Looking at Danielle McPartlin tells the story. Beautiful, radiant, healthy, fit. She looks like someone who is doing it right, taking care of herself from the inside out.
We were lucky enough to sit down with Danielle and talk with her about her organic meal-delivery service, Plate Therapy, clean eating, and how to balance family/self/work. All of us at Helen Jon are are happy to bring this to you, as part 2 in our 3-part “Beach Ready” series.
Q: Clean eating... we agree that eating healthfully can be a life-changer. Do you have any tips on how we can make our own at-home meal prep and planning easier? It seems so often that best-laid plans often get off track.
Have a road map for your week’s meals.
Step One: The List. How many times have you gone to the grocery store with a loose list and come home to discover you have nothing to complete a meal…much less something healthy? That’s where the wheels start to fall off, and no one has time for that. If you change your buying habits to stock your kitchen with healthy staples, you’ll be inspired to create healthy meals.
Step Two: Be your own sous chef and prep your kitchen and ingredients to make magic and limit expensive waste.
Dice a mix of veggies to roast or package them up so you can use them when needed. Pick a protein that you can use for multiple meals. For example, chicken can be grilled for salads, mixed with a jar of salsa verde in the slow cooker for tacos, or roasted with veggies for a one-pan meal. Finally, whip up a Mason Jar of a versatile dressing that can double as a condiment to complete the meal. Voila!
Keep this front of mind: “If you keep good food in your fridge, you will eat good food.”
Q: Eating healthfully is a great investment. But natural and organic foods often cost so much more. Any suggestions on how we can keep the costs in check without compromising our goals and overall quality?
- Do your research to know which items you should buy at which store. More and more, healthy items like coconut oil and flour alternatives have gone mainstream, so regular grocery stores are fine to shop for stocking the pantry. However, eggs, produce, grass-fed organic meats and specific staples like coconut aminos may require a trip to a higher-end store.
- Arm yourself with an understanding of which produce should be organic versus conventionally grown. (Here is a quick easy reference to make this easy for you. )
- Stock your freezer with high-quality proteins when you find them on special and buy bulk on items that have a longer shelf life like nuts, cooking fats or organic canned tomatoes.
Q: We would love to know what your top 3 favorite recipes are right now.
That is hard because I really love our current menu! The Thai Salmon with Cauliflower Rice, Kung Pao Chicken and Butternut Squash Lasagna are always a staple in my home. I love my business partner, Chef Thatcher, and all of his amazing creativity in the kitchen. He is truly brilliant and it shines through in his flavor!
Q: Tell us, what do you like best about your work?
I love being a change agent in people’s lives. Helping my clients rethink their approach to eating creates the results they are looking for. Whether it is autoimmune conditions, diabetes, arthritis or weight loss, our food and the Paleo Diet can make the difference, healing from the inside out.
Q: It’s never easy, and we don’t expect you to have the “perfect” answer. But how do you manage the tricky balancing act of working, parenting, marriage — and taking care of your own health and exercise?
Ha! I walk the same tightrope as any working mom but try to carry my philosophy from the kitchen to everyday life…PREP and PLAN! With both kids in school I have from drop-off to pick-up to dedicate to myself, Ryan, and Plate Therapy. I am trying to get better about schedules. Ry just bought me a “to-do-list” pad, so I can learn to be more organized and efficient - I am a work in progress. Somedays, it all gets done, but if it doesn’t, I need to cut myself some slack and know that I can’t be Wonder Woman. That’s where I have learned to delegate! At the end of the day, my family is at the top of that list and being a mom to my boys and a great wife to Ryan is the priority that I would never compromise!
Q: We always love hearing about favorite beaches and get-aways. Where would you like to be in your Helen Jon next?
I would LOVE to be sporting my Helen Jon in Sea Island, Georgia. We meet my side of the family there every year at a resort called The Cloister.
It is a truly magical place where the kids can be kids and the adults can relax and be kids too! The spa and gym are world-class, the restaurants are amazing and the skinny margaritas are divine!
Q: We love your everyday style — and your red carpet look too. Cool, effortless, unfussy, but very chic and feminine. What is your beach-style?
I am all about that casual, sexy look for the beach, cut-offs with my swimsuit, a tee and a floppy hat.
Q: Your approach seems to focus on personal responsibility, reminding others how important it is to make the time and commit to your own self. We love this, as so often women forget to take care of their own needs. Any words of wisdom on this?
Women tend to give 100% to kids, marriage, work and about everything else - except ourselves. After a while, a little “what about me?” builds up inside because we don’t make time for ourselves. I always felt like it was selfish for me want a break. Guess what I learned? Go take that hour or a weekend to get away. Your kids and husband will thank you. Recharge your battery. You will come back a much better wife, mother and co-worker if you do!
Q: If you were to frame a favorite quotation and hang it in Plate Therapy’s kitchen, what would it say?
“Take care of your body, it’s the only place you have to live.” Jim Rohn
You are a living example of how we can be healthy, strong, and glowing. Thank you for taking the time to talk with us. We encourage all of our readers to visit Plate Therapy, to get inspired and be healthy!