Christy: Keepin’ It Real in the Kitchen
My primary tip for health in the kitchen is to avoid processed foods as much as possible. I have always believed this, but living it wasn’t always easy to do in the past. – Christy
Kitchen Hero Christy grew up in a household that was all about real food and home cooking, and she strives to do the same for her family as well. It may not always be easy to cook and eat healthy, especially with busy schedules, but Christy does her best, and because of that, is now living the life she always believed in – a healthy life with little to no processed foods. By taking the steps to cook and eat healthier, learning new cooking techniques, and being willing to try new ingredients and dishes, Christy makes cooking doable and enjoyable. And we think that all these small (but important!) steps are just what one needs keep it real, healthy, and happy in the kitchen. Read more about Christy’s Hero in the Kitchen story below.
Name: Christy Theis
Age: 35
City, State: Spring, TX
I cook for: my family, for fun and for health.
Outside of the kitchen I: am a Project Manager for our family business, a wife and a mother to two (soon to be three….any day now)!
If I could only eat one thing for the rest of my life, it would be: (real) Spanish food, which is hard to find in this area!
I cook because: I enjoy eating real food and truly like to be in the kitchen. I believe that processed foods are already proving to be the demise of our world. My grandparents cooked everything in bacon grease (no, really, everything!) and lived long, healthy lives. They ate fresh-grown vegetables out of their garden on a daily basis and the little meat they ate was not hormone or antibiotic laden. They were reasonably active, and I think those are the keys to a healthy life. Also, my mom has always cooked for us and everyone else, and I value the time we have shared in the kitchen. It has definitely been a bonding opportunity and I hope for that with my family as well.
Favorite Cook Smarts meal so far: Gosh, there have been so many! When we first started Cook Smarts almost a year ago, we vowed to make any dish before passing judgment until we came across something we didn’t like. While there are certainly menus we have preferred over others, there is not a single dish that I would not make again. Ya’ll have created something absolutely amazing and I feel so lucky to have found this program! If I had to name just one though, our most recent would be the curried butternut squash soup and the WONDERFUL spinach salad with apples and pomegranate seeds.
HOW DID YOU LEARN TO COOK?
I am still learning! LOL! Mostly though, I learned from my mom.
WHAT’S BEEN YOUR BIGGEST COOKING CHALLENGE?
Knife skills! These drastically improved as of Jess’s YouTube videos and also through the Nourish online cooking class I participated in last year. At the end of the day though, it just takes practice to get better!
HOW HAS YOUR COOKING ROUTINE CHANGED SINCE STARTING COOK SMARTS’ MEAL PLANS?
We definitely cook more at home with the planning being done for us. We have also learned how to create basic stir-fries which is handy when we haven’t really planned anything / gone grocery shopping for a particular meal. We are also more adventurous with our cooking. We used to be unwilling to try things with ingredients we weren’t familiar with, but not anymore!
“We used to be unwilling to try things with ingredients we weren’t familiar with, but not anymore!”
Tell us about your proudest kitchen moment.
I think the proudest I have been is when I have cooked meals that family and friends have raved about. I am also proud of the fact that my 5 year old enjoys helping us in the kitchen and is willing to try everything that we make.
What are your tips for health and success in the kitchen?
My primary tip for health in the kitchen is to avoid processed foods as much as possible. I have always believed this, but living it wasn’t always easy to do in the past. Between working full time at our own businesses and raising two kids, my husband and I struggled to find time to plan meals, grocery shop, prep and execute.
Success has come from planning which, with Cook Smarts, is a cinch! I really can’t tell you how thoroughly Cook Smarts has changed our lives and helped us have the family life we desired! (And, no, I am not a paid spokesperson!)
Christy, we should pay you to be our spokesperson! Thank you so, so much for all the great things you said about Cook Smarts. We’re very honored, and we’re even more honored to be a part of your cooking journey and watch your cooking skills grow and develop. You rocked in Nourish, and you continue to impress us with all the dishes you cook!
To join Christy and cook meals like her favorite Curried Butternut Squash Soup with Apple & Pomegranate Spinach Salad, check out our meal plan service. You can get started for free!
