What’s cooking?
Local man develops recipes under 400 caloriesBy BRETT DUNLAP, bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com
BEVERLY - A Beverly man who loved to eat, changed his attitudes about food, lost 145 pounds over the last year and is detailing many of the recipes he developed in a new cookbook.
Justin McKown, recently wrote and self-published "Low Calorie Recipes For Those Who Eat" after his own struggle to get his weight under control. The book contains around 100 recipes, each under 400 calories.
A year ago, McKown weighed more than 420 pounds.
His mother had gastric bypass surgery and ended up dying from complications. He came to the realization he was on a destructive path and needed to change, not only for his sake but for the sake of his family.
''I realized I had to make a change,'' he said. ''I had to lose weight rather than stay where I was.''
''I wanted to be around to see my girls go off to kindergarten. ''I threw all of my junk food out. Over the last year, I have been reteaching myself to cook, to eat and to exercise. The key is re-evaluating how you eat.''
McKown said he learned the importance of portion control in any weight-loss plan as well as creating the right combinations of food.
One reason why many diets fail is because the lack of choices and the choices available are bland and repetitive, he said.
McKown wanted a way to enjoy many of the dishes he has always loved but rework them into a healthier version.
''If a particular dish called for cheese, I would use a low-fat cheese,'' he said. ''If it called for cream cheese, I would use a cream cheese with one-third the fat.
''If it needed sugar, I would use Splenda. Doing it this way, all the dishes tasted just as good, if not better.''
He also learned about creating the right combination of foods. If he was to have a meal consisting of a pasta dish, he would have a smaller portion while adding something healthier, like a salad with a low-calorie dressing. He also started grilling certain foods as opposed to frying.
''It is all about approaching food differently,'' McKown said.
He and his wife would go out to a restaurant and try different types of dishes and then he would go home and try recreating them using low calorie foods.
McKown developed recipes for casadias, moroccan shirmp as well as a number of southern dishes, dishes from India and dishes from around the world as well as a number of desserts.
He wanted people to be able to have a number of favorites they would keep coming back to and fix on a regular basis.
''The idea was to create a little taste of everything,'' he said. "I wanted to create a cookbook that people could use and not become bored with it.''
He priced the cookbooks at $10 and is selling them at B&W Pharmacy in Beverly, Curves in Beverly and Dynamic Design Hair Salon in McConnellsville as well as through the mail from his home.
For more information, e-mail justinneilmckown@hotmail.com.
