Ever since a re-launch in 2002, EatingWell‘s circulation has been steadily climbing. Its acquisition by Meredith in 2011 doubled its readership, and a slew of brand extensions gave the brand custom publishing divisions and a spin-off military magazine. So, landing a byline in the mag means you’re well on your way to establishing a relationship with the editors, who assign projects to freelancers for EatingWell Media Group’s other properties too.

“We’ve been able to grow because we’ve been at the forefront of the healthy eating movement. These days everyone wants delicious meals, but they also want food that’s good for them and that they feel good about eating,” said editorial director Lisa Gosselin. “We’ve also found more and more people are interested in other areas of our focus, what we call ‘origins’ — meaning, where does our food come from? How is it produced? Is it healthy for individuals, the environment and communities? We like to say that the experience of coming to EatingWell should be like going to your local farmers’ market: You are always going to learn something and come away with something fresh, interesting, delicious and surprising.”

For more info on what to pitch, read How To Pitch: EatingWell. [subscription required]

Meredith Corporation has named James Van Fleteren creative director of its EatingWell Media Group. He comes to Meredith from his design firm, The Van Fleteren Group. Van Fleteren’s work has been seen in publications such as Capital Thinking, Mofo Tech, DBusiness, and Car & Driver‘s iPad app. He was also previously creative director for Bicycling magazine.

“We are delighted to welcome Jim to our team,” said Lisa Gosselin, editorial director of EatingWell magazine. “His focus on smart, concise design — combined with his background in publishing and his creative talent — are the perfect fit to put EatingWell’s content into practice and onto the table.”

Van Fleteren’s appointment is effective immediately.

Meredith has only owned EatingWell since last summer, but things are already going great for the magazine. Starting with the July/August 2013 issue, EatingWell will boost its rate base from 600,000 to 750,000. That’s an increase of 115 percent since Meredith acquired the brand.

“Our momentum reflects EatingWell’s strong and growing connection to the consumer,” said Tony Catalano, the publisher of EatingWell. “Healthy eating is top of mind for Americans, and we’re pleased to see them turning to the pages of EatingWell for trusted and engaging content.”

The online version of EatingWell is also enjoying a surge. EatingWell.com garnered 3.6 million unique visitors in June, which is an 85 percent increase since Meredith took over.

EatingWell magazine has been selected winner of a James Beard Foundation Journalism Award. The publication was honored for “The Soup for Life,” an article by Anna Thomas that appeared in the September/October 2011 issue.

The piece won in the Cooking, Recipes, or Instruction category.

Additionally, two EatingWell articles were named finalists: “Going Clean” by Melinda Wenner Moyer (September/October 2011) in the Health and Well-Being Category; and “The E-Mail Home” by Ann Hodgman (September/October 2011) in the Humor category.

“Anna Thomas’ article about how one pot of green soup ended up changing her diet is the perfect reflection of our mission at EatingWell – to deliver inspiring information on how to make healthy eating a way of life,” says EatingWell editorial director, Lisa Gosselin. “We are so proud of our editorial team for their dedication to producing the story, and we are thrilled to be recognized for creating some of the most compelling food content in the country.”

Since its highly acclaimed relaunch in 2002, EatingWell’s articles and books have been recognized as winners and/or finalists for 23 James Beard Awards.

The EatingWell Media Group is a leading source of science-based nutrition advice; delicious, easy and healthy recipes; and useful shopping information. The EatingWell Media Group was acquired by Meredith Corporation in June 2011.

EatingWell is growing. The Meredith title is increasing its rate base for the second time this year. Beginning with the September/October issue, EatingWell’s rate base will jump from 500,000 to 600,000. It was only January when the magazine made its last increase from 350,000 to 500,000.

“As the healthy eating movement continues to thrive, this growth reflects how relevant and engaging our content is to consumers who want to make healthy eating a bigger part of their life,” said Tony Catalano, Publisher of EatingWell.

The September/October rate base increase is a 71 percent jump from the same point last year.

Meredith Corporation has expanded its food portfolio by acquiring Recipe.com and EatingWell Media Group, publisher of EatingWell magazine. It’s a smart move for Meredith, which already caters to a female audience with brands such as Better Homes and Gardens, Fitness and Parents.

Meredith National Media Group President Tom Harty said the additions will serve the company’s consumer base well.

“Our consumers consistently tell us that preparation of delicious and healthy meals on a tighter food budget is a top priority,” he said. “And research reveals that women are using multiple media platforms – print, online, mobile, social, video – to assist them. EatingWell and Recipe.com are great additions to our existing broad portfolio of food media assets.”