About

by Cheryl Whyte

Hiya! I’m Cheryl, and I’m so happy you’re here!

I’m a nutrition coach with a Diploma in Culinary Medicine and the sole creator of this food blog. I’m passionate about creating balanced recipes that nourish the body and allow people to feel satisfied without giving up their favorite foods. I’m also a meal prep fanatic, and nothing makes me happier than a well-stocked fridge and freezer full of homemade meals.

The recipes you will find here are healthy, affordable, simple, and incredibly tasty! Get ready to embrace a deliciously balanced approach to food!

My Story & The Real Food Geek

Can you relate to that feeling of being out of control around food? Those dreaded cravings that dictate your food choices all the livelong day! Well, I’ve been there. For as long as I can remember, I’ve struggled with food. I was stuck in an endless cycle of restriction and binge eating, and I felt miserable.

But since I weighed over 350 lbs, had been given a prediabetes diagnosis, and several other medical issues to boot, I desperately needed to make some changes. But figuring out where to begin or maintain momentum seemed impossible when I had tried so many diets in the past with little success.

Eventually, I decided enough was enough—no more dieting. Instead of jumping on the next restrictive diet trend, I’d go back to basics and start recreating healthier versions of my favorite meals. I soon realized that healthy eating needn’t be bland, expensive or complicated. Healthy meals could be incredibly delicious, affordable, and easy to prepare. 

Finally, I’d found a way to eat healthily without sacrificing the flavors I love, and I wanted the same for others as well. That’s when I started sharing my real food recipes online, and The Real Food Geek was born.

Over time, I have seen improvements in my health, and my excess weight is coming off consistently. I still have a long way to go, but I feel much happier and healthier now that I am in control around food.

FAQs

What is Real Food?

Simply put, real foods are minimally processed foods that nourish the body. No matter what type of ‘diet’ or ‘non-diet’ you follow, adding a variety of real foods to your plate at every meal can deliver an abundance of nutrients to your body, helping you function at your best.

These days, I limit the amount of highly processed foods I eat, as they often lack nutrients and are loaded with simple carbohydrates, added sugars, saturated fats, trans fats, artificial colors, flavors, and chemical preservatives. When eaten in excess, these foods can wreak havoc on the body and are a sure-fire way to sabotage your healthy eating goals.

I also want to emphasize that I say “limit” highly processed foods rather than remove them. No food is forbidden in this space. There’s nothing quite like making something off-limits to trigger uncontrollable cravings in many of us. It’s all about balance.

What is Culinary Medicine?

After experiencing the impact of different types of food on my health – good and bad, I was curious to learn more about nutrition. So, I enrolled at The Culinary Medicine College and gained my diploma in culinary medicine.

Culinary medicine is the study of how food can be used as a form of medicine. It requires an understanding of disease processes, how nutrition influences disease processes and how to apply that science to your diet to transform your health. 

The Culinary Medicine College curriculum was developed by course founder Dale Pinnock, a nutrition expert, clinical practitioner, television presenter, and the author of 18 books! Dale has nearly 30 years of experience helping people regain their health with effective yet simple dietary strategies. Exactly the person I wanted to learn from!

On the course, I was also fortunate enough to be taught by Dr. Gemma Newman, a GP, and expert in plant-based nutrition; Dr. Alan Desmond, a doctor, gut specialist, and author; and Christine Bailey, author, and award-winning nutritionist.

Is The Real Food Geek a Weight Loss Blog?

The focus of The Real Food Geek is to deliver healthy, affordable, simple, and incredibly tasty recipes made with real food ingredients. Although the story of how The Real Food Geek came to fruition includes my personal weight loss efforts and initial steps towards better health, The Real Food Geek is not a weight-loss centered food blog, nor does it claim to solve health complaints.

All of the recipes here are designed to be balanced, enjoyable, and inspire you to grow more confident in the kitchen. When it comes to health, including weight loss and weight maintenance, different people have different needs which are influenced by age, activity level, lifestyle, genetics, gender, calorie requirements, and their current state of health, among other things. Therefore, I do not define any recipe as being suitable for weight loss or solving a specific health complaint.

That said, each recipe contains nutritional information so you can choose the best recipes to suit your own specific needs.

Where to Start?

If you are new to The Real Food Geek, here are some great places to start. 

What’s Next? Join the Community!

Connecting with readers is genuinely my favorite part of blogging, and I have plenty of ways for you to stay in touch.  

  • Comment on my recipe posts. I love to hear when you try a recipe! 
  • Come say hi on social media. I personally respond to all your messages on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
  • Check out what I’m pinning on Pinterest.
  • Get free recipes delivered straight to your inbox by subscribing to the weekly newsletter…did I mention it was free!
  • Email me directly at cheryl@therealfoodgeek.com.  
  • Or, you can visit my contact page. 

Thank you for taking the time to read through my story. I hope that The Real Food Geek becomes a place for you to find inspiration, and delicious food and connect with others as we take steps together towards better health.