Gastronome

New year, new diet? Personal chefs are the latest way to keep your weight in check.

WORDS BY JANE BLACK

Gourmet to Go

Health-conscious eaters have a new secret weapon: the personal chef.

IT'S A NEW YEAR AND WE ALL HAVE ONE THING IN COMMON: WE'RE ON A DIET.
Most of us will be on some version of the ?eat-less? diet.
We'll swear off candy and chocolate or promise to put more fruits and vegetables on our plates. Some of us will even give lowcarb yet another try. But what we're all after is a quick and easy solution to finding healthy, satisfying meals. So here it is: hire a personal chef.

If the words ?personal chef? conjure up images of a celebrity entourage, think again. Today's personal chefs cater to families with two working parents, busy single professionals, individuals with diabetes or allergies, or anyone on a post-holiday slim-down. Here's how it works: the chef comes into your home once a month, cooks meals from scratch, then packages and freezes them so you can pull them out any time.

According to the American Personal Chef Association, there are about 9,000 personal chefs in the United States, serving 72,000 clients. And over the next five years, that number is expected to more than double to 20,000 chefs with 300,000 clients. ?Most clients are middle-class people who are too busy to cook and are tired of eating take-out or in restaurants, where the food is loaded with fat and preservatives,? says the Association's executive director, Candy Wallace. ?Personal chefs design programs that are specific to any diet?the Zone, South Beach, Atkins?so that people can stick to their regimes.?

That's why Beckette Williams became a personal chef two-and-a-half years ago. A registered dietician with 20 years' experience, Williams was frustrated that her clients never followed her advice. She began to ask questions and soon realized that they didn't like to cook, didn't have time, or didn't know how to. ?I had clients who said to me, 'You've taught me what I need to know, now if you would just come to my house and do it for me.'? So she did. Williams' meals include low-fat entrées such as tequila-and-lime chicken, Sicilian-style cod, and beef Stroganoff. Each meal is packaged in an individual serving size and is labeled with nutritional information and heating instructions.

Personal chefs deliver more than just a healthy meal. They cater to specific challenges. Anne Hayward, who runs Premier Concierge of Columbus in Columbus, Ohio, for example, adds three times the normal number of vegetables to her beef stew for 36-year-old mother Felicia Hinrichs, who often has a hard time persuading her two young sons to resist fatty, processed and packaged foods. ?Whatever works for them, works for me,? says Hayward. ?That's what a personal chef service is about.?

Even better, personal chef services are reasonably priced. Although prices and packages vary, most chefs offer what's known as a ?five by four??four portions of five entrées and side dishes. This will provide 20 dinner-size servings. A typical five-by-four costs between $350 and $400, including groceries. That's $17.50 to $20 per person, more than a family-style eatery but far less than an upscale restaurant. Healthy food at a good price?now that's a diet all of us can stick to.

How to hire a personal chef ? Visit the American Personal Chef Institute & Association website www.personalchef.com, which offers a state-by-state listing. ? Ensure the chef is certified as a safe food-handler and has a valid municipal business license and general liability insurance. ? Make a list of your diet and nutrition goals to discuss with your personal chef. ? Request a tasting. ? Enjoy!