About

Welcome! My name is Erica, the creator of Bowl of Yum. A little eccentric, very organized, and you can always find me in the kitchen. I currently live along the beautiful rugged coast of Maine with my husband, two amazingly energetic boys, and the ruler of the house—our cat Zelda.

Inspiration

A handful of years ago, I read a book that changed my life How Not To Die by Dr. Michael Greger. I know, the title is a little cheesy but this book contains the most comprehensive information I have ever come across on nutrition. Did you know that diet is the leading cause of the top fifteen diseases in Americans? Not smoking, not drugs, the American diet. This book was a game changer for me. I wanted to clean up what I put into my body and give my children the gift of health. This book empowered me to take charge of my family’s health and start eating in a delicious, nutritious, and more sustainable manner. My wish is to share my love and knowledge of cooking and healthy eating with you all!

I’ve always loved to cook and tinker in the kitchen, but transitioning to a plant-based diet was still difficult in the beginning. It’s a big change from the conventional American diet. We had to build up a list of about ten staple recipes, which took time. Our kids had to warm up to the idea of eating beans (every day!). But I would never go back, I feel the best I’ve ever felt, have more energy, and I can easily maintain a healthy weight. Through this journey I’ve learned so much and we are still eating delicious foods, they are just far more nourishing. It has been a truly awesome way to reconnect with food.

Although we try our best to eat plant-based, we are certainly not perfect. We will eat meat if at a BBQ and that’s all that is being served. We’ve eaten meat while traveling in other countries and the only choice at the restaurant is chicken or beef. We still have turkey for Thanksgiving, and we still use real cheese from time-to-time. Our goal is to make eating a plant-based diet our everyday routine. To eat as much fruits and vegetables as possible, to replace empty carbs with whole grains—and to make these other instances the exception. Baby steps friends! We are all only human and our diet is a habit that we’ve developed over many many years. It takes time, energy, and dedication to change it. Every teeny try counts! 

I hope you find some delicious inspiration for your next meal!

Cheers,
Erica