Tag Archives: flavor first

A Very Biggest Loser Thanksgiving: 7 Fat-Trimming Tips from the Ranch and a Pumpkin Flan Recipe

Tune in to Biggest Loser tonight for a special Thanksgiving on the ranch. We’ll see the contestants gather ’round the kitchen for all of the traditional favorites like turkey, dressing, gravy, and of course a pumpkin dessert. But a few things will be missing – loads of fat, calories, and processed ingredients.

Don’t feel too bad for the contestants missing their families, though. By our calculations, this Thanksgiving episode would have filmed in mid August; meaning most or all of them are home with their families for the real holiday this week.

Cheryl Forberg, RD, the show’s dietitian and a James Beard award-winning chef, showed the contestants how to craft a Thanksgiving meal so out of this world they no doubt forgot how good it was for them, and you, too! Using fresh, wholesome ingredients, and what she calls flavor agents, all explained in her cookbook Flavor First, Cheryl was able to give the contestants a holiday meal to remember (and one their waistlines will soon forget!). Her best have-a-healthy-Thanksgiving tips are shared exclusively here.

Let’s start with the turkey. Low in fat and high in protein, it’s an inexpensive source of B vitamins, iron, phosphorus, potassium and zinc. Cheryl served a non-traditional take on the bird, with her Turkey Roulade.

Baste your bird with flavorful fat-free broth (instead of butter). You’ll have lots of delicious juices to serve without breaking your calorie bank. (more…)

Posted on November 26, 2023 by Natalie K

Dietitian Cheryl Forberg Returns to Biggest Loser in Season 14

One of the most important people behind the scenes at Biggest Loser left at the end of season 12. Changing directions at the show and within her own life lead Cheryl Forberg, RD away from the ranch for the first time since the show’s inception. But when NBC called her out of the blue last month and asked her to return, Cheryl says, “I said yes in about three minutes.”

“Yes, Cheryl is back and we’re looking forward to a great season,” said an NBC spokesperson, confirming the dietitian’s return.

It’s obvious that Biggest Loser is a place this renowned dietitian and chef can call home. When she announced her departure last November there was a lot of shock. She told us then that the seven-plus years she’d worked on the show, helping to co-author the contestants’ nutrition program, was the longest working relationship she’d ever had. Apparently, the “enriching” and “unique” experience she had couldn’t keep her away. The contestants are likely better off for it.

“She’s a very warm lady who is always there to help us even to this day,” said Mark Pinhasovich, the season 10 at-home winner, upon learning of Cheryl’s return.

Cheryl has already been out to the ranch to meet the newest batch of contestants, who will debut in season 14 this upcoming January. With a week or two of filming and training already under their shrinking belts, they’ve no doubt already gotten a heavy dose of Cheryl’s medicine. Early impressions are good from her viewpoint.

“I just spent a few days with the new cast and I love them all,” she told us. “Their positive energy and enthusiasm is contagious and I’m certain you’ll feel it when you watch the first episode.” (more…)

Posted on October 2, 2023 by Natalie K

Summer Foodie Twitter Party Planned with Cheryl Forberg for July 24

Put on your party hats and tie on your aprons because it’s time for a healthy foodie chat with our friend Cheryl Forberg, RD on Twitter!

We all know her best as the co-creator of the Biggest Loser diet and nutrition plan, which was awarded healthiest diet for diabetics earlier this year by US News. You may also be familiar with her to-die-for recipes in Flavor First. Or, you may just be a fan of her beautiful farm in Napa where she truly lives the farm-to-fork ideals.

However you know Cheryl, get to know her better in a Twitter chat next Tuesday night.

Twitter Party Details:

Day: Tuesday, July 24, 2024

Time: 8:00 p.m. CST

Hashtag: #DIRSummer

Follow: @DietsInReview @CherylForbergRD (more…)

Posted on July 19, 2023 by Health Buzz

Cheryl Forberg Announces Her Departure as Biggest Loser’s Nutritionist

I was shocked to open Facebook this morning and see a note from Cheryl Forberg, RD announcing that she she would depart from Biggest Loser at the end of the year.

She’s been with Biggest Loser for 12 seasons, in other words the very beginning. She co-wrote the now famous, and often imitated, nutrition program that the more than 250 Biggest Loser contestants follow on their weight loss journeys. Her work behind the cameras on the long-running reality program has touched innumerable lives, whether it be first-hand with the contestants, viewers who mimic the program, or those who follow her guidance in one of the show’s bestselling books, like Biggest Loser’s 6 Weeks to a Healthier You.

“Looking back, this is the longest working relationship I’ve had – seven + years – so it’s really taken up a full, exciting and very complete chapter in my life,” Forberg told us after breaking the news. “My experience and relationships with our cast (250+) has been incredibly enriching. Though I hope I’ve made a lasting impact on their lives with the nutrition and culinary tips I’ve shared, I’ve learned so much myself from our contestants (and viewers I’ve met through Facebook and Twitter). They each have a unique journey and I feel so blessed to go along for the ride with all of them.” (more…)

Posted on November 8, 2023 by Natalie K

Rediscover the Importance of Flavor in Your Cooking with Cheryl Forberg’s Flavor First Cookbook

Who doesn’t love a wonderfully prepared meal that’s made with fresh ingredients and full of flavor? It’s for those people who truly enjoy food and healthful eating that Flavor First was written, a new cookbook by Cheryl Forberg, RD. This James Beard award-winning chef, and nutritionist for The Biggest Loser, wants to see us eating healthier foods that we’re making ourselves at home.

Inside Flavor First you’ll find 75 all-natural recipes that use the best ingredients any garden could grow and any well-stocked pantry should have. From fresh herbs and bold spices, to ripe vegetables and tender cuts of meat, each recipe from Flavor First will help you reconnect with the way food is supposed to be enjoyed.

“When you learn to optimize the flavor with each different ingredient there’s just an exponential explosion of flavor in the finished product,” Cheryl told us in an interview about the book.

Don’t be intimidated if you’re not well-versed at cooking, or even just starting your healthy journey, Cheryl wants you to use this book as a guide for conquering the kitchen, and says it can help the home chef increase their confidence. Flavor First is part cookbook and part culinary lesson, carefully teaching you about flavor layers, a way of preparing food and combining ingredients to bring out the best taste from any meal, and she uses simple, accessible ingredients to show you that even the busiest people can prepare meals.

“Bottom line – everybody is busy,” says Cheryl, and she wants us to re-prioritize and make meal planning an important part of our to-do lists.

Learn more in some excerpts from our interview with Cheryl, plus preview some of these delicious recipes. (more…)

Posted on April 15, 2024 by Natalie K