10Jul
Off

It Happens To All Of Us

Rachel Ray One of the perks of cooking your family’s meals is taste-testing as you go. A nibble here, a bite there. Unconscious eating, and it all adds up. Apparently, kitchen diva Rachel Ray is finding that out, too.

According to a report from Star Magazine Rachael blames too much nibbling in the kitchen, plus the stress of running her growing empire and fighting off divorce rumors has caused the Food Network star and talk-show host to pack on the pounds.

But now she’s determined to send her extra weight packing. “She told me, ‘I can’t believe how heavy I look,” a source tells Star. “She’s always been proud of her big backside, but she said her arms look flabby and her legs looked like tree stumps!”

While Ray’s show is on hiatus, the kitchen diva is trying to work off 15 pounds. But she doesn’t intend to stop there: she wants to lose an additional 15 — while cooking on air! Next season, Ray will be trying out calorie-restricted recipes and passing along her own diet tips to viewers.

As someone who’s caught Ray’s show only a handful of times, I’m pleased to learn she’s becoming more calorie-conscious with her recipes. It’s nothing short of frustrating to watch a cooking show — or to read a recipe in a magazine — and have no clue as to the actual calorie and fat content.

Oh, sure, I know when Paula Dean advises me to add “just a bit of butter” she really means doubling — if not tripling — the calories. That’s why I reserve Paula’s recipes for special occasions.

But Rachel Ray has always projected a wholesome, healthy image that promises good food which fits busy lifestyles. Take a glance at her “Chicken Courdon Bleu Burger” recipe, though.

One could easily assume they’re lower-calorie and fat due because they use ground chicken in place of beef. Think again, though: just one burger patty is 791 calories and 25.3 grams of fat… and that’s without the bun or condiments!

Nice to know that Rachel is now going to deal with a reality the rest of us live with: trying to find food that tastes good without being so bad for us. Kudos to the kitchen queen!

Posted by Chubby Mommy in Living With Fat
  1. Lisa says:
    July 10, 2007 at 10:44 am

    Rachel Ray irks the hell out of me. She’ll cook, cook, cook all this fattening crap and during her show she’ll tell you how healthy and good for you it is! But like you said, if you look at the nutrition ingredients of her food, it’ll KILL you!

    Paula Deen on the other hand…well, she’s Southern, so she’s allowed. ;-)

  2. Chubby Mommy says:
    July 10, 2007 at 3:13 pm

    LOL. My parents are from the South, so I grew up not knowing that some people didn’t actually put bacon fat in their green beans, or melt butter to brush on their corn.

    I’ve got to confess: Rachel Ray’s voice alone drives me nuts. I keep waiting for her to clear her throat and get rid of that scratchy mouse sound.

  3. Lisa says:
    July 11, 2007 at 10:38 am

    The whole EVOO thing is the biggest reason I hate her. I mean, how difficult is it to say extra virgin olive oil? Seriously. LOL!

  4. Chubby Mommy says:
    July 11, 2007 at 11:04 am

    Oh, good point! I’d forgotten about that.

  5. Sarakastic says:
    July 13, 2007 at 12:07 am

    I watch her show & think, “Ohh I would cook if I could make 30 minute meals”. Then I realize that I would also gain a lot of weight & spend way too much money on food, she’s deceptive that Rachel Ray.

  6. Chubby Mommy says:
    July 13, 2007 at 7:41 am

    Plus it’s really only a 30 minute meal if you’ve got a chef’s knife skills. She can chop an entire onion and mince a whole head of garlic in the time it takes me to just get the onion peeled.