Cooking Contest Win Caps Year of Healthy Changes for Grand Rapids Man

Julie Bitely

| 3 min read

When tests revealed high blood sugar levels, Kevin Adams knew he had to make some changes.
The 48-year-old Grand Rapids resident had watched diabetes impact his father’s life and he didn’t want to go down the same path.
His health transformation started in the kitchen.
“That made me decide to start cooking more,” Adams said.
His foray into healthy food helped him take home the top prize at the 4th annual “Real Men Cook & Eat Healthy” cooking competition, held on Friday, June 19 at New Hope Baptist Church in Grand Rapids.
DSCN2395
Adams’ citrus glazed chicken and arugula salad earned him a first-place award of $350. The cooking competition was part of “Let’s Talk Health” week, which is put on annually by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and partnering community organizations to emphasize the importance of a healthy lifestyle.
Since starting his health journey about one year ago, Adams has lost 33 pounds. He said making healthy food and exercise a priority have made all the difference.
DSCN2391
“You’ve got to make the time,” he said.
In addition to planning, prepping and preparing healthy meals, Adams fits in exercise on his lunch hour at work.
“Because I am busy, it’s the perfect opportunity to get some exercise in,” he said.
Adams credits last year’s cooking competition, which he participated in, to sparking an interest in learning new and varied ways to prepare healthy dishes.
“I had so much fun last year and I just learned a lot,” Adams said.
William Gresham
William Gresham
DSCN2392 (3)
Geraud Singh
Other prize winners at the competition were William Gresham, sous chef at City Flats Hotel, and Geraud Singh.
Gresham took home a second-place prize of $250 for his jerk-rubbed catfish tacos and coconut quinoa with blueberry mango salsa. He said growing up poor in Grand Rapids meant he spent a lot of time experimenting in the kitchen trying to turn pantry staples into tasty meals. The self-taught chef said he approaches cooking in much the same way today.
“A lot of times I still draw on that. What do I have and what can I make with it,” he said of his process.
Singh, the first-place winner from last year’s competition, won a third-place prize of $150 for his organic turkey-stuffed peppers with savory tomato sauce, ricotta and feta cheeses (pictured above).
“It appeals to all your senses,” he said of his dish.
If you enjoyed this post, you might also like:
Photo credit: Kelly Sikkema via Flickr (feature), Julie Bitely, A Healthier Michigan (insets)

A Healthier Michigan is sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, a nonprofit, independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.
No Personal Healthcare Advice or Other Advice
This Web site provides general educational information on health-related issues and provides access to health-related resources for the convenience of our users. This site and its health-related information and resources are not a substitute for professional medical advice or for the care that patients receive from their physicians or other health care providers.
This site and its health-related information resources are not meant to be the practice of medicine, the practice of nursing, or to carry out any professional health care advice or service in the state where you live. Nothing in this Web site is to be used for medical or nursing diagnosis or professional treatment.
Always seek the advice of your physician or other licensed health care provider. Always consult your health care provider before beginning any new treatment, or if you have any questions regarding a health condition. You should not disregard medical advice, or delay seeking medical advice, because of something you read in this site.