About Jaclyn

Hi! I’m Jaclyn and I am a Holistic Nutritionist and the founder of Holistic Foodie. I love food (pasta is my love language) and having fun in the kitchen. Believe it or not, up until about 9 years ago, I had no idea how to cook. Now, I love teaching others how to enjoy their time in the kitchen by creating easy, fuss-free, flavour packed recipes that taste delicious.

I firmly believe in incorporating a realistic approach to health and wellness without restriction or dieting. Which basically means ALL FOODS FIT, period. I will still make it a point to create recipes with substitutions in mind for those with dietary restrictions.

I’ve been down the road of having an unhealthy relationship to food and it wasn’t fun. So I’m happy to be at a place where I’m comfortable not only in the kitchen but also with myself. You can read more about my journey below.

As much as I love cooking and being in the kitchen, I also fully appreciate an easy, one pot meal! It means you can spend more time enjoying the meal and less time doing the dishes. And this is something that’s so important to me.

If you want to check out some of my easy one pot dishes, definitely have a look at my FREE ebook below. In it, you’ll find ten delicious and easy recipes that can all be made in one pot. Plus, you’ll get a shopping guide that breaks down all of the groceries you’ll need separated by category.

And if you love my free one pot recipe ebook, you’ll love my new one, with over 50 recipes!! In it, you’ll find over 50 recipes that are all made in one pot in under 60 minutes including prep and cook time!

Check out my ebook, All in One, right over here!

More about my history with disordered eating

I’ve got years of experience dealing with an unhealthy relationship with food. And this is why I employ a diet and label free philosophy because every BODY is different. I’ve been on my own intuitive eating journey for years now, which you can read more about over here.

Because, I’ve been there too…

Restrictive eating patterns, followed by an insatiable appetite and binge and emotional eating left me feeling depressed, disgusted with myself and moody. I knew that the way I ate and looked at food wasn’t healthy but I convinced myself that this was what all women did. I lived like this for way too long.

How diet culture impacted others in my life…

I also saw how this affected other women in my life, particularly my mom who was always trying a new diet each week that left her feeling hungry, miserable and feeling like a failure when she couldn’t lose weight. After dieting her whole life and not seeing the results she wanted, she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at only 54 and sadly she passed away shortly after the diagnosis. Watching her struggle with food and body image shaped who I was too. I saw the look in her eyes when she looked at herself in the mirror and I heard the comments or jokes she’d make about her appearance. But after she passed away, I learned there is so much more to life than just how we look. And I didn’t want to wake up one day, sick and having to come to terms with a life left un-lived simply because I wanted to lose a few pounds or didn’t like the way I looked.

My mom’s death had a profound effect on me and I decided to change how I looked at food and life in general. Losing a parent at any age is difficult, and especially when you are just discovering who you are at 26. It really puts things in perspective once you start to realize what’s truly important and what isn’t. Life is short and I don’t want to waste a second of it feeling bad about something as insignificant as what I ate (or didn’t eat) for dinner.

What I do for fun & more about my personal life

I love staying in, cooking for fun, learning more about photography and bingeing all the fun TV shows. I also enjoy a good sweat sesh (because I want to not because I feel like I have to), browsing through cookbooks, or just hanging around local farmer’s markets in the city (Toronto). I currently live with my amazing boyfriend, Shayne, who truly makes me smile every day. I’m one of those people that found that special kind of love later in life and I’m so so grateful for him. He’s the real chef in the relationship and he’s only helped strengthen my skills in the kitchen.

I also love enjoying a cocktail or glass of wine, usually with some kind of charcuterie on display. A dirty gin martini will always be my go-to, bonus points for some blue cheese stuffed olives 👌.

Although this is SO hard and it’s like choosing a favourite child, here are my top five favourite blog recipes if you want to get inspired:

All photos courtesy of Meredith Holbrook and Juniper Island.