A nourishing meal plan for busy weeks, my honest thoughts on diet culture, and why I turned my kitchen into a salad bar - v.86

The inside scoop on what I'm cooking, learning, and recommending to help you eat well and feel well, too!

Jul 25, 2026

∙ Paid

I spent my college years eating how I thought was super healthy, but really was just being super restrictive, under-nourishing my body. And I felt the effects — constant sugar cravings and crashing, struggling with mood swings, and feeling exhausted all the time.

I learned the hard way that our bodies thrive on balanced meals with protein and healthy fats, and consistent meal times to feel our best!

Now, my focus isn’t on eating less, but on how I can nourish my body more, filling up my plate with a variety of colorful foods, quality protein, and healthy fat.

It drives me crazy to see that skipping meals and calorie restriction are still glorified across social media — Why is eating less synonymous with eating healthy?

Of course, there are days when I don’t get in as many veggies as my body wants or I go more hours than I should without refueling — so I fully get that eating well can feel like a full-time job.

But I truly believe that when you create a system, you’ll be far more successful in nourishing your body well. And remove a lot of that extra mental load around cooking too!

4 healthy habits to make eating well feel effortless

Planning meals ahead of time
Prepping a few ingredients at the beginning of the week to have meal shortcuts
Bringing a balanced snack on the go (I’ve been obsessed with these Southwest Style meat sticks)
Keeping meal time simple by using the same formula for every meal (quality protein, fiber-rich veggies, complex carbohydrate, and healthy fat)

It’s incredible how well the body responds once you start fueling it with real, whole foods at regular meal times instead of relying on overly processed snacks or caffeine to suppress your hunger— less crashing, more stable energy levels, and even more balanced mood.

That’s exactly why I built this week’s meal plan around a salad bar style — making it easier for you to eat a variety of colorful, nutrient-packed ingredients without having to think twice about what to cook.

Loving this week

Dolly All the Time, Girl in blue shirt, girl drinking matcha

What I’m reading: Annabel Monaghan did it again with her new rom-com Dolly All The Time. After picking it up at the bookstore knowing I couldn’t wait 2 months for it to become available on Libby, I devoured it in 4 days.

What I’m drinking: An iced matcha in the morning has been on repeat with this matcha, my go-to clean ingredient nut milk, and of course, this raw honey as a little antioxidant-rich sweetener.

What I’m wearing: A light blue is one of my favorite colors because it reminds me of the ocean — I picked up this light blue tank and can’t stop wearing these super comfortable athletic shorts (I have them in cream as well).

What I’m trying: After learning that Hibiscus tea is a natural detoxifier that supports the liver and digestion, I’ve been enjoying this hot tea in the evenings with a few squares of this coconut sugar-sweetened 70% dark chocolate.

What I’m learning: I’ve been wearing this constant glucose monitor for 6 days now, and I’m fascinated by how my body responds to different foods. Karina Baloleanu, CFNC and I shared science-backed solutions to the most common blood sugar balancing struggles here, but I’m going to share my full experiment with you next week.