Good Health Starts In the Kitchen

For public radio’s Dr. Zorba Paster, good health begins in the kitchen. And when he’s not giving advice on his nationally-syndicated weekly call-in radio show, the kitchen is his favorite place to be.

In fact, the father of four breaks stereotypes as the main cook in his family. “I’ve always loved to eat,” says Dr. Paster, “so I cooked for my roommates when I was in college, and I guess I never stopped.”

That makes for a pretty full plate, given his national radio show “Zorba Paster On Your Health,” a family practice in Oregon, Wisconsin, and teaching at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Medical School. Dr. Paster has turned into a recipe-maker as well, coming up with a new “Heart-Healthy Recipe” each week for his radio show.

“You can’t talk about good health without talking about good food,” he says, “because good health starts with a healthy diet.”

So the recipes seemed a natural, from day one. “They’re an easy way to put good health habits into our daily routine,” he says.

Dr. Paster and a few colleagues adapt conventional dishes, substituting low-fat alternatives for high-fat and cholesterol-rich ingredients. “It’s not that hard to turn a high-fat recipe into a healthy one,” he says. “All it takes is substituting a few low-fat ingredients, like yogurt for sour cream or low-fat cream cheese for butter.”

They’ve turned out low-fat versions of old-standards — like macaroni and cheese, pizza, and chili — as well as vegetarian dishes, meals for die-hard meat-and-potato fans, and desserts for persistent sweet tooths. The idea, he says, is to create guilt-free foods that look and taste like their forbidden prototypes.

Does he use the same low-fat foods at home? Dr. Paster says he does try out recipes at the dinner table. But, he admits, his four children are a tough sell. “You try getting a kid to eat mushrooms,” he laughs. “It’s not that easy sometimes.”

Listeners know Dr. Paster also often finds a culinary challenge in co-host Tom Clark. Both halves of the radio talk show duo have very different opinions on what constitutes a “good meal.”

“A cheeseburger, fries, and a large Coke,” Clark quips, admitting his cholesterol level actually doesn’t allow the indulgence.

Dr. Paster has two words to describe Clark’s dietary preferences: pretty junky. “He’s beyond conversion; but he’s so stubborn, he’ll live a long life anyway.” The pair’s back-and-forth nutritional needling is all in good fun. Their spirited banter, talk about the latest medical research and answers to callers’ health and fitness questions can be heard in more than 80 cities coast to coast each week. The show is produced by Wisconsin Public Radio and distributed by Public Radio International.