Brodie: Taking the Paleo Leap
I cook because I enjoy fueling my body with healthy, natural ingredients that help me maintain my active lifestyle. – Brodie
Kitchen Hero Brodie is a marine biologist and CrossFit athlete who enjoys all kinds of outdoor activities. To keep up with his active lifestyle, Brodie had to find ways to stay healthy and feel lighter and more energized. He realized that diet was a big factor in maintaining a healthy life, so he switched to a paleo diet and learned to overcome his cooking struggles. Now this Kitchen Hero enjoys vegetables he didn’t care for before, saves money while still eating healthy, and most of all, cooks delicious meals that he can feel proud of. Read more about Brodie’s Hero in the Kitchen story below.
Name: Brodie Meche
Age: 30 years old
City, State: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
I cook for: my boyfriend and myself. I cook four servings for easy meal prep.
Outside of the kitchen I: am a marine biologist who enjoys primitive camping and all outdoor activities.
The strangest food I have ever eaten is: raccoon gravy. It was tasty, but I would have been better off not knowing what it was.
I cook because: I enjoy fueling my body with healthy, natural ingredients that help me maintain my active lifestyle.
Favorite Cook Smarts meal so far: The Fajita Chicken with Sautéed Peppers and Onions with Salsa and Guacamole . . . a paleo spin-off of the Southwestern Chicken and Rice with Tortillas. This is the only meal that I’ve continuously added to our weekly meal plans. I like to add whole lettuce leaves that act as a tortilla to the recipe.
HOW DID YOU LEARN TO COOK?
Before finding Cook Smarts, I struggled with cooking and I only knew how to barbeque and make a gumbo. I’m still a little nervous to cook freestyle, so I’ll continue following the meal plans until I’m ready!
WHAT’S BEEN YOUR BIGGEST COOKING CHALLENGE?
I’ve never prepared meals for anyone. My biggest challenge was to produce something edible for the first time. Now, my coworkers, friends, and boyfriend are very impressed with my skills. They drool over the photos of our meals.
How has your cooking routine changed since starting Cook Smarts’ meal plans?
Instead of grocery shopping for one meal a day, I only step foot inside of a grocery store once a week. It saves so much time and money. I have also learned much about portion control. Knowing that I cook four servings every meal prevents me from overeating while still having extra for the next day’s lunch.
What have you learned since starting Cook Smarts’ meal plans?
I don’t know if I actually learned to like new foods or if my taste buds are changing with age. I was always turned off by the flavor of bell peppers and onions. Now that I am preparing my own food, I appreciate the flavors of both and have gained a new appreciation for the taste of a sweet red bell pepper.
What made you start a paleo diet?
I have been hitting the gym pretty hard and wasn’t seeing much results. After joining CrossFit and still not seeing much results, I came to the conclusion that it was my diet. To test my theory out, I switched to paleo eating. I’ve come to the conclusion that the saying is true, you can work out all day long but results really show when you have the right nutrition!
Cook Smarts always provides recipes that are packed with flavor and creativity, that I look forward to trying out every day.
How has Cook Smarts helped you adopt a paleo lifestyle?
I’ve always had the misconception that a paleo lifestyle was expensive and the ingredients were always hard to find. Cook Smarts proved to me that I can make 16 meals (servings) a week for the low price of about $60 and ONE SINGLE TRIP to the grocery store. Cook Smarts always provides recipes that are packed with flavor and creativity, that I look forward to trying out every day.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR PROUDEST KITCHEN MOMENT.
Aside from actually cooking something without using some kind of noodle and processed meat and then burning it . . . I was most proud when I made my first poached eggs. I’ve got five hens at home. It is very rewarding to be able to do something nice with their eggs instead of hard boiling them. I always thought poaching eggs was so hard!
I am always proud in the kitchen. Cooking has become a great way to unwind after a long day of work. Chopping and preparing provides order and repetitiveness after a long day of work that can sometimes be quite unorganized and chaotic.
WHAT ARE YOUR TIPS FOR HEALTH AND SUCCESS IN THE KITCHEN?
Being a CrossFit athlete, I have chosen to follow Cook Smarts’ paleo menus to help me see physical results and to perform better during training. If you’re looking to feel healthier, lighter, and more energized, try the paleo versions of the meals for a week!
I also wanted to throw in a quick tip. Putting your green onions (and other herbs) in a cup of water on a windowsill will usually cause them to root and last much longer. You can also plant them after rooting. I don’t remember the last time that I bought fresh herbs. Also, throwing some seeds onto a moist paper towel and enclosing them in a Ziploc on the window sill has been an almost 100% success rate at germination for me.
Note that you may not always get an identical plant from the fruit that you got the seed from, but it is always fun to grow plants from vegetables that you buy. From the past ingredients, I have grown lemongrass, pineapple, red bell peppers, basil, green onions, cucumbers, cantaloupe, strawberries, and even mango trees. It’s also a fun science project to do with the kids!
Brodie, thank you so much for letting us be a part of your cooking journey. It’s so awesome to hear how you went from cooking only a few tried-and-true dishes to cooking a variety of paleo meals and growing your own produce from the fruits and veggies that you cooked with! Keep up the amazing work in the kitchen, and cheers to a healthy, active lifestyle!
To join Brodie and cook meals like his favorite Fajita Chicken with Sautéed Peppers and Onions with Salsa and Guacamole, check out our meal plan service. You can get started for free!
