Wanted: Personal chef

I want a personal chef, someone to manage all my nutritional needs and prepare for me all sorts of hearty, healthy, delicious meals. Sadly, I don't have the income to support such a perk in my life. On second thought, maybe I do.

Hiring a professional to cook for you isn't a whole lot different than hiring someone to clean your house or walk the dog, says John Moore, executive director of the United States Personal Chef Association. Contrary to popular belief, personal chefs are not just for the wealthy.

"People don't have personal chefs because they have tons of money," declares Moore. "They have them because it solves a problem: It puts dinner on the table."

Chefs -- some charge a flat rate while others charge by the hour -- typically do the grocery shopping and then prepare several days' worth of customized meals in advance. The meals are prepared, packaged, and ready to cook. Total costs typically range from $15 to $20 per person per meal -- not much different from a meal at a restaurant.

The business of professional cooking is booming. Moore's association estimates there are just over 5,000 personal-chef businesses operating in the United States and Canada, up from about 1,500 a decade ago. The industry generates about $300 million in revenue a year, a number expected to double in the next five years.

If you wish to get in on this growing trend, and you wish to eat healthier and save time while you're at it, you might want to add "personal chef" to your holiday wish list. I think I will.