Michele: Fueling Up on Healthy Family Dinners
I believe that food is fuel – what you put in your body will make you feel good inside and out.
-Michele
#KitchenHero
A great way to try new foods is to start cooking yourself, and that is exactly what Kitchen Hero Michele did at a young age, and with the help of her mother. Now a mom herself, Michele keeps healthy food discovery alive and going strong with her kids by cooking homemade meals that everyone can feel good about. Read her Hero in the Kitchen story below.
Name: Michele K.
Age: 41
City, State: Edison, NJ
I cook for: my 3 children and my husband when he is not travelling out of state for work.
Outside of the kitchen I: am a mom to a 10-year-old boy and 7-year-old and 1-year-old girls, as well as a spinning (trademark) / indoor cycling instructor. I am an avid fitness enthusiast when I am not working on the bike.
I cook because: I want my children to grow up in a healthy environment, eating and trying new things. I also believe that food is fuel – what you put in your body will make you feel good inside and out.
Favorite Cook Smarts meal so far: Summer Risotto
How did you learn to cook?
I started cooking when I was young, because I wanted to try new things. My mom encouraged me to look through cookbooks, make a shopping list, and she helped me make the meals.
What’s been your biggest cooking challenge?
Finding something that all 3 kids will want to eat, making separate meals for everybody, and most of all, I have always struggled with meal planning.
How has your cooking routine changed since starting Cook Smarts’ meal plans? What have you learned?
I now know what we are eating all week. I do the majority of my shopping on Sunday, prep as much as I can Monday morning, and go from there. Just having the menu items in my house and not having to go to the grocery store has been life changing. I would rather have a menu planned for me than have to plan it myself. Life is complicated enough with everything else. Cook Smarts has also saved me money.
“I would rather have a menu planned for me than have to plan it myself. Life is complicated enough with everything else.”
Tell us about your proudest kitchen moment.
I planned and prepared, all by myself, my parent’s 40th wedding anniversary party. I was zonked for a week after that. But it was worth it.
What are your tips for health and success in the kitchen?
Being able to cook with whole foods, variety, and eliminating processed ingredients is just the tip of the iceberg. Plan ahead and have leftovers on hand to make healthy lunches.
It’s great getting the whole family in the cooking process, even if it’s grocery shopping! Enjoying healthy, delicious meals together as a family is an amazing way to try new foods. Kudos to you, Michele, for instilling healthy cooking and food discovery to your little ones. If they are already at the shopping stage, they’ll be cooking dinner for you and your husband in no time at all!
To join Michele and cook meals like her favorite Summer Risotto, check out our meal plan service. You can get started for free!
