Do you feel overwhelmed in the kitchen? Are you resentful because you're always the one making decisions about what you and those you live with will eat and you're also expected to cook all of the meals? As the Chief Meal Officer in your home these feelings are completely normal and you are not alone. A lot of us feel that way (even if we simultaneously don't trust anyone in "our" kitchen!)
You're in luck because today, my podcast features Brigitte Gemme, meal planner extraordinaire and author of Flow in the Kitchen - Practices for Healthy Stress-Free Vegan Cooking.
"Cooking is love in action" - Brigitte Gemme
From Brigitte's bio: Brigitte Gemme is passionate about helping more people eat more plants, even if they will never go vegan. Though she used to love rare steak and blue cheese, she started cooking plant-based food in 2013 to reduce her environmental footprint, and went vegan in 2015 for ethical reasons. Today, she is energized by the possibility of improving people's health and vitality by empowering them to cook really good food.
Brigitte offers meal planning services, online cooking workshops, and a cooking club on her web site Vegan Family Kitchen. She is the author of the book Flow in the Kitchen: Practices for Healthy Stress-Free Vegan Cooking. Brigitte has a PhD in Educational Studies from the University of British Columbia and a certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from the University of Winchester. She lives in Vancouver (Canada) with her husband and two children.
So often, I too, have felt like "the dinner fairy" but between speaking with Brigitte for this episode and reading her book, I now have a new perspective on my time spent in the kitchen! What kind of difference could that shift in perspective make in your life?
One of my favorite takeaways around meal planning is Brigitte's suggestion to meal plan around your life, not the other way around. I know for me, I have tried countless times to follow a meal plan (thinking this would ease my decision making) only to realize when I actually tried to implement it that it didn't fit my life at all. Maybe that week I had 20 minutes to make dinner each night but the meal plan required an hour plus in the kitchen for dinner and any prep for breakfast and lunch the next day. Or, I chose a meal plan and got to the grocery store realizing it was heavy on tomatoes (and it's January in NJ, when tomatoes are...less than fresh) so half the recipes needed substitutes (and so upped my decision making!)
When I meal plan around my life, by looking at my calendar, and assessing when I have time to devote to meals and when I need to have something quick I can grab and heat up, that changes everything! I can eat food that makes me feel nourished while still meeting deadlines, attending calls, and everything else that comes up. It greatly reduces the overwhelm and the knee-jerk reaction to just order take-out.
Take a listen to Brigitte's episode then come back here and let me know what intrigued you the most. Will you try her meal planning method? Will you pick up her book? Where can we help you?
To connect with Brigitte:
How to listen to this episode of Did you Bring the Hummus podcast:
Right here on my website
Or, your favorite podcast app (Apple, Spotify, Google...etc.) just type in Did You Bring the Hummus and click on subscribe!
If you love the podcast, why not join my Did You Bring the Hummus Podcast Fan Group on Facebook? It's free! You also get to meet other fans and have a direct connection with me!
There's still time to join my Jump into January with Veganuary program! Yes, we're already 3 weeks into the month but January has 5 Tuesdays this month which means there are still 2 calls left for you to attend! Don't wait, sign up now!