Oh Hi! I’m Dr. Kait
Food Lover + Busy Mom of 5, research Scientist, Ph.D.
I love antique dishes, time capsule homes, and lots of wine. Oftentimes, we have five kids running around. Well okay, two running, one toddling, one FaceTiming her friends, and one trying to borrow the car keys while the golden doodle deftly tests the invisible fence disk perimeter around our kitchen island. Needless to say, I am generally looking for short cuts or easy long cuts (aka a slow cooker, slow simmer on the stove, or Instant Pot). Kait’s Cupboard answers the question “what’s for dinner?” along with “can I bring cupcakes to school?” and “sure I’ll host [insert holiday].”
Best of all, each recipe is tagged with real science on how to support your gut health. No more trying to remember what you read where, if olive oil is good or bad, or if it’s all meat or no meat. Kait’s Cupboard is about connection, family, and classic staples you will pull on again and again.
Your Gut Health
By tagging each recipe with the healthy micro superstar bacteria our microbiome and guts need, YOU have the information all in one place and YOU make the decisions. Some of you might be reading this thinking, what do you mean micro bacteria in my gut?
Each of us have a whole ecosystem of micro bacteria balancing our health in our guts. Feeling tired? Your gut has something to do with that (Gundry, 2021). Feeling depressed? Your gut has something to do with that too (Gundry, 2021). It turns out, our gut health regulates not just our physical health but our mental health as well.
The best way to support gut health is to have a diverse micro biome with lots of diversity in healthy bacteria.
The Gut movie, 2018
- Each recipe will be tagged with plant points that give you a tally of how many points you get in each meal
The more plants, the more points. Obviously not every recipe (ahem sugar cookies) will have a ton of plant points. But, by paying attention we can increase the diversity of plants we eat, increase the good micro bacteria in our gut, improve our gut health, and ultimately feel and look better.
Increasing Plant Diversity in our Diet
Why Care About Gut Health?
If you’re not sure what your gut health has to do with anything, neither did I when I started all of this! Take a read to learn more on my gut health page, or by clicking superhero micro bacteria and vitamins that are featured in the recipe you are making. Each post is filled with information and links to academic articles with information on exactly how our micro bacteria impact our health.
Gut Healthy Tools to Defeat the 3 p.m. Slump
As a teacher, I’ve seen first hand what happens when my second graders have a big grab size bag of flamin’ hot Cheetos at lunch, they come back and their little bodies are tired. Why? Blood sugar spike and crash.
Ever felt SUPER TIRED after a large plate of pasta? Guess what, by swapping in whole wheat pasta for white, refined pasta, you won’t have that problem anymore! Thank you short chain fatty acid microbe.
Food Lover and Busy Mom of 5
Let’s get real. Work Life balance is more of a myth than a reality. I’ve spent the last 15+ years in education. Meanwhile, I have been raising kids, running to and from soccer practices, and trying to figure out how to cook healthy meals before 10 p.m. I live and breathe this question EVERYDAY. Cooking healthy (most of the time) family meals is my life.
Data Nerd and Mom
- Ph.D. in education policy and economics of education
- Big data expert
- Highly published in teachers and social media
- Mom and step-mom with 3 teenagers, a 9 year old and…an “ours” baby boy, now VERY OPINIONATED toddler
- Married to a dreamy doctor who I often barrage with medical jargon questions
I’m combining my expertise in research and data and putting it to action to share delicious, homemade recipes backed by science that are gut healthy to boot.
Recipes for All Walks of Life
- For divorced parents (I’ve been there!) who need easy, healthy, meals on a budget. Try the hummus, salmon and potatoes, or chicken fried rice.
- For big families (I’m living it!) quick, simple recipes here that everyone can enjoy, and in large quantities!
- For anyone trying to feed a baby or toddler, I have tagged baby-friendly dishes as well. Who needs toddler food when you can just save some of your Mexican corn sauté, garlic naan bread, or refried beans?
Now maybe you’re thinking, well this works for you but it won’t work for me because ….but really cooking dinner is less expensive, healthier, and easier than ordering out. Leftovers anyone?!
I am super excited to share my love for bringing the family around the table with good food that’s good for you too!
XoXo Dr. Kait
“Real cooking is more about following your heart than following recipes.”
My Favorite Meals
