Best of the Food Web: Eating Well
By Ellie Schulman, Film and Television student, College of Communication
I was asked to write a review of EatingWell.com for this blog, but every time I tried to focus on checking out the specifics of what the site has to offer, I would end up watching 20 minutes of cooking videos and making lists of what I want to try out. Kind of like what always happens when you go on YouTube—you go to find a live performance of the Spice Girls and next thing you know you’ve watched an hour’s worth of funny cat videos. Of course, because this is a review post, I will highlight things that I discovered that I really like for those of you who want specifics. Otherwise I suggest you just go to their site to do some virtual wandering.
Before I get to the good stuff, I’ll give you some background about Eating Well. They are more than a website; their electronic media, in addition to their site, also includes an emailed newsletter. Outside of the virtual field, they have published several recipe books and continue to publish a monthly magazine, which is what started it all in 1990. The Eating Well Company works with the Nutrition Department at the University of Vermont to ensure that every recipe developed by their team is reviewed and approved by Registered Dietitians (RDs).
Now, on to the interesting stuff. First, as I mentioned, I love their videos. None of them are so long that I get bored, but they do provide a quick idea of how much of what ingredients you’ll need, unlike other short cooking videos that skip over the necessary information. Not to mention that their recipe articles and videos are often similar to our Test Kitchen blog posts (self-promotion what what). As Sargent Choice Nutrition Center RD Sarah Butler says, “Eating Well recipes are generally in line with our Sargent Choice Principles…[so you] don’t have to make modifications to improve the nutritional quality of the recipe yourself.”
Second, they have so many specific categories for recipes that you won’t have any trouble finding something you’d like to make. Click on the Recipes & Menus tab and when it takes you to the new page, you’ll see a bunch of specifications right under the tab. For those of you like me, you’ll probably first click on the “Easy Recipes” link because, let’s face it, who’s got the time or expertise in college to prepare a four course meal? You might also choose to click through to the “Recipes for Two” link which I highly recommend if you have a significant other or a roommate who might as well be a significant other. Or, again, if you’re like me and you’re actually cooking for yourself twice—Present You and Future You. Trust me, Future You will thank Present You for making enough food for leftovers so he/she doesn’t have to cook that night (or would it be Past You by that point?). In any event, you’re killing two birds with one stone.
