FOOD
IN THE KITCHEN WITH
Bettye Jones
Meridian woman creates healthy , tasty meals for herself and others
Story by Monique Harrison Henderson • Contributing Writer Photos by Trenton Steele
A
few years ago , Bettye Jones ’ doctor presented her with a difficult choice : either lose a significant amount of weight , or plan to spend the rest of her life relying on insulin to regulate her blood sugar .
Those words motivated Jones to make some dramatic changes – starting with what she ate . She quickly realized that one key to weight loss was learning to cook more of her meals at home .
She started by just eliminating fast food and cooking more at home . Many meals were prepared in the crockpot or pressure cooker . Instead of frantically running through the drive-through of a fast-food restaurant after he son ’ s basketball games or practices , they rushed home to enjoy a meal that was already prepared and tableready .
This also had the benefit of helping her son to control his migraines , since processed foods can often be a trigger for the severe , often debilitating headaches . She also had eliminated items like sandwich meats , hot dogs and chips to address his migraines .
From there , she started experimenting with different healthy options . Today , Jones
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