Name: Chelsea Allen
Blog name and URL: Chelsea’s Healthy Kitchen
Where were you born? Burlington, Ontario
Where are you living now? Kitchener, Ontario
Why did you start your blog?
I started my blog when I was struggling through a transition period in my life during university. I craved a sense of community, which blogging gave me. I was also newly into healthy living, so I loved being able to connect with like-minded bloggers.
How did you decide on your blog name?
When I started my blog back in 2011, I called it One Healthy Munchkin because being only 5’0 tall, “munchkin” was always my nickname. But after 2 years it sounded too childish for me, so I when I switched to self-hosted I changed the name to Chelsea’s Healthy Kitchen. I’ve never been too creative, so I went with something straightforward!
What do you blog about?
I’ve always struggled to define my blog, because I don’t have a consistent theme. I’d say I mostly post healthy recipes, but I also dabble in writing about travelling, cookbooks, and restaurants. I sometimes wear my dietitian hat and post about nutrition trends and controversies, but I want to be seen as more than just a dietitian blog.
What post on your blog most encapsulates you and why?
This took me a while to think about, but I think it would have to be my post for Whole Wheat Flax Baked Chicken Fingers in which I touch on my approach to healthy eating. I think the common perception is that a healthy diet means eating plain baked chicken and steamed broccoli every day – but that sounds so boring! Healthy eating can be flavourful, exciting, and (gasp) even involve butter.
Which post do you wish received more love and why?
All of them (ha – just kidding). Probably my recipe for Broccoli with Cheese Sauce and Toasted Pine Nuts. It has a bit of a nostalgic factor to it for me because homemade cheese sauce was my dad’s trick to get me to eat broccoli when I was a kid. I would love for more kids to learn to love broccoli by eating it this way!
Which post’s success surprised you and why?
I was surprised at the response to my Mexican Sweet Potato Skillet Hash because I just made it on a whim for dinner one night and shot the photography right then and there before eating. Usually my recipes are more pre-planned, so I was pleased to see this impromptu recipe do so well!
What’s your biggest challenge as a blogger?
It’s 100% finding the time for it. With a full time job and busy weekends, sometimes it takes me weeks to find just one day where I can create and photograph a recipe to post.
Share a couple of your favourite food blogs to read. Why do you like them?
Yummy Beet, The Healthy Maven, Clean Eats Fast Feets, and Running with Spoons are some of my favourites - and I’ve actually had the pleasure of meeting all of them! These ladies have unique blogs and blogging voices, but having met them in person makes reading their blogs feel more personal.
Favourite food - care to share a recipe or a restaurant destination?
Is it cliché to say pizza? I’ve had some phenomenal pies at Morris East in Halifax, Son of a Peach in Burlington, and 7 Enoteca in Oakville. But I can’t talk about favourite foods without mentioning sticky toffee pudding as well. Smitten Kitchen’s recipe is always a hit!
What are you working on next for your blog?
I have a whole spreadsheet of recipe ideas I want to test. Hopefully now that the craziness of summer has died down, I’ll have more time to get back to recipe development and photography.
What else should we know about you that may or not be in your “About Me” page?
I love trying out new restaurants and writing about them, but I’ve moved away from posting reviews on my blog. Instead I post most of my reviews on my Yelp page!
What makes your blog unique?
That’s a good question… I guess what makes my blog unique is that I’m a dietitian who doesn’t always eat a dietitiany diet. Sure I like kale salads, but you’ll also find me eating creamy pasta, cheesecake, and bread – lots of bread. I believe all foods fit in a healthy diet, and I like to lead by example on my blog.
What part of the FBC site do you find most useful?
The blogger resources are fantastic! I heavily relied upon them when I went through a period of improving my blog. 20 Essential WordPress Plugins for Food Bloggers, 5 Tips for Maximizing Your Blog Archives, and How to Increase Your Blog’s Page Views Per Visit all helped me immensely!
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Yay Chelsea! Nice profile! Congrats! Diane from Kitchen Bliss
Thank you Diane! 🙂
Thak You
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