My latest breakfast

and navigating the diet culture of it all

Hi friends,

Today I’m sharing the breakfast I’ve been eating every single day for maybe a month or so now (I’m not counting). It’s an overnight oat/chia situation with a base of cooked down fruit (made from frozen fruit — EASY!) that I make in batches to last me for a few days. It means I start the day without having to make a single decision.

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Before I hop into all things breakfast, a reminder that my next class is this Sunday, March 31st at 2p EST. It will be a full tour/explainer of how I grocery shop and organize my pantry.

NOTE ON THE DATE: I know that Sunday is Easter (I don’t celebrate so didn’t realize until after I scheduled!). As always, if you’re interested in class and can’t attend live, you can always sign up and you’ll get the class document right away and you’ll get a recording of the entire class the same day. You can always also check it out after in my video library where you can also purchase any of my past classes!

OFFICIAL DESCRIPTION: "How do you organize your pantry?" is one of the questions I get asked most frequently. Join me to not only hear the answer, but to SEE IT. This class will be a tour of my kitchen and all of the ingredients it holds: we'll go through the counter, the cupboards, drawers, refrigerator, and freezer! I will show you what I have, how I store it, and how I manage it all. I will also go over how I grocery shop — meaning, how I get all of those ingredients in the first place. Class includes a 10 page document with lists of ingredients, my notes on grocery shopping, links to just about EVERYTHING, and even a helpful grocery list page you can print off and use to hopefully make your life in your kitchen a little easier. The companion document will enable you to just watch + absorb without worrying about keeping track of things. The live class will include plenty of time for any + all questions!!!! SIGN UP HERE!

SIGN UP HERE! Class is sliding scale starting at $40 (but if money is a barrier, just let me know and we’ll figure it out!). Hope to see you there!!

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And my April class line-up is officially live! Click on the title of each class below to sign up. As always if $ is a barrier, just let me know and we’ll figure it out. Class FAQs live here.

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Sunday April 7th / 2p - 3:30p EST: COOK ONCE, EAT MANY TIMES

Join me for this practical class we're well prep four simple dishes that can mixed-and-matched throughout the week. Tons of combination/repurposing ideas will be shared, plus cooking tips + tricks. If you feel like you're having trouble figuring out your weekly food needs, this class will be really helpful!! Go into your week feeling PREPARED!

We will be making:

• Roasted Sweet Potatoes

• Mustardy Pork Tenderloin

• Marinated Lentil Salad

• Lemony Kale

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Saturday April 27th / noon - 2p EST: COOKING 101, PART 1 of 2

So you want to cook? Join me! I’ll show you the basics. In this two part live digital series over the course of one weekend, I'll cover how to make the dishes I think are most essential. In learning how to make them, you’ll be set to feed yourself and the people you love.

I’ll explain how each recipe can be riffed on so once you know how to make the basic thing, you’ll actually be equipped to make SO MANY THINGS. I’ll walk through every single step so not only will you leave with some great recipes and ideas for other dishes, but you’ll also take fundamental skills with you (like how to make a salad dressing, how to fry an egg, how to chop vegetables, how to break down a chicken, how to weigh your ingredients for baking, and so much more).

The first class will be 2 hours on Saturday, April 27th starting at NOON EST and the second will be 2 hours on Sunday, April 28th starting at 2p EST. You can take one or both!

Remember, as always, even if you can’t attend live, signing up means you’ll instantly get the class document and you’ll receive a video recording of the live class on the day it’s held. Hope to see you soon for this fun and informative weekend of cooking!

PART ONE ON SATURDAY WILL INCLUDE: Knife Skills / Salad Basics inc. Dressing / Soup / Eggs

We will prepare:

• A Great Green Salad with Classic Vinaigrette

• A Blended Dressing Formula

• Simple Vegetable Soup

• Eggs a Few Ways (Scrambled / Hard Boiled / Fried)

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Sunday April 28th / 2p - 4p EST: COOKING 101, PART 2 of 2

See above for the description of this series!

PART TWO ON SUNDAY WILL INCLUDE: Chicken / Leafy Greens / Rice / Baking

In class, we will prepare:

• Breaking Down a Chicken

• Roasted Spiced Chicken + Sweet Potatoes

• Garlicky Greens

• Steamed Rice with Butter

• Buttermilk + Olive Oil Cake

Okay back to my breakfast! I started making this out of a desire to eliminate decision-making in the morning. I noticed that I was feeling wishy-washy, unable to decide what I wanted to eat to start my day. I was choosing things that sparked zero joy. I was not eating enough to make me actually feel full and satisfied, which left me feeling a combination of grumpy and tired.

When I zoom out, I see that this indecisiveness wasn’t merely indecisiveness. I think it was also the overwhelm and fatigue that can come with any healing work, including eating disorder recovery, something I consider myself to have been in for the last few years.

While figuring out how to feel at home in my body, I’ve embraced the expansiveness of giving myself all the options. I’ve become so much less restrictive with what and how I eat that I think, and this part is a little tricky, that I sometimes feel overwhelmed with my options. Sometimes I just want something waiting for me in the fridge that I’m excited about. Something that tastes good and I’ve made to make exact preferences.

Enter my new breakfast. If I told you a few years ago that I’d be sharing a recipe for an overnight oat/chia pudding jar thing, I’d say that I’d smell the smoke of diet culture and where there’s smoke…

But the thing is, I really love this breakfast.

I use kefir for the liquid, which is tangy and creamy, qualities I really love. The whole thing is thick and rich and I like that, too. I also really just love cooked fruit (I’m a fruit pie > cake person for life, though I’m thrilled I don’t have to actually choose). I like that the kefir is full of all sorts of good probiotics and I also throw in some unflavored protein powder because I’m really into taking care of my muscles (see here for more of my thoughts on protein). All of these details make me think about

Virginia Sole-Smith

’s recent newsletter about “Which Diet Food(s) Have You Reclaimed?"I also like that this is infinitely adaptable — change up the liquid, the flavor/sweetness, etc. Top with all sorts of things to introduce texture and more flavor such as toasted nuts, fresh berries, toasted coconut flakes, granola, etc.

The thing that feels new to me about this breakfast is that I don’t think it’s going to change me or my body. It’s not a secret potion that will help me make myself smaller, something I used to long for. It’s not a breakfast I feel wedded to, either. If I wake up tomorrow and find I’m sick of it, that’s fine! I have no false sense of obligation to sticking with it just because I’m enjoying it for the time being. Breakfast choices, like habits and routines, can come and go. That easygoingness is what I’m after these days. I like finding something I really like right now and knowing there will be other things that I like, too. I really like sharing these things with you. And for today, it’s this stack of jars waiting in my fridge for me for the next few mornings.

And here’s the recipe!