October 2, 2025 • 21 mins
Your 30's kitchen did its job—fast, convenient, and forgiving.
But when hormones shift, muscle declines, and sleep gets touchy, those old habits can leave you drained. Let's walk through a midlife kitchen upgrade that feels doable: smarter food choices built around protein, fiber, healthy fats, and color; a few high-impact tools that remove friction; and a mindset shift that turns cooking into a creative act of self-care.
We start with the why: metabolism slows, digestion gets sensitive, and alcohol and sugar hit harder. From there, we redesign everyday meals without dieting or perfection. Think Greek yogurt and berries with flax for a steady morning, sheet-pan chicken with sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts for an easy dinner, and simple sauces—tahini-lemon, herb pesto, smoky paprika oil—that make vegetables and proteins craveable. We also talk about what to retire (that 25 year old dull knife, the nightly wine just to get through dinner that wrecks sleep) and what to invite in (a sharp chef’s knife, two sturdy sheet pans, and a reliable blender or slow cooker to batch, blend, and simplify).
The heart of this conversation is mindset. Instead of “What’s for dinner again?” we ask, “What do I want to eat this week?” We use seasonal flavors, playful spice swaps, and light planning—three anchor proteins, two sauces, two sides—to make cooking easy and enjoyable. No overhaul required; just small, intentional shifts that add up to steadier energy, better sleep, and a kitchen that supports who you are now.
If this resonates, share the episode with a friend, hit subscribe, and stay tuned for details on our new membership launching November 1—founder pricing and bonuses for early birds. Your kitchen can be the place that fuels strength, creativity, and joy in midlife.
I would love to hear from you! What did you think of the episode? Share it with me :)
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Hi, everyone, and welcome back to the Real Food
Stories podcast.
I'm so glad you're here with metoday because we're going to
talk about something that isboth practical and honestly kind
of exciting.
I maybe to me, I don't know ifit's to you, but hopefully by
the end of the episode, you'llget a little excited too.
But we're going to talk aboutour kitchens today, specifically
(00:24):
why your midlife kitchen mightneed an upgrade.
Now, before we dive in, I haveto share something I'm really
excited about.
On November 1st, I'll be openingthe doors to my brand new
membership, a space I createdjust for women in midlife who
are ready to feel more confidentin the kitchen, more clear about
(00:48):
what to eat, and more supportedin this stage of life.
And here's the real fun part.
If you sign up early, and thosedetails are going to be coming
out in the next week or two,you'll get access to a special
founder's price and someexclusive bonuses that I will
not be offering again.
(01:09):
It's my way of saying thank youfor being here with me from the
very beginning.
I'll tell you more about thatlater in the episode, but keep
it in the back of your mind asyou listen today.
All right, now let's set thestage.
The way you cooked and ate inyour 30s, it probably doesn't
(01:30):
cut it anymore.
I know for me what felt likehealthy or good enough back
then.
Maybe I skip breakfast, I'mgrabbing a quick salad for
lunch, I'm throwing pasta on thetable at night for dinner, I'm
giving my kids chicken nuggets.
I'm, you know, like there was alot to do back then.
(01:52):
I mean, my kids were little, Ihad to get food, I had to feed
five people, and things werebusy.
Maybe I was taking the edge offof the cooking experience with a
glass of wine or two to relax.
Those things were fine at thetime.
Okay, I'm not going back andbeating myself up about any of
(02:13):
it.
But back then, my metabolism wasmore forgiving, my hormones were
steady, and my body could bounceback faster after a couple of
meals or a week on vacation, oruh, you know, just it things
could just kind of get back tonormal faster.
(02:33):
But once I hit midlife, ifyou're like me and most women,
everything shifted.
My body just felt different.
My energy was not the same.
And my old kitchen habits justweren't serving me anymore.
And if you're listening rightnow and nodding your head, yes,
you know exactly what I mean.
(02:54):
Midlife brings new needs, right?
Your metabolism slows, yourhormones shift, your digestion
feels different, and suddenlythe same old approach doesn't
feel good anymore.
And I know for a lot of womenright now, they feel a little
lost.
We're not sure how to proceedahead with this new set of, I'm
(03:19):
not, I don't want to call themrules, but you know, there's
these new ways that our body isacting.
How do we cook and eat in a waythat feels good, that doesn't
feel like I look at food and Ijust gain weight, and that we
can enjoy our food.
That's why your kitchen needs tokeep up with you.
(03:41):
Not just what's on your plate,which I talked about in a lot of
detail last week on the podcast,but the way you think about
cooking, the tools you even use,and even the way you feel in
your kitchen.
We want this to feel easy andpleasurable, right?
But we also have to keep ithealthy.
(04:02):
So today I want to walk youthrough what it really means to
upgrade your kitchen in midlife.
We'll talk about the food thatbelongs there, the equipment
that makes cooking easier, andthe mindset that turns cooking
from a chore into somethingcreative and even joyful and
fun.
Because if you've ever feltstuck or uninspired in your
(04:25):
kitchen, this episode isdefinitely for you.
All right, let's start bytalking about the difference
between the kitchen you had inyour 30s versus what you need in
midlife.
Now, in my 30s, okay, I mightnot be the ideal representation
of this because I cook for aliving, right?
So my whole career and andoutlook on life is the healthy
(04:51):
eating and healthy kitchen andgetting people back into their
kitchens.
But my kitchen definitely lookedlike a mix of convenience and
survival.
Now, not the worst kind ofconvenience, but I had three
kids under the age of three fora while, you know, like going
through the motions, and I hadto feed five of us, and I had to
(05:16):
also juggle my career.
And so there was a lot going on.
And so did convenience tie intothat absolutely, right?
So my kids were at home, I had abusy schedule.
I just needed to get meals onthe table sometimes.
So dinner was sometimes justpasta and a jar of sauce, maybe
(05:38):
those chicken nuggets, like Imentioned before, and uh some
frozen broccoli.
I mean, so kind of that'ssurvival food.
Breakfast was tea and maybe amuffin or some cereal, and lunch
was sometimes kind of rushedtoo.
Okay, I didn't adopt that wholelike meal planning mindset for a
(06:02):
while because I was just kind ofjuggling lots of things around.
And I'm sure that most moms whohad young kids in their 30s can
certainly relate to that.
Or even if you're just gettingup and out and going to your job
every single day, it's not easy.
And here's the thing (06:19):
it worked sort of.
My metabolism was much moreforgiving back then.
My body bounced back faster.
My hormones hadn't shifted yet.
But was I gaining weight?
Had I not like really lost thebaby weight, you know, that that
(06:40):
I wanted to.
Yeah, I mean, I was definitelyup and down in weight and
everything, but could I focusand then like get my head around
losing some weight?
More much easier back then thanit is now.
So let's fast forward to mymidlife and wow, you know, like
things are really different.
(07:02):
My body needs much more proteinto hold on to muscle.
My digestion is much moresensitive.
So highly processed foods or toomuch sugar just feels awful to
me.
And alcohol, I lost that yearsago because I couldn't even just
have like one glass of wine thatwould just mess from with my
(07:23):
sleep for days.
And I didn't want to continuethat habit of linking things
like my cooking in my kitchen tohaving a glass of wine.
And so that same like 30skitchen way of eating that used
to carry me through, that nowcould just leave me drained and
moody and frustrated.
(07:44):
And I hear this from women allthe time.
The things we could get awaywith before, the habits that
felt fine back then, they justdon't serve us anymore.
Midlife asks for a new approach,which is why your kitchen needs
an upgrade.
So let's talk about why themidlife kitchen needs to look
(08:05):
different.
Well, like I said before, ourbiology is changing, right?
Our hormones are shifting, ourmuscle mass is actually
declining, and our metabolismisn't quite as forgiving.
Now we're probably in a stage ofour lives, I know I am, where I
don't have kids at home anymore.
My kids are flown and grown.
Okay, they're in their 20s now,fast forward, and they all live
(08:29):
in various places and have theirown jobs and cook their own
meals for themselves, and that'samazing.
But suddenly it went fromcooking for five of us to
cooking for two of us.
And I know that for many, manywomen, they have the mindset of
I have I've done my time in thekitchen and I have had enough.
(08:49):
I'm done.
But this is not the time to stopcaring for yourself and your
body.
And for me, this starts in yourkitchen with making your own
food and and honoring that.
Now, I'm not trying to say anyof this to scare you.
(09:11):
I'm saying this because it'sactually empowering to know what
your body needs now and how togive it support.
As I see it, we don't get thehall pass to now live off of
restaurant food and conveniencefoods just because we are older
and we're quote done withcooking.
Our body needs to be supportednow more than ever.
(09:35):
So when you eat with intentionin midlife, you can feel the
difference immediately.
When you start balancing andmaking sure your meals have
protein and fiber and healthyfats and lots of color on your
plate, that doesn't just tastegood, that gives you steady
energy, that helps yourdigestion run smoothly, that
(09:58):
supports your sleep, and itmakes your moods more stable.
Not to mention the plethora ofhealth benefits that eating real
healthy food gives you.
Okay, we have to consider goingbeyond our hormones and thinking
about our heart health, our bonehealth, our diabetes health, our
(10:23):
cancer rates, all of thismatters now, even more than ever
when we get into our 50s and 60sand beyond.
Now, the other one I want tomention again is alcohol and
sugar, which I think for manywomen just hits harder now.
(10:43):
That nightly glass of wine youbounce back from in your 30s,
now it can absolutely wreck yoursleep.
The bagel that you were justhaving for breakfast, instead of
powering through in the morning,it sends your blood sugar on a
roller coaster.
That's not your imagination.
That's your body telling you itneeds a kitchen that supports
(11:04):
where you are now, not where youused to be.
All right, besides the food,getting an upgrade in your
kitchen, I want to just divertfor a second and talk about one
of my favorite parts of thekitchen upgrade.
And that's your tools and theequipment that you use in your
kitchen.
Because let's be real, cookingis so much easier when you have
(11:26):
the right equipment.
Now, I always say if you've beenfighting with that same dull
knife for 20 years, do yourselfa favor and upgrade to a sharp,
good quality chef's knife.
That one tool right there canchange your whole experience in
the kitchen.
(11:47):
Suddenly, chopping vegetablesisn't a battle anymore.
It's smooth, it's safe, and itmakes you want to cook more.
And same with a few otherbasics.
A couple of good sheet pans, forexample, can make weeknight
dinners effortless.
Throw some chicken and sweetpotatoes and onions and
vegetables on there, sprinkle itwith a little olive oil and
(12:09):
spices, roast it, and you've gota quick, balanced meal that took
you very little effort.
A sturdy blender or a foodprocessor helps you whip up
smoothies, soups, sauces inminutes.
And if you're someone who loveshands-off meals, an Instapot or
slow cooker can be a total gamechanger.
(12:30):
I have all of these thingsbecause I want my kitchen to run
smoothly, efficiently, and beeasy at this point.
Now, even small things likemason jars for storing grains
and beans or making saladdressings in them, or a good set
of measuring spoons, or a lot ofmeasuring spoons.
(12:52):
I probably have five sets ofmeasuring spoons in my kitchen
because I don't want to have tokeep cleaning the one measuring
spoon I'm using for a couple ofdifferent things.
All of these things can makeyour kitchen just feel more
inviting.
Now, these might sound simple,but they matter because when
cooking feels easier, you'remore likely to do it.
(13:15):
All right, I want to talk aboutmindset for a second, and
because I think this is wherethe real upgrade happens, is in
your head first.
So for so long, so many of ushave looked at cooking as a
chore.
Okay, we're always cooking forothers, we're never really
(13:35):
cooking for ourselves, and it'sanother box to check off on the
long-to-do list of things wehave to do.
We cook because we have to, wewere required to, because we had
kids and we have to feed ourkids, but not because we want
to.
But what if cooking could besomething else?
(13:56):
What if it could actually belike play or pleasure or
creativity?
What if it could actually befun?
When I get into my kitchen and Istart experimenting with herbs
and spices and try trying outseasonal ingredients, I love
cooking with the seasons.
(14:16):
It gives me an opportunity touse the vegetables that are
available to us right now, orI'm up in Maine a lot, and the
wild blueberries up there arelike we're like drowning in them
in lobster.
And how many ways can I usethese ingredients to make
different foods, or the tomatoesthat have been spilling out of
(14:38):
my garden, literally?
I realized that cooking doesn'thave to feel heavy.
This is all ways to getcreative.
This is like an art project in away.
It can feel like an outlet, away to take care of yourself and
enjoy the process at the sametime.
So if you've been stuck in themindset of, uh, what's for
(15:01):
dinner again?
What are we having tonight?
Having that battle at sixo'clock in the evening, I want
you to shift to curiosity.
What new flavor could I trytonight?
What spice am I curious aboutthat I haven't tried?
What if I swapped oregano forthyme or added smoked paprika to
(15:23):
my roasted vegetables?
Cooking doesn't have to beperfect.
This is not about perfection.
It's about trying,experimenting, and making the
kitchen a place that feelssupportive instead of stressful.
Okay, so here's the takeaway forour kitchens.
Your kitchen in your 30s, backin the day when you had little
(15:46):
kids and you were and you werecooking for everyone else and
not for you.
It's not cutting it anymore,right?
Midlife calls for an upgrade,not just in what foods you keep
on your shelves and what younourish yourself with, but in
the way you approach cooking andthe way you feel in your
kitchen.
We have to cook our food.
(16:07):
Not all the food, right?
We of course can go out and havemeals out and and and enjoy food
that way, but for the most part,we have to really concentrate on
what we nourish our bodies with.
This counts towards our health,our energy, our moods, just
feeling better, our hormones.
(16:29):
And it doesn't have to beoverwhelming.
You don't need to throweverything out and start from
scratch.
You don't need to get all brandnew equipment.
You just need to make smallintentional shifts.
You add more protein, you stockmore vegetables and whole grains
in your kitchen, you upgrade oneor two tools that are not
(16:50):
serving you anymore.
And you play with herbs andspices and see what you like to
eat, what you want to eat,right?
That's another part that Ihaven't really gotten into.
But when I start planning mealsfor my week and thinking about
what I'm what I'm gonna eat, thefirst thing that I think of in
(17:12):
my head is what do I want to eatthis week?
Not what do you all want to eatthis week, but what do I want to
eat this week?
What am I in the mood for?
Now, if you really think aboutit, there have to be things that
you are in the mood for eating.
Right?
It's it's we're going into thefall right now.
(17:32):
It's pumpkin season.
I mean, uh it's spicy, warmcinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg,
pumpkin everything, right?
So what are you in the mood toeat this coming week?
And we want to then reframecooking as an act of care and
(17:54):
creativity instead of a chore.
So all of these little shiftsbuild a kitchen that supports
you instead of draining you.
And this is exactly what we'llbe practicing together inside of
my new membership, which openson November 1st.
Together, we're going to takeall these ideas and bring them
to life.
(18:14):
We'll cook together, we'll sharerecipes, we will talk about
tools, experiment with flavors,and support each other as we
navigate this brand new stage ofour lives.
If you've been feelinguninspired in your kitchen or if
you've been wondering what toeat now that your body feels
different, this membership isabsolutely for you.
(18:37):
And remember, if you join early,you'll get the special founder's
price and some exclusive bonusesthat will not be offered again.
So as you head into your kitchentoday, I want you to ask
yourself, is my kitchen stillset up for my 30s body, or is it
supporting who I am right now inmidlife?
And if the answer is the firstone, then it is definitely time
(19:01):
for an upgrade.
Your kitchen can either keep youstuck in old patterns or it can
become the place that fuels yourstrength, your creativity, and
your joy in midlife.
So the choice is yours.
Now, all the information aboutthis membership is coming soon.
I know last week on the podcastI said there was going to be
links in the show notes.
(19:22):
The links are coming soon, andyou will be the first people to
know when the links are comingout and about all the bonuses
and everything.
I'm just putting this some finaldetails in there, and I want it
to be user-friendly when youfinally decide to sign up.
All right, thank you so much forjoining me today on Real Food
(19:42):
Stories.
If this episode resonated withyou, please share it with a
friend and don't forget tosubscribe so you don't miss the
next part of the series leadingup to our membership launch.
Until next time, take good careof yourself and take a fresh
look at your kitchen.
Hi, everyone, and welcome back to the Real Food
Stories podcast.
I'm so glad you're here with metoday because we're going to
talk about something that isboth practical and honestly kind
of exciting.
I maybe to me, I don't know ifit's to you, but hopefully by
the end of the episode, you'llget a little excited too.
But we're going to talk aboutour kitchens today, specifically
(00:24):
why your midlife kitchen mightneed an upgrade.
Now, before we dive in, I haveto share something I'm really
excited about.
On November 1st, I'll be openingthe doors to my brand new
membership, a space I createdjust for women in midlife who
are ready to feel more confidentin the kitchen, more clear about
(00:48):
what to eat, and more supportedin this stage of life.
And here's the real fun part.
If you sign up early, and thosedetails are going to be coming
out in the next week or two,you'll get access to a special
founder's price and someexclusive bonuses that I will
not be offering again.
(01:09):
It's my way of saying thank youfor being here with me from the
very beginning.
I'll tell you more about thatlater in the episode, but keep
it in the back of your mind asyou listen today.
All right, now let's set thestage.
The way you cooked and ate inyour 30s, it probably doesn't
(01:30):
cut it anymore.
I know for me what felt likehealthy or good enough back
then.
Maybe I skip breakfast, I'mgrabbing a quick salad for
lunch, I'm throwing pasta on thetable at night for dinner, I'm
giving my kids chicken nuggets.
I'm, you know, like there was alot to do back then.
(01:52):
I mean, my kids were little, Ihad to get food, I had to feed
five people, and things werebusy.
Maybe I was taking the edge offof the cooking experience with a
glass of wine or two to relax.
Those things were fine at thetime.
Okay, I'm not going back andbeating myself up about any of
(02:13):
it.
But back then, my metabolism wasmore forgiving, my hormones were
steady, and my body could bounceback faster after a couple of
meals or a week on vacation, oruh, you know, just it things
could just kind of get back tonormal faster.
(02:33):
But once I hit midlife, ifyou're like me and most women,
everything shifted.
My body just felt different.
My energy was not the same.
And my old kitchen habits justweren't serving me anymore.
And if you're listening rightnow and nodding your head, yes,
you know exactly what I mean.
(02:54):
Midlife brings new needs, right?
Your metabolism slows, yourhormones shift, your digestion
feels different, and suddenlythe same old approach doesn't
feel good anymore.
And I know for a lot of womenright now, they feel a little
lost.
We're not sure how to proceedahead with this new set of, I'm
(03:19):
not, I don't want to call themrules, but you know, there's
these new ways that our body isacting.
How do we cook and eat in a waythat feels good, that doesn't
feel like I look at food and Ijust gain weight, and that we
can enjoy our food.
That's why your kitchen needs tokeep up with you.
(03:41):
Not just what's on your plate,which I talked about in a lot of
detail last week on the podcast,but the way you think about
cooking, the tools you even use,and even the way you feel in
your kitchen.
We want this to feel easy andpleasurable, right?
But we also have to keep ithealthy.
(04:02):
So today I want to walk youthrough what it really means to
upgrade your kitchen in midlife.
We'll talk about the food thatbelongs there, the equipment
that makes cooking easier, andthe mindset that turns cooking
from a chore into somethingcreative and even joyful and
fun.
Because if you've ever feltstuck or uninspired in your
(04:25):
kitchen, this episode isdefinitely for you.
All right, let's start bytalking about the difference
between the kitchen you had inyour 30s versus what you need in
midlife.
Now, in my 30s, okay, I mightnot be the ideal representation
of this because I cook for aliving, right?
So my whole career and andoutlook on life is the healthy
(04:51):
eating and healthy kitchen andgetting people back into their
kitchens.
But my kitchen definitely lookedlike a mix of convenience and
survival.
Now, not the worst kind ofconvenience, but I had three
kids under the age of three fora while, you know, like going
through the motions, and I hadto feed five of us, and I had to
(05:16):
also juggle my career.
And so there was a lot going on.
And so did convenience tie intothat absolutely, right?
So my kids were at home, I had abusy schedule.
I just needed to get meals onthe table sometimes.
So dinner was sometimes justpasta and a jar of sauce, maybe
(05:38):
those chicken nuggets, like Imentioned before, and uh some
frozen broccoli.
I mean, so kind of that'ssurvival food.
Breakfast was tea and maybe amuffin or some cereal, and lunch
was sometimes kind of rushedtoo.
Okay, I didn't adopt that wholelike meal planning mindset for a
(06:02):
while because I was just kind ofjuggling lots of things around.
And I'm sure that most moms whohad young kids in their 30s can
certainly relate to that.
Or even if you're just gettingup and out and going to your job
every single day, it's not easy.
And here's the thing (06:19):
it worked sort of.
My metabolism was much moreforgiving back then.
My body bounced back faster.
My hormones hadn't shifted yet.
But was I gaining weight?
Had I not like really lost thebaby weight, you know, that that
(06:40):
I wanted to.
Yeah, I mean, I was definitelyup and down in weight and
everything, but could I focusand then like get my head around
losing some weight?
More much easier back then thanit is now.
So let's fast forward to mymidlife and wow, you know, like
things are really different.
(07:02):
My body needs much more proteinto hold on to muscle.
My digestion is much moresensitive.
So highly processed foods or toomuch sugar just feels awful to
me.
And alcohol, I lost that yearsago because I couldn't even just
have like one glass of wine thatwould just mess from with my
(07:23):
sleep for days.
And I didn't want to continuethat habit of linking things
like my cooking in my kitchen tohaving a glass of wine.
And so that same like 30skitchen way of eating that used
to carry me through, that nowcould just leave me drained and
moody and frustrated.
(07:44):
And I hear this from women allthe time.
The things we could get awaywith before, the habits that
felt fine back then, they justdon't serve us anymore.
Midlife asks for a new approach,which is why your kitchen needs
an upgrade.
So let's talk about why themidlife kitchen needs to look
(08:05):
different.
Well, like I said before, ourbiology is changing, right?
Our hormones are shifting, ourmuscle mass is actually
declining, and our metabolismisn't quite as forgiving.
Now we're probably in a stage ofour lives, I know I am, where I
don't have kids at home anymore.
My kids are flown and grown.
Okay, they're in their 20s now,fast forward, and they all live
(08:29):
in various places and have theirown jobs and cook their own
meals for themselves, and that'samazing.
But suddenly it went fromcooking for five of us to
cooking for two of us.
And I know that for many, manywomen, they have the mindset of
I have I've done my time in thekitchen and I have had enough.
(08:49):
I'm done.
But this is not the time to stopcaring for yourself and your
body.
And for me, this starts in yourkitchen with making your own
food and and honoring that.
Now, I'm not trying to say anyof this to scare you.
(09:11):
I'm saying this because it'sactually empowering to know what
your body needs now and how togive it support.
As I see it, we don't get thehall pass to now live off of
restaurant food and conveniencefoods just because we are older
and we're quote done withcooking.
Our body needs to be supportednow more than ever.
(09:35):
So when you eat with intentionin midlife, you can feel the
difference immediately.
When you start balancing andmaking sure your meals have
protein and fiber and healthyfats and lots of color on your
plate, that doesn't just tastegood, that gives you steady
energy, that helps yourdigestion run smoothly, that
(09:58):
supports your sleep, and itmakes your moods more stable.
Not to mention the plethora ofhealth benefits that eating real
healthy food gives you.
Okay, we have to consider goingbeyond our hormones and thinking
about our heart health, our bonehealth, our diabetes health, our
(10:23):
cancer rates, all of thismatters now, even more than ever
when we get into our 50s and 60sand beyond.
Now, the other one I want tomention again is alcohol and
sugar, which I think for manywomen just hits harder now.
(10:43):
That nightly glass of wine youbounce back from in your 30s,
now it can absolutely wreck yoursleep.
The bagel that you were justhaving for breakfast, instead of
powering through in the morning,it sends your blood sugar on a
roller coaster.
That's not your imagination.
That's your body telling you itneeds a kitchen that supports
(11:04):
where you are now, not where youused to be.
All right, besides the food,getting an upgrade in your
kitchen, I want to just divertfor a second and talk about one
of my favorite parts of thekitchen upgrade.
And that's your tools and theequipment that you use in your
kitchen.
Because let's be real, cookingis so much easier when you have
(11:26):
the right equipment.
Now, I always say if you've beenfighting with that same dull
knife for 20 years, do yourselfa favor and upgrade to a sharp,
good quality chef's knife.
That one tool right there canchange your whole experience in
the kitchen.
(11:47):
Suddenly, chopping vegetablesisn't a battle anymore.
It's smooth, it's safe, and itmakes you want to cook more.
And same with a few otherbasics.
A couple of good sheet pans, forexample, can make weeknight
dinners effortless.
Throw some chicken and sweetpotatoes and onions and
vegetables on there, sprinkle itwith a little olive oil and
(12:09):
spices, roast it, and you've gota quick, balanced meal that took
you very little effort.
A sturdy blender or a foodprocessor helps you whip up
smoothies, soups, sauces inminutes.
And if you're someone who loveshands-off meals, an Instapot or
slow cooker can be a total gamechanger.
(12:30):
I have all of these thingsbecause I want my kitchen to run
smoothly, efficiently, and beeasy at this point.
Now, even small things likemason jars for storing grains
and beans or making saladdressings in them, or a good set
of measuring spoons, or a lot ofmeasuring spoons.
(12:52):
I probably have five sets ofmeasuring spoons in my kitchen
because I don't want to have tokeep cleaning the one measuring
spoon I'm using for a couple ofdifferent things.
All of these things can makeyour kitchen just feel more
inviting.
Now, these might sound simple,but they matter because when
cooking feels easier, you'remore likely to do it.
(13:15):
All right, I want to talk aboutmindset for a second, and
because I think this is wherethe real upgrade happens, is in
your head first.
So for so long, so many of ushave looked at cooking as a
chore.
Okay, we're always cooking forothers, we're never really
(13:35):
cooking for ourselves, and it'sanother box to check off on the
long-to-do list of things wehave to do.
We cook because we have to, wewere required to, because we had
kids and we have to feed ourkids, but not because we want
to.
But what if cooking could besomething else?
(13:56):
What if it could actually belike play or pleasure or
creativity?
What if it could actually befun?
When I get into my kitchen and Istart experimenting with herbs
and spices and try trying outseasonal ingredients, I love
cooking with the seasons.
(14:16):
It gives me an opportunity touse the vegetables that are
available to us right now, orI'm up in Maine a lot, and the
wild blueberries up there arelike we're like drowning in them
in lobster.
And how many ways can I usethese ingredients to make
different foods, or the tomatoesthat have been spilling out of
(14:38):
my garden, literally?
I realized that cooking doesn'thave to feel heavy.
This is all ways to getcreative.
This is like an art project in away.
It can feel like an outlet, away to take care of yourself and
enjoy the process at the sametime.
So if you've been stuck in themindset of, uh, what's for
(15:01):
dinner again?
What are we having tonight?
Having that battle at sixo'clock in the evening, I want
you to shift to curiosity.
What new flavor could I trytonight?
What spice am I curious aboutthat I haven't tried?
What if I swapped oregano forthyme or added smoked paprika to
(15:23):
my roasted vegetables?
Cooking doesn't have to beperfect.
This is not about perfection.
It's about trying,experimenting, and making the
kitchen a place that feelssupportive instead of stressful.
Okay, so here's the takeaway forour kitchens.
Your kitchen in your 30s, backin the day when you had little
(15:46):
kids and you were and you werecooking for everyone else and
not for you.
It's not cutting it anymore,right?
Midlife calls for an upgrade,not just in what foods you keep
on your shelves and what younourish yourself with, but in
the way you approach cooking andthe way you feel in your
kitchen.
We have to cook our food.
(16:07):
Not all the food, right?
We of course can go out and havemeals out and and and enjoy food
that way, but for the most part,we have to really concentrate on
what we nourish our bodies with.
This counts towards our health,our energy, our moods, just
feeling better, our hormones.
(16:29):
And it doesn't have to beoverwhelming.
You don't need to throweverything out and start from
scratch.
You don't need to get all brandnew equipment.
You just need to make smallintentional shifts.
You add more protein, you stockmore vegetables and whole grains
in your kitchen, you upgrade oneor two tools that are not
(16:50):
serving you anymore.
And you play with herbs andspices and see what you like to
eat, what you want to eat,right?
That's another part that Ihaven't really gotten into.
But when I start planning mealsfor my week and thinking about
what I'm what I'm gonna eat, thefirst thing that I think of in
(17:12):
my head is what do I want to eatthis week?
Not what do you all want to eatthis week, but what do I want to
eat this week?
What am I in the mood for?
Now, if you really think aboutit, there have to be things that
you are in the mood for eating.
Right?
It's it's we're going into thefall right now.
(17:32):
It's pumpkin season.
I mean, uh it's spicy, warmcinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg,
pumpkin everything, right?
So what are you in the mood toeat this coming week?
And we want to then reframecooking as an act of care and
(17:54):
creativity instead of a chore.
So all of these little shiftsbuild a kitchen that supports
you instead of draining you.
And this is exactly what we'llbe practicing together inside of
my new membership, which openson November 1st.
Together, we're going to takeall these ideas and bring them
to life.
(18:14):
We'll cook together, we'll sharerecipes, we will talk about
tools, experiment with flavors,and support each other as we
navigate this brand new stage ofour lives.
If you've been feelinguninspired in your kitchen or if
you've been wondering what toeat now that your body feels
different, this membership isabsolutely for you.
(18:37):
And remember, if you join early,you'll get the special founder's
price and some exclusive bonusesthat will not be offered again.
So as you head into your kitchentoday, I want you to ask
yourself, is my kitchen stillset up for my 30s body, or is it
supporting who I am right now inmidlife?
And if the answer is the firstone, then it is definitely time
(19:01):
for an upgrade.
Your kitchen can either keep youstuck in old patterns or it can
become the place that fuels yourstrength, your creativity, and
your joy in midlife.
So the choice is yours.
Now, all the information aboutthis membership is coming soon.
I know last week on the podcastI said there was going to be
links in the show notes.
(19:22):
The links are coming soon, andyou will be the first people to
know when the links are comingout and about all the bonuses
and everything.
I'm just putting this some finaldetails in there, and I want it
to be user-friendly when youfinally decide to sign up.
All right, thank you so much forjoining me today on Real Food
(19:42):
Stories.
If this episode resonated withyou, please share it with a
friend and don't forget tosubscribe so you don't miss the
next part of the series leadingup to our membership launch.
Until next time, take good careof yourself and take a fresh
look at your kitchen.
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