Dinner Makeover: We Need Healthy Dinner Ideas

Dietary considerations don't necessitate bland, tasteless food. Here, Real Simple helps one couple spice up their healthy diet.

"I Need Dinners That Are Healthy and Delicious"

Kori Smith, 35 
Lawrenceville, Georgia

When Kori met Jason, now 35, back in 2007, she was captivated by the medical salesman’s good looks, sharp mind, and big heart—as well as his fried catfish and grilled peaches. “We fell in love over food,” says Kori, an elementary-school assistant principal. She fondly recalls how the two of them would constantly try buzzy new restaurants in nearby Atlanta. Six months ago, that all came to an abrupt halt after Kori’s doctor told her that she had developed insulin resistance, a precursor to type 2 diabetes. Although her condition is increasingly common—more than one in four Americans have insulin resistance, according to the American Heart Association—Kori felt alone. “My doctor just told me to cut down on carbs, since they can spike my blood sugar,” she says. “I panicked and started eating nothing but plain chicken breasts, steamed spinach, and salad.” It didn’t take long before the two gourmands became “bored out of our minds.” Both of them want to learn how to cook in a way that’s good for Kori’s health and tasty, to boot. “But we don’t know where to start,” says Kori.