Sunday, August 23rd, 2026
Ozzie started first grade this week and never have I felt the passing of time more vividly than I do right now. Everyone always says it goes so fast, and I really feel it. 😭
Emotions aside, I am thrilled that 1/2 kids is now back in school, but also felt a little tinge of dread about all the lunches, snacks, pickups, and emails (oh the emails). Something about the routinelessness (not a word, but you get what I mean) of summer also means less structured grocery shopping and cooking. It’s nice to get a little break from it, but the party is officially over.
Kids or no kids, the end of Summer always has a little bit of a January energy. In my nutrition practice, September is always my busiest month. Everyone is getting back into it, setting routines and fresh goals. I love it.
I went on a crazy organization bender and cleaned the kids’ rooms, my bathroom, pantry and kitchen. It was a lot (like 7 donations bags a lot)—but nothing feels better than getting everything organized and fresh. I did a big stock up on Grove too for plastic-free kitchen items like glass pantry jars, compostable sandwich baggies, my favorite produce bags, lots of stainless steel and cast iron (all linked here). By the way: I highly recommend Grove for better-for-you home products—their vetting process is insane (you can use my discount code MIA25 too).
Cooking is infinitely easier in an organized kitchen. Consider this your end of summer assignment.
On Thursday, I made shrimp taco bowls and they came together so easily. Shrimp cooks very quickly and is great for weeknights—I took them out of the freezer in the morning so they’d thaw in time for dinner, and after a quick seasoning and pan fry, these bowls come together with just a little assembly. My kids had quesadilla instead of shrimp with the accouterments from the bowl: rice, beans, corn, cabbage, and avocado.
Also on the menu this week: Salmon soba bowls, Thai steak salad, crispy chicken Caesar, and an herby lentil salad with jammy eggs. Bangers, if I don’t say so myself.
Cooking with you all brings me so much joy—we are making new recipes and revisiting old ones every week. If you want to cook with us and get access to more practical nutrition resources, make sure to upgrade your subscription:
Happy Sunday!
Nutrition news, cultural discussions, and new discoveries.
I’ve been loving an afternoon shake lately. I use Promix’s chocolate or vanilla whey plus some frozen banana, peanut butter, chia seeds, and water. It tastes like a milkshake, but has 30g of protein and keeps me going until dinner. Use my discount MIARIGDEN10 if you want to try—in my opinion, it’s the best.
The buffing bar from Soft Services is worth all the hype. I keep this in shower and do a good body exfoliation at least once a week. It feels so good and makes your skin incredibly smooth. 10/10 recommend.
My kids were not the only ones who got a back to school haul. Of course I had to update my mom uniform—this sweatshirt is ELITE, I can’t stop wearing this tee, and these are the coolest pants.
Have you all heard of the latest trend, Boy Kibble? It’s the counter to the girl dinner trend (a no-cook snack plate) for men trying to bulk at the gym. This made me laugh, but protein, carbs plus some extra veggies isn’t a bad meal—especially for someone who is trying to put on muscle. I think we could make it a little more interesting though…
And in case you missed it: My next group program, Bodywise, starts September 24th! We’ve added progressive strength workouts (with my personal trainer) and 1:1 check-ins to the fall cohort. I’m so excited about the group we have signed up so far and can’t wait to get started. Spaces are limited so reserve your spot!
More on this in Friday’s post too, along with some nutrition + strength myths we’re putting to bed:
Alright, let’s do this!
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