A Michelin-starred chef wants people to know that a lack of effort — not distance — is what’s stopping American families from eating healthily. Celebrity chef Geoffrey Zakarian spoke with Fox News Digital at the Great American State Fair about all things nutrition.

Access to Healthy Food

Zakarian argues that advances in technology have made fresh food more accessible than ever, shifting the conversation from access to personal habits. He pointed to grocery delivery apps like Instacart as evidence that today’s barriers to healthy eating are increasingly behavioral rather than geographic.

‘You’re not in a food desert — this is the United States of America,’ Zakarian said during a live cooking demonstration with Dr. Mehmet Oz. ‘You’ve got Instacart. You can get anything you want all the time.’ The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines food deserts as communities with ‘low levels of access to retail outlets selling healthy and affordable foods.’

Cooking at Home

Zakarian said that consistently eating wholesome meals comes down to making cooking a priority. ‘If you can drive to McDonald’s, you can go find some place that has fresh food or canned food, or you can order it online,’ he said. ‘It’s possible. It’s what’s great about our culture.’ He recommends shopping twice a week and planning meals in smaller blocks instead of trying to cook day by day.

Cooking together creates emotional benefits for families because the kitchen naturally becomes the center of the home. ‘You go to any house, any party, where do we end up?’ Zakarian said. ‘Everyone’s in the kitchen.’ Investing in the heart of the home helps build a sense of pride that kids carry with them even after they leave the house.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.