Karen Tayeh, NutritionistTitle: Further Food Nutritionist, Keeping it All Together, MomCondition: Gestational DiabetesDiagnosed Year: 1991 and 1998Foods I Love:Curry Roasted cashews Salmon Shrimp Lamb Leafy Greens Eggs Peanut butter Blackberries Pears GrapefruitFoods I Avoid:White rice White bread Fried foods Soda Processed foods Take-out mealsMy Recipes & ArticlesShaved Brussels Sprouts, Toasted Quinoa, Pomegranate Salad on April 21, 2021Congratulations! You’re Having Gestational Diabetes! onGrilled Chicken Breast with Mango Salsa on July 6, 2020Grab-and-Go Chicken Sausage, Egg, Brown Rice Breakfast Muffins on July 17, 2015Spicy Mexican Fish Fillets with Rice and Beans on January 23, 2015Just Got Diagnosed with Diabetes? 6 Diet Changes to Make Now on January 20, 2015My StoryI was raised in a household where my mom or dad had a warm breakfast on the table every morning for my three siblings and me, which usually consisted of white rice, eggs and meat. Dinner would consist of something yummy like chicken adobo, a side of vegetables and of course the ubiquitous white rice. Everything my mother made was so fragrant, tempting and delicious!When I had my own family, it just came naturally that I would cook most meals and introduce them to rice as a breakfast staple. I have tweaked some things though, like substituting brown rice for white, using organic and humanely produced meats as opposed to canned (and eating meat less often), and incorporating vegetables, beans and fruit into the breakfast rotation.I have had the very good fortune of staying home while raising my kids but since they weren’t going to stay little forever, I decided to do something with my lifelong interest in food and wellness. During my pregnancies, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, which made me even more aware of the need to eat well. I have been pursuing a Master’s in Nutrition and Public Health at Teachers College, Columbia University in New York. I’m also mothering, tasting recipes, crossing Ts, and dotting Is at Further Food, where I’m surrounded by young, like-minded, food-obsessed and talented colleagues.
