Arts & Entertainment

Business Spotlight: Cary Woman Teaches You To EAT REAL

Kim Nordin, owner of whEAT REAL talks with local editor Quincy Hodges.

In a kitchen with utensils, whole grains, pressure cookers, a Bosch mixer and Nutrimill grain mill, Kim Nordin can cook up a feast of healthy foods ranging from bread, cinnamon rolls, chicken, roast, soups and sandwiches. But as owner of whEAT REAL, she teaches you how to cook with whole grains and save money while doing so. 

As a wife and mother of four children, Nordin was busy taking care of home, but in 2011 she found time to follow her passion of teaching people and letting her secret out about whole grains, cooking and eating good food. Nordin is originally from Michigan but has been a Cary resident for the past five years.

Age: 34

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Background: B.A. in elementary education from St. Cloud State University

Hometown: Upper Peninsula Michigan

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How did you get started?

I’ve been doing for about 14 years. I grew up in my grandma’s kitchen; we were always baking and always cooking. She had the Bosch mixer and the Nutrimill and the pressure cookers. When you’re cooking with whole gain, it’s real difficult to cook. It’s really difficult to get a nice loaf of bread out of whole grain unless you have white flour because you have to develop the gluten in it.

I’m a bread coach as well. I teach you how to make bread and how to use no white flour at all.

At 14 years ago, was it a business?

No, I’ve always been able to mentor people, get them the machines and get them started. I knew someday that this was going to be my business. I knew when I really wanted to jump into (business) I needed to have the time to devote to it and that was this past fall. I decided to let this big secret out to the community and it just exploded on me. There’s such a need, such a demand for eating healthier. Because you go to the doctor, you have to lose weight, you have to eat this whole gain diet, “How do I make it?” How do I make it taste good?

How has the business been so far?

I have a lot of classes going on. In my EAT REAL basic 101 class, we talk about why and the necessity of graining your own wheat and how you buy whole gain at the store, you don’t have any control over it, so you’re either buying not a whole gain or it’s rancid. 

For someone who eats fast food and pizza, how would they make the transition?

Well first, I would have you come over here and we do some very basic things. I would teach how to cook simple meals and separate them out. We would freeze those meals and you’ll be able to take them with you.

Who can benefit from eating the whole grains diet?

Everybody. For example, I have 500 calories of a sandwich with two pieces of bread, with your favorite toppings on good bread and I have 500 calories sandwich with white bread and I have a 500 calories in a Twinkie or candy bar. Well, using this bread that’s a dense, healthy calorie with nutrients, you eat it and you’re satisfied. You can eat the white bread sandwich and feel full because it doesn’t have a lot of good nutrients in it, so you continue to eat more. Your Twinkie or candy bars can have fillers on your stomach but it won’t satisfy your body because that’s not what it’s looking for.

What’s been the feedback from the community?

It has been very positive and it’s just what they’re looking for because their doctor is saying, “You need to lose weight, you have to eat whole grains and you have to eat good.” And that’s what they (doctors) tell you, but there is no one out there to teach them how to do it, how to cook it and they don’t know. People will make it one time and if it’s not good, they’re not going to try it again. Healthy foods from a store are expensive, but I can teach people in ways where they save a ton of money and it will taste good.

You offer a gluten-free class, why is that is so popular?

From what I read is that our diets are so bad, our bodies don’t know how to digest the garbage that’s in our foods nowadays. Our bodies know what to do with real food and some people can’t handle wheat.

Do you have any future plans on selling food?

I would love to. My goal would be to have a bakery some day and have a place where you can come in and have some eggs and toast, sandwiches and soups. You can come in and get your bulk grains and buy flour and get your fun kitchen utensils.

The next class from whEAT REAL

What: Mother/Daughter breakfast surprise

Where: My kitchen

When: 9:30 a.m. to 11:13 a.m., May 12

Bring your daughter and come cook. We'll be making tea breads, stuffed pancakes, a fun brunchy salad, and fresh fruit juices. We will be eating what we make on fine china. Only the best for this special occasion! Its $50 for both mom and daughter and that comes with fabulous matching aprons. Space is limited, so sign up ASAP.

Sign up for a class 

For more information on purchasing grains, machines and scheduling classes, contact Kim Nordin at 1-847-323-0226, by email Kim@whEATREAL.com or visit www.wHEATREAL.com.

 

Are you interested in putting a business in the spotlight? Email local editor Quincy Hodges atquincy.hodges@patch.com.


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