A pink slip propelled Alice Foster into a career better matched to her interests and values.

"My degree in business administration helped me get a good job, but I was 24 when I got laid off," she said. "I wasn't loving my job. The layoff gave me a chance to re-evaluate.

"I asked myself, what do I love to do? I loved eating, food, being healthy and active. Wellness, culinary or dietetic careers seemed to fit for me, so I sampled."

She spoke with her Pilates instructor, with a friend who is a pastry chef, with a friend in hospital dietetics. She decided to study dietetics. "The career field seemed big enough to sustain me for a lifetime," she said.

Today, Foster promotes wellness through good nutrition in diverse settings. She meets one-on-one with members at community fitness centers, teaches high school students and conducts community-based classes.

"When I meet with people, I hear three top concerns," she said. "Am I eating what I should? How can I eat healthy within my budget? How can I make good eating fast and easy?"

She helps people calculate the calories they need to maintain, lose or gain weight. She advises them to eat more vegetables and fruits, switch to whole grains and incorporate lower-fat dairy products. She follows her own advice, too.

"My husband, Adam, cooks for maximum flavor," she said. "His eating was more focused on the entree as the meal. I like half the meal as salads and vegetables. I've learned to follow his flavors in the sides. If he's cooking an Asian dish, I'll make edamame as a vegetable and use a sesame-ginger dressing on the salad. We've learned from each other.

"I'll eat frozen yogurt as dessert, which has less or no saturated fats. We'll bake or grill fruits to top it. As a snack, I'll pop a few mini-marshmallows — fat free — and some good dark chocolate, which is full of antioxidants."

Foster promotes a go-with-what-works philosophy for her clients. "I tell people they can eat well anywhere, even at fast-food places, by making healthy choices. Choose grilled chicken sandwiches and wraps," she said. "Ask for no or less mayonnaise or substitute mustard. Apple slices, side salads with light dressings and yogurt parfaits are good choices instead of fries."

She surfs websites and blogs for nutrient-dense, quick recipes using common ingredients. "I found these lemon blueberry muffins at eatbetterearly.com. This site uses foods people can buy in the WIC program." WIC, a supplemental nutrition program for income-eligible pregnant women and children, highlights healthy foods.

She plans to post recipes on her new website, goodhealthyeats.com. "I just had a birthday. My husband bought the domain name and set up the basics of my website for me as my gift," she said. "I'd talked about it but hadn't gotten to the nuts and bolts. Now I need to fill it with content." Her first post: "I love to eat! I also love to be healthy, and this blog is meant to help you do the same."