Cassy Garcia: Cooking with Kiddos and Blogging

In this episode, I interview the Author/Creator/Editor-in-Chief of Fed and Fit, lover of kale, determinedly optimistic…guest, Cassy Garcia! We discuss the challenges parents and families face when it comes to cooking homemade meals that can take HOURS. How to navigate being a parent, spending time with your family, and how to utilize your precious time all the while feeding your family delicious AND nutritious meals…and so much more.

[02:40] Cooking from a young age to diet trends 

In this episode, Cassy starts by telling me about how she began cooking at a really young age with her mother. She explains how her mother instilled a deep associated joy with being able to take raw ingredients, and transform them to create an experience at a table. Cassy shares about how she had a bit of a health shift in her early 20s and was pretty unwell. This prompted her to “dating” relationships with all sorts of diets that in the end…just didn’t work. After all the failed diets and trends, Cassy tells how she took the guesswork out of food and dug into some of the literature, and essentially took herself on as her first nutrition client.

[07:13] Blog writer, one on one nutrition coach…

I applaud Cassy for starting her blog 10 years ago…which was before social media really existed. I talk with Cassy about how at that time it was real organic people seeking information on the internet and finding blogs. Cassy talks about when she got her certification as a nutritionist, she started working with clients one on one. And in that, she found that she had a maximum capacity of people that she could really work with. Cassy then thought about if she could TEACH people the ways of nutrition for themselves. This unlocked the online program that was geared around trying to answer the main health needs. 

[13:01] INTRODUCING, Cook Once, Dinner Fix

As a busy mom of two, Cassy, the best-selling author of Cook Once, Eat All Week, has limited time to get food on the table. With this book, she shares a fresh approach to preparing dinner in a hurry. These 120 easy, delicious recipes are designed to use the leftovers from one recipe to quickly cook a completely different meal the next day. Cassy explains that she wanted to find a way to get dinner on the table more easily, instead of making a fresh meal every single night. She tells me that she thought…if she could just prepare a component in advance that could be woven between two meals, then cooking would be more straightforward and simple. 

[26:35] Storage container hacks

Cassy shares her favorite kitchen container preparation hack. She shares her tips for when you know what you are going to cook. She says to go ahead and take out all the ingredients needed for the meal ahead of time. Put the dry ingredients on the counter in a bin or bag. Then put the cold stuff in a container in the fridge. She says that doing this, it takes out the extra time of finding the ingredients later. This way it’s already done for you.

[31:10] Cooking with kiddos and mom guilt 

Cassy has 3 little girls. She talks about how she really loves being able to teach her daughters (even though 2 are too small for kitchen helping) the process of cooking. She tells me about how she has found that by involving her daughter in preparing the meal together, that she’s that much more excited about it. I admit that I know so many parents, moms, specifically, that are so concerned with quality time and having enough time with their kids. They feel they can’t build a business or go after their own goals and dreams because they have to be with family. As if the two cannot coexist. Cassy explains that the solution is taking two pieces of life and putting them together so that you can eat, every night, and spend time with your family. Her method is bringing them together.

[38:33] Tips to plan and execute meals

I ask Cassy if she has any tips to share with the audience. She shares where people can find her and two or three quick tips if someone has a busy young family. She asks them to consider having a goal of cooking a little bit more. Cassy says tip number one is to plan your meals for the week and write them down. She says to carve out just a little bit of time, 30 minutes max to plan and that having a plan is tremendously impactful. Second…she says if cooking feels intimidating to you then you should pick recipes that look easy. She tells me that there’s no award for picking the most involved or difficult recipes.

As you listen, please tag me on Instagram and let me know what pieces you are tucking into your own toolbox that help you elevate to your best self. I love hearing from you!

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