I now use it in salad dressings, marinades and wok-fried seafood. It marries well with ginger.  Another favourite is salmon eggs. I love the texture, the flavour and the elegance when it’s plated on a dish. I love any types of seafood with squid being one of my favourite. If I had to have three favourite ingredients, they would be olive oil, lemons and seafood.

Clean Cuisine is all about my ways of designing food without using processed foods and foods that have lots of fat. I am designing the menus for Cathay Pacific, and it’s one of the most exciting projects I have had. The airline is an amazing company that has embraced the idea of healthy food concepts.

Fat doesn’t have any flavour. It’s just an easy opt out when one adds fat. But this also sometimes manages to make ordinary food taste better.

I have more television shows featuring my cookware products that have started to air in the US.  I am starting work on my 12th book soon. My latest book, ‘Paleo Monday to Friday’, is out in most countries now. And one day I hope to open a fast food chain serving healthy food.

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Published 19th January 2016
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