Non-diet nutrition

Rachael DeVaux of Rachael's Good Eats on living a healthy and happy life

Claire's sitting down with Rachael DeVaux of Rachael's Good Eats

Rachael DeVaux stands in kitchen smiling while holding a bowl of fresh berries.

You don't have to have it be picture perfect all the time. It doesn't need to be 57,000 specialty ingredients. It really does come down to the basics.

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Claire Siegel: You're listening to the Flourish podcast. I'm your host, Claire Siegel, founder of Flourish. We're on a mission to help women get healthy for good. Join me each week for a new episode that'll help you sustain healthy habits and nourish your body so you can Flourish in life.

When it comes to nutrition, does it feel like you know what to do, you're just not doing it? Or maybe you find yourself stuck in this annoying all or nothing cycle. If it sounds like I'm reading your diary, well, that was my diary for a while too. And it's also the story of the thousands of women I've personally coached.

That's why I created Flourish, the nutrition and body image support app made for women. If you recognize that diets don't work, but "just not dieting" isn't helping you feel your best either, download Flourish today. Your first live session with one of our credentialed nutrition and psychology experts is totally free, no credit card required.

From there, you'll continue your journey with personalized accountability and support so that once you graduate from Flourish, you'll never need another nutrition program again. So head to the show notes and download Flourish for iOS or Android today.

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We are in the process of adding transcripts to our entire back catalogue. New episode transcripts are typically available within 24 hours of the episode release.

Claire Siegel: Welcome back to the Flourish Podcast everyone. I am so delighted to be joined by a very special guest. This is the second cookbook author that we've had, um, on the podcast, but Rachael is, is so much more than than that. Um, so Rachael DeVaux uh, welcome to the podcast. You may know her as Rachel's Good Eats.

Claire Siegel: It's so great to have you. 

Rachael DeVaux: Thanks for having me. I'm so excited. 

Claire Siegel: So, okay, Rachael, I've been following you for a very long time. Your Twix recipe like got my sister and my husband and I through the pandemic. We made them so very many times. So I just have to first thank you for that contribution to my life.

Rachael DeVaux: You're so welcome. That is, Well for sure it's definitely in my cookbook. I had to, include it because it is everyone's favorite. It's a fan favorite, um, of all my recipes, so I love that you guys had it during the pandemic. 

Claire Siegel: And many times since then. But yeah, that was my first, my first introduction and now every time we get together as a family, everyone requests that my sister makes those Twix cuz they're kind of like her.

Rachael DeVaux: Oh, I love that. 

Claire Siegel: Yeah. Her specialty. So, um, you are, A lot of things. You are like the definition of a multihyphenate. I wrote it all down. You are a dietitian, a certified personal trainer, co-founder of Recreation Sweat, which is a fitness, clothing accessory and, and workout plan, uh, brand. You're the co-founder of Toast Society Cafe, and now of course cookbook author.

Claire Siegel: You have a new cookbook coming out. Uh, Rachael's Good Eats on April 18th. I don't know if you are aware of that, but that is happening coming up here soon. So my first question for you is, are you tired? 

Rachael DeVaux: Oh my gosh. Um, yeah, you could say that I've been tired for the last, what, five to seven years? Yeah. Yeah. No. Um, there's a lot going on.

Rachael DeVaux: I love juggling all the things. I think having every day be so different is what makes it fun and enjoyable, and I'm just so grateful to do the things and projects that I'm doing and I feel like, starting as a senior in college, um, studying nutrition, that's when I really made my Instagram account with no plans of it going anywhere.

Rachael DeVaux: It was mostly just for my friends and family. So the fact that I've been giving, given so many opportunities along the way has been so rewarding and so fun. 

Claire Siegel: Yeah. And well, and not just given, but, uh, certainly earned and, and deserved, so. 

Rachael DeVaux: Oh, that's nice. 

Claire Siegel: Um, I'm curious, what did you wanna be like when you grew up grow up as a kid? What did you wanna be when you grew up? 

Rachael DeVaux: I loved sports, so I think always something that included sports. At one time, probably in middle school, I wanted to be all the things, which I think that's where my entrepreneurial spirit came from. Yeah, I wanted to be a nutritionist, um, massage therapist, uh, personal trainer.

Rachael DeVaux: There was like three more things, but I was, there was no doubt in my mind that I was like, yeah, I'm gonna be all, all the things. 

Claire Siegel: That's amazing. 

Rachael DeVaux: Um, so yeah, I think blending nutrition and fitness is just the perfect lane for me, cuz they're just so connected. Totally. Did 

Claire Siegel: you have, did you, do you come from a family of people who are kind of like wellness oriented or was that something that you pursued kind of personally?

Claire Siegel: How did, how did that come about? 

Rachael DeVaux: My family is not, I mean, I didn't grow up eating healthy. It was never really about nutrition as the focus. Yeah. Um, I think just always being athletic and wanting to play sports is where it came from. And then once I hit, I think high school was when the light bulb kind of went off and was like, okay, like food really does play a factor in how I feel.

Rachael DeVaux: And how to properly recover and set me up for success with training. So that's when the nutrition started to play a huge factor. And that's when I decided I wanted to study nutrition in college. 

Claire Siegel: Okay, cool. So did. It sounds, okay. So you were an athlete growing up. What sport did you play for sports?

Rachael DeVaux: Soccer and basketball. Then volleyball in like a high school class.

Claire Siegel: okay, so you're also a multihyphenate athlete. That's amazing. Um, okay, so it sounds like you were doing that sort of like recreationally and in school and that is what inspired you to go into, to nutrition.

Claire Siegel: Like I said, you're a registered dietitian. Did the, the C P T, the certified personal training come after that? 

Rachael DeVaux: It did and I wanted it to become a minor in college, but I think it would've ended up keeping me in college for like another year if I wanted to finish all of those classes. So I, I finished half of what I needed to take and that honestly set me up really well for becoming a personal trainer, cuz it gave me the foundation knowledge I needed in, um, sports science.

Rachael DeVaux: So that came, I became a registered dietitian 2016, I believe was after my dietetic internship. And then I think a year after that I became certified personal trainer. 

Claire Siegel: And then how did these other businesses like, walk me through like your, your trajectory. I'm so curious how you start racking up all these different, um, these different entities.

Rachael DeVaux: So Toast Society Cafe came next and it basically came about. My sister and her best friend traveled a ton years ago and they loved Bali and they, Bali has a huge, um, wellness focus, nutrition, cafes, like just the most beautiful food aesthetic. And so they got the idea for like a Toast Cafe. She had also just moved to Las Vegas, um, I think five years before that and Las Vegas did not have nearly as many health options as, you know, other big cities do. So they wanted to bring a healthy, um, healthy focused toast cafe. And I essentially came on as the dietitian I helped create the menu, um, focused on ingredients as fuel, um, anything that can benefit our bodies. So that was basically how Toast Society came about.

Rachael DeVaux: We opened in 2018 and then we also just opened our second location also in Las Vegas in Henderson last July. And so that's been fun. I obviously live in Seattle, so I try to come out and visit every other month, every few months, as often as I can. Um, but now that my sister just had a baby, my niece, I'm gonna definitely be here a lot more.

Rachael DeVaux: So that's how Toast Society came about. And then in the pandemic is when Recreation Sweat was born. Um, basically I saw the need that we needed to, we needed to empower women to just move their bodies and be comfortable in their bodies and be excited about working out and moving their bodies every day.

Rachael DeVaux: And I also noticed that resistance bands on the market was never, they were never good looking. Yeah. Um, aesthetic, obviously like the bright green, yellow, and blue bands was just, I dunno, I, I knew there could be a better way. So I designed and picked out much more aesthetically pleasing colors and we launched recreation sweat, me and my husband Bridger in, I believe it was March of 2021. And so we kind of piggybacked off of my community, community that I had already built my good sweat, good sweat, family, and yeah, it's been so much fun getting to create fitness, accessories and equipment that people can honestly use wherever and whenever.

Rachael DeVaux: I strive to create convenience in all the content I promote, so, or come out with, uh, recipes to workouts. Um, I just wanna make it really easy for people and not have it be a chore. I want it to be fun in their eyes. So I think just, again, empowering women to just make movement a part of their everyday life has been the goal for Recreation Sweat, and we've seen so much growth over the past um, year and a half of having it, and it's been so much fun.

Rachael DeVaux: We actually just launched activewear in February of this year, so that's been really fun. We have more collections coming this year too. 

Claire Siegel: Oh my gosh. That is, it's so cool. I mean, you are really hitting like every component of nutrition and fitness and and wellness. And so it's, it's so cool. And, um, if, if audience listeners here, you have not checked out Rachel's Good Eats on Instagram, you'll see, you know, she links out to all of these and also has an amazing workout series kind of ongoingly on your Instagram page.

Claire Siegel: Super to your point, like super accessible, convenient home workouts that you sometimes do just literally in your living room. And so, you really, yeah. Walk the talk. 

Rachael DeVaux: And I mean, once the pandemic quarantine started, I had never worked out from home. 

Claire Siegel: Oh, really? 

Rachael DeVaux: Before that. Yeah. So that was, it was new to me.

Rachael DeVaux: Yeah. And I just felt this responsibility that I needed a, I needed to get some workouts out there for people to do in their kitchen like we had done, we lived in a townhouse at the time, and it was me and Bridger just literally fitting perfectly around our kitchen island and doing two live workouts a week on my Instagram page, and that people loved it and it was fun.

Rachael DeVaux: We were all in it together and we got a workout and hang out with each other two times a week, and I kept that going for more than a year, and it was so much fun. And honestly that just made the quarantine experience so much better cuz we could just lean on each other and motivate each other and it held me accountable more than anything.

Claire Siegel: Totally. 

Rachael DeVaux: So I think that was the biggest part. 

Claire Siegel: Yeah. Well that's such an interesting point that you bring up is, is accountability. And I'd love to dig more into kind of like some of your routines and things like that around fitness and wellness and, and food of course. And we'll talk about the book, but. I am actually curious.

Claire Siegel: Tell me a little bit more about, about accountability and I'll, I'll offer this context. Um, so I certainly find that for a lot of Flourish members and Flourish podcast listeners, having some sort of external accountability is so helpful. And yet we often, um, you know, maybe feel like we need to like white knuckle our way to experiencing internal accountability. 

Claire Siegel: And people may look at someone like you and think that you are sort of just intrinsically motivated all the time to do all the things. So I'd love to hear more about like, I don't know, just maybe dig a little deeper into the role that having that external accountability, um, has, has played for you and, and how do you stay motivated if you do, um, to cook healthy food and, and, you know, exercise and, and all the things that you, you display.

Rachael DeVaux: We all have our seasons. I am not motivated every day. I go through you know, certain times where there's like a week where I don't have any motivation. But I think, like you said, external accountability is one of the biggest things that can help you be successful. Like if you make a point or an appointment every week, maybe there's two times where you purchase your Pilates class ahead of time, so that holds you accountable to get there.

Rachael DeVaux: And just by making that a habit each day, Those small habits are gonna build up, and that's gonna essentially help you out when you don't have the motivation every day because you won't. And I think a lot of people may look at these, you know, fitness influencers on Instagram. They're pumping out content every day.

Rachael DeVaux: They're not motivated every day, but it's the routine that they've put in place that is what's helping them when they don't have the motivation. So obviously I just want people to know. It's not gonna be there every day, but by you making that promise to yourself, that's just gonna build your confidence even more because it's gonna have you, you know, trust your promises, you're gonna be there for yourself.

Rachael DeVaux: And maybe on those days you don't have motivation. You text a friend like, Hey, do you wanna go to the gym together or plan it at the beginning of the week and say, "Come to the gym with me on Tuesday and Thursday this week, like, let's go take a class together." I think that is so helpful and honestly, so much fun doing it with someone, whether it's your friend, uh, your boyfriend, your girlfriend, someone in your family, just even going on a walk, like any kind of movement is gonna make you feel better and it's gonna make that day even better.

Claire Siegel: Totally. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, like I said, the external accountability thing is such a huge lever to pull and, and, and, and there's so many different forms and, and ways of doing it. And a question I often get is like, how do I get more motivated? How do I stay more motivated? And. I often think that that's the wrong question.

Claire Siegel: The question is, how do I still en it's, it's a two-parter. I think it's how do I still engage in health promoting behaviors even when I don't feel motivated? Like, to your point, yeah, let's totally remove the expectation that we're all just motivated all the time. And, and I love getting that affirmation from you that you know that, that you're not, you don't feel that all the time either.

Claire Siegel: So that, how do I do it even when I'm not motivated? And then the second part of that is how do I not beat myself up when I don't do it as well. And right, and just treating yourself with that compassion kind of regardless for, for how you're showing up or, or not one day. 

Rachael DeVaux: I love that way of looking at it. I think even in terms of food, it's like if someone has one bad meal, sometimes they're thinking like, oh, the rest of the day is screwed.

Rachael DeVaux: Like, I'm just gonna eat whatever I want. It's like, no, like every choice you make, you can choose the better option and you're gonna feel better for it. And obviously don't beat yourself up if you can't make a workout or maybe you don't eat the healthiest meal, but the next choice you get, like make, make that the better option, you know?

Claire Siegel: Totally.

Rachael DeVaux: And so I think that's one of my tips is choosing the better option. Um, I'm also not motivated to cook every night, so maybe that means it's not always gonna be like the healthiest option, but if I can sort of build my plate, if I'm gonna eat at home, In a healthier way, like choosing just a few healthier options, then I'm not gonna feel, you know, like this meal's a total waste.

Rachael DeVaux: You can still choose, you know, one better option. 

Claire Siegel: Totally. Yeah. I've, I've often heard the analogy, maybe you have two. It's like if you had one flat tire, you wouldn't go around and slash the other three. And yet we do that to ourselves with health and fitness all the time. 

Rachael DeVaux: Mm-hmm. We do. 

Claire Siegel: Yeah. Okay. So I'm super curious.

Claire Siegel: You touched on this, um, a little bit, but I'd love to hear about how you would describe, let me actually back up. I, based on what I've seen on Instagram, um, which, you know, of course is not always the, the full picture, but I think you appear to have like such a beautiful relationship with food, where you've really struck a balance between eating in a way that obviously it fuels your, your exercise, it fuels your brain for all this like, amazing work that you're doing.

Claire Siegel: Um, it's, it's nutritious and, and bountiful and beautiful. And it also doesn't appear that you are sacrificing what tastes good or sacrificing the food that you enjoy and, and you're not sacrificing vacations and you know, all the things. So I would love to know how you define your relationship with food today and and has it always been that way or has it kind of evolved over time?

Rachael DeVaux: It's definitely evolved. I think everyone goes through their own health journey in terms of food and in terms of fitness. There was, I feel like a time where I was just obsessed with food and I think it was just on my mind all day long. Like I'm always thinking about what snack I'm gonna have next. Uh, you know what I'm gonna have for lunch, what I'm gonna have for dinner.

Rachael DeVaux: It was just always, it consumed me. Yeah. And so I think in terms of that, it probably wasn't the healthiest relationship just cuz I was always just obsessed with it. And I think just over time, I don't know if it's just, you know, being more balanced with health and fitness, but just also being more busy where I don't have time to think about food all day long.

Claire Siegel: Yeah.

Rachael DeVaux: It's definitely gotten a lot better where it's not. Obviously the only thing on my mind are like the top four things on my mind. Um, I do like to set myself up for success. I'm not one to meal prep every week, but if I can just think about just a few recipes that I'm going to make, that helps me a lot.

Rachael DeVaux: So I think figuring out, um, how you work. Is gonna help set you up for success. So maybe that is spending two to three hours on Sunday, like meal prepping your proteins, you know, your sides roasted veggies, just so that you can throw it all into a bowl when you're ready to go and ready to eat it. So I think having certain ingredients in the fridge and in your pantry is gonna be beneficial.

Rachael DeVaux: Like for me, it's going to the grocery store and getting ingredients that I can make three recipes with for dinner that week. And then it's also making a little bit extra for dinner so that I can have it the next day for lunch, just so I don't have to think about it. Just cuz I am busy throughout the day.

Rachael DeVaux: Maybe I have, you know, 10, 15 minutes for lunch, I'm just gonna go to the bridge and get leftovers, that's personally how I work. Um, but yeah, I think just figuring out kind of how you're wired. And it shouldn't consume you. Um, it should supplement your life. And, um, working out has never been something that um, I want people to think as a chore. Like I've said before, I want it to be fun for people. I want it to be enjoyable. So finding the right type of exercise for you is a huge factor in living a healthier lifestyle. Like cardio, running is not my thing. I'm not a runner. I tried to make it my thing. I hated it.

Rachael DeVaux: Um, it wasn't something I enjoyed. I feel like there's so many factors that need to be going absolutely perfect for me to go on a run, and that's fine. Like, I'm not gonna be running on the treadmill at the gym every day. That's just not me. But some people love it and that's great. So I think me, I love weight training. I love more circuit training, so that's where you'll find me. Um, maybe that's just experimenting and trying new things, even with recipes. 

Rachael DeVaux: So one of my biggest tips for starting to cook more at home or just being more familiar in the kitchen is having people make one new recipe a week. I think that's not overwhelming for people. Yeah, if you can just pick one and I think it makes it fun. Like you can do it with your friend, with your partner. Like, Hey, let's do a date night. Let's make a new recipe. You can just make it like your Monday routine, and I think that helps people branch out a lot more. And just being more experimental in the kitchen, which in turn helps you think about the ingredients you're consuming.

Rachael DeVaux: And that's one of my big goals as well, is just pay attention to the foods you're eating. Try not to be mindlessly snacking or you know, going out and getting fast food and not knowing what you're consuming. 

Claire Siegel: Yeah. 

Rachael DeVaux: Um, so that's one of my big things. 

Claire Siegel: Yeah. Oh, that's so true. And I love how you framed it like, I don't know.

Claire Siegel: I, I, I love the, the idea of setting a goal to make one new recipe a week, cuz it is something that you can look forward to. It's mm-hmm. It's attainable, right? It's not like, okay, I'm gonna meal prep every single meal, every single day this week I'm gonna make sure that every meal has this many grams of protein and this many, like, that's when it starts to become a chore and overwhelming.

Rachael DeVaux: Yeah. 

Claire Siegel: And just not realistic for most people. But if you can bring some joy and some fun. To this, you're so much more likely to, to stick with it because you actually enjoy it and because it, it serves your, your life overall.

Rachael DeVaux: A hundred percent. And just making like those small habits that over time is gonna be so much more sustainable than overtaking your entire lifestyle and making yourself a health and fitness, wellness, girly, you know, like 

Claire Siegel: Totally.

Rachael DeVaux: You can do it small ways. Just pick a few new things that you wanna try. Try drinking 70 to a hundred ounces of water every day. Once you've accomplished that for a week or two, add on another thing. Maybe that's when you're gonna add the, okay, I'm gonna make one new recipe week.

Rachael DeVaux: And so then you complete that. You're successful with both those things and then you add on something else. 

Claire Siegel: Oh, I love that. We're actually working on something new in the, in the Flourish app. Where you attain new goals and we have these like cute little badges and stuff like that. So I, I'll have to send you a screenshot of it cuz it's totally aligned.

Rachael DeVaux: Oh my gosh I wanna see it. 

Claire Siegel: With what you mentioned. I'll, we'll do, we'll do it offline. Um, that's, that's really awesome. Okay. I, I'm really curious, we'll, we'll get into the, the book next, but I do have one kind of RapidFire question for you related to nutrition also a two-parter. Okay. What do you think is overrated when it comes to nutrition and what do you think is underrated when it comes to nutrition?

Rachael DeVaux: That's a good question. What's underrated I would say is protein consumption. I think most women aren't getting enough protein throughout the day. I don't count macros or count calories, but I think portion sizes are very helpful. Um, And if you're gonna count anything, even just for two days. 

Claire Siegel: Yeah. 

Rachael DeVaux: Try to count your protein.

Rachael DeVaux: Just see how much you're getting. Um, I. Probably guarantee you're not getting what your body needs to, you know, sustain muscle, to build lean muscle mass. There's so much that goes on in the body that you need muscle for and amino acids for. And so I think getting 20 to 30 grams of protein in your main meals is super helpful.

Rachael DeVaux: And then also including a protein source like, you know, dry roasted nuts in your snacks or nut butter. Um, you know, you could do hummus and veggies just for snacks. Just make sure you're getting some kind of protein in those snacks. 

Rachael DeVaux: What's overrated? I think all the crazy supplements. I don't think it's, you know, I think people just go into it like, I'm gonna take this, this, and this, but I think you should just evaluate how you feel. Maybe you're not getting good sleep, so let's try to fix that issue. 

Claire Siegel: Yes. 

Rachael DeVaux: And not just take all the things with no really rhyme or reason why you're doing it. 

Claire Siegel: Totally. It really does. I think for so many of us, We start working on like the very tippy top of our pyramid before we have the base of our pyramid, right?

Claire Siegel: The, the sleep, the movement, the nutrition. Having, uh, enough of all three macronutrients is so essential. And that is, I mean, that is one of the, the things that our members almost across the board i, I recommend is like, are you getting enough protein? I could not like plus one that more, um, Because it, it really does, especially morning protein.

Claire Siegel: I find that a lot of women are undereating in general in the early part of the day. And they're definitely undereating protein and, and fat in the early part of the day, and it just sets them up to have just kind of be on like a blood sugar rollercoaster for the rest of the day and it's . Yeah.

Claire Siegel: I could not, I totally agree. Totally agree with you. 

Rachael DeVaux: Because then you have cravings. Mm-hmm. And you're just, then you're mindlessly snacking, right. And so then you're just grabbing anything in front of you. Yeah. So if you could be more satiated throughout the day and not be to the point where you're starving.

Rachael DeVaux: Exactly. Set yourself up for success. Consume protein and healthy fats, like you said, and that's gonna help you out. 

Claire Siegel: Yeah. I love it. Okay, let's talk about the book. Rachael's Good Eats. Here we are. It's so beautiful. Y'all. Um, I think I said this when I, when I spoke with with Alex, when her, her second book came out, but I think very similarly, which makes sense that I would have you both on the podcast.

Claire Siegel: This is like nourishing healthy food that you actually want to eat, which is an important piece of the puzzle here. So thank you for this contribution to all of our kitchens and all of our, our wellness routines. So, um, Rachael's Good Eats is the, the cookbook. It comes out on April 18th. Um, what are you excited about when it comes to, to the cookbook?

Rachael DeVaux: I'm excited to cook my way through it with everyone. 

Claire Siegel: That's awesome. Yes!

Rachael DeVaux: There, I mean, we've been, I've been doing that on my Instagram for years now, but I think now having something physically in people's hands and in my hands is so much easier to follow. I love a good physical book, so I think it's just such a game changer.

Rachael DeVaux: There's 75 brand new recipes that I have not posted about. 110 total. 

Claire Siegel: Wow. 

Rachael DeVaux: It's all gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free. In the introduction, I included, Basically my nutrition philosophy. And cooking the rge way. So there's a bunch of tips and tricks. Um, I love eating for fuel. How is this ingredient going to benefit my body?

Rachael DeVaux: That's how I look at food. Um, leaning into cooking, limiting added sugars, which is a huge part of my brand and what I like to share um, my tips for. All my kitchen staples and must-haves. I mean, like you said, it's food that you are going to love. Taste is king. So obviously that was the number one. 

Claire Siegel: Yeah. 

Rachael DeVaux: Um, to have the recipes taste really good and you're not gonna miss dairy or gluten by making these recipes.

Rachael DeVaux: I can guarantee that. So I'm excited. 

Claire Siegel: I love it. Yes. I, something I noticed flipping through it was like the, the kind of intro section before you get into all the, the recipes, which are amazing is this food philosophy. And also I noticed the nutrition crash course, which I thought was amazing and I'm curious. It's not something that I've seen maybe in any cookbook before.

Claire Siegel: So what made you wanna include that section in particular? It makes, I mean, it makes total sense. You're a dietitian, like you have this information to share. What made you wanna include it? 

Rachael DeVaux: Again, just convenience and making things as accessible for people. If you have my book with all my recipes in it. I want you to know where that's coming from and kind of the foundation of why I created these recipes and kind of how I just, I just want it to be easy for people to understand, very digestible material, pun intended, and just, your starter guide for success. Just easy, quick tips that you can incorporate into your everyday lives that's gonna make you happier and more excited to cook in your kitchen. Totally. 

Claire Siegel: I also love that, I think the The nutrition section. The nutrition crash course, it's literally like one, maybe two. It's two pages, you know?

Rachael DeVaux: Mm-hmm. 

Claire Siegel: It's not overly complex, which. How food is, it's how nutrition is, right? Like nutrition is actually quite simple. Like you don't need to be dietitians like the two of us are, to know the basics and to have that really strong foundation. I always say this like it's simple, but that doesn't mean it's easy.

Claire Siegel: And I think the book, though, obviously it, it's sort of exemplifies the sim, the, the simplicity of these nutrition principles. But I also think the recipes are actually pretty easy. So you're really accomplishing both, which I think is, is amazing. 

Rachael DeVaux: Well, that's so nice. Um, but it has always been the goal.

Rachael DeVaux: Um, since I first started making my Instagram account, I was posting two to four times a day. I did not miss one day. 

Claire Siegel: Oh my God. 

Rachael DeVaux: For more than a year and a half. 

Claire Siegel: Wow. 

Rachael DeVaux: Don't know how I had time for it, but it was obviously back in the time where I didn't have a bar for what it looked like. You know, I didn't care so I just posted it.

Rachael DeVaux: Um, and then I always put the ingredients and the entire recipe in the caption so that people could just make it straight from Instagram. You don't have to click my link to go to my blog to get the recipe. Convenience is just, has always been the forefront of my brand. And same with what you were saying about nutrition being simple.

Rachael DeVaux: I think online so many people just make it so scientific and confusing, which yes, you know, a lot of it is. But even I find myself, my eyes glazing over a lot of the times when I'm like watching these videos or reading and it's just like, I can't even imagine what people who haven't taken all the nutrition courses that we have are thinking, you know?

Claire Siegel: Totally. 

Rachael DeVaux: So it's, it's, I've always wanted it to be super simple, um, very easy to understand and easy to incorporate into people's. 

Claire Siegel: A hundred percent. I, I saw, um, I think it was a, an Instagram reel maybe the other day that was a woman bless her. She, you know, went into Costco. She's like, "I'm trying to make healthy food for me and my family and I had a near anxiety attack in front of a rotisserie chicken because I just felt so overwhelmed by all the conflicting information about nutrition." So having tools like this and, and not only the tool of the recipes, but also again the, the other information that you provide in here about just like reassurance around the fact that like, you can feed your body, you can cook at home.

Claire Siegel: You don't have to have it be picture perfect all the time. It doesn't need to be 57,000 specialty ingredients. It really does come down to the basics. Um, it's just so, so helpful and so needed. 

Rachael DeVaux: I think people just need to know it's not all or nothing. 

Claire Siegel: Yeah. 

Rachael DeVaux: Living healthy lifestyle is not all or nothing.

Rachael DeVaux: Just do the simple things. 

Claire Siegel: Yeah. 

Rachael DeVaux: And you're gonna be so much happier and you're gonna learn like it's going to get easier. You're gonna find more shortcuts in the kitchen too by just learning how to cook more. And I think by making that one new recipe a week is gonna expand your cooking knowledge even more.

Rachael DeVaux: And it's gonna get more fun. I think a lot of people go into it like super overwhelmed and it's just something they don't know. 

Claire Siegel: Yeah. 

Rachael DeVaux: But the more you do something, the easier it's gonna get. 

Claire Siegel: Totally. I'm curious to that end around kind of like shortcuts and hacks, is there anything that you find yourself kind of doing, probably like intuitively at this point that helps you be efficient in the kitchen?

Claire Siegel: Um, whether it's like a gadget or a, a certain routine for your dishes or any, anything that you can think of?

Rachael DeVaux: Hmm. That's a hard, I feel like what I said earlier about having two things prepped in the fridge. Even if it's just like a bunch of cut onion, you know? That's gonna make your dish more flavorful and you can do it ahead of time and it lasts, you know, five to seven days in the fridge. Um, also making extras for dinner so that you can have, I'm a leftover girly and I know that a lot of people might differ on that, but it makes it so much easier the following day to just have it for lunch or maybe again for dinner. Um, I think easy. What are, do you have any good ones? 

Claire Siegel: Um, you know, I wrote something, I'll have to dig it back up and maybe share it in the show notes or something. But I, I wrote this article that was like dish efficiency 1 0 1 because I do feel like I have mastered like, How to orchestrate in the kitchen so that you have the minimum number of dishes.

Claire Siegel: Like one thing I do is like, I have a spice Bowl, so I have like a big metal bowl from, I think it's from Ikea. And if I'm doing like batches of roasted vegetables, I toss them in the bowl one on, you know, one at a time. So sweet potatoes, olive oil, salt pepper, paprika. You know, put it on the sheet pan, Brussels sprouts in the spice Bowl, and then it's, that's, that's super easy.

Claire Siegel: I will also, on the point around leftovers, I'm also a leftovers girly. As a kid, I used to complain about leftovers whenever my poor, working busy mom of three, you know, wouldn't cook us a fresh dinner. I would wine and complain. 

Rachael DeVaux: Now you thrive off of 'em.

Claire Siegel: Thrive. Um, but reheating them in the air fryer.

Rachael DeVaux: I still haven't got an air fryer. 

Claire Siegel: Oh, you have to. 

Rachael DeVaux: I know.

Claire Siegel: You should. They're the best. 

Rachael DeVaux: I'm just like, it's another small appliance. 

Claire Siegel: I know. 

Rachael DeVaux: Where am I gonna store it? I have so many, but is it really that important? Do I need it? 

Claire Siegel: Yes. I believe you do. Yeah. Um, I felt the exact same way. I was like, this is kind of a gimmick.

Claire Siegel: So I put it on our wedding registry cuz I was like, okay, if we get it, we get it, we'll kind of leave it up to chance. So I got it in, I guess that was 2020. Okay. Mul use it multiple times a week. 

Rachael DeVaux: Okay. And I saw those new, cause I watched the Instagram reels or TikTok or whatever with the um, little parchment paper inserts.

Claire Siegel: Yes. Yes. 

Rachael DeVaux: To make it so it's so much easier to clean. 

Claire Siegel: Yes. Yes. 

Rachael DeVaux: So now I have all these tricks now that I've seen. So maybe I'll, maybe I'll do it. 

Claire Siegel: You should do it. You, you have to do it. Um, yeah. And the parchment paper is, is also really clutch, so Okay. That, that, that gives y'all good like 3, 4, 5 tips for, for the kitchen.

Rachael DeVaux: Well, and, and trying to clean while you cook. I know this is not for like the extreme beginner. Because they're just focused on timing. Their thought processes elsewhere. But if you can start cleaning one thing at a time while something else is cooking, it's gonna be less overwhelming post-meal cleanup.

Claire Siegel: Totally. Did you do, I mean obviously you tested the, the recipes. I imagine you tested the recipes in your house, right? Yes. Okay, amazing. And then the, the actual, like the beautiful, you have the most beautiful food photography was these, was this all shot in your house? 

Rachael DeVaux: Um, the human photos are shot in my house.

Claire Siegel: Okay. Okay. 

Rachael DeVaux: There's just a handful of those, but everything else, we went to Petaluma in Sonoma, California to shoot, cuz it's my, that's where my photographer's studio was. 

Claire Siegel: Cool. 

Rachael DeVaux: So I hired a whole team. For all of this. I mean, it's crazy. You probably heard from Alex, but so much goes into it behind the scenes.

Claire Siegel: Yeah. 

Rachael DeVaux: There's a food stylist who actually cooks all of the recipes and styles it perfectly. There's a prop stylist. Every single plate, napkin cup backdrop you see in this. Someone styled that. Wow. There is a photographer. There's a photographer's assistant who does the lighting. So I was there and I approved everything and, you know, threw my ideas in, um, every now and then, but they're obviously the experts on making it look the most phenomenal.

Claire Siegel: And it does look phenomenal I just turned the page to the paleo almond butter fudge on this like Tiffany Blue background. It looks so good. 

Rachael DeVaux: I mean, they killed it with these photos. I'm so excited. 

Claire Siegel: And I'm so happy you included a dessert section because I really do feel like you are the queen of desserts. 

Rachael DeVaux: It's the biggest chapter in the book, so, 

Claire Siegel: Really was that intentional?

Rachael DeVaux: Yes. I just feel like I love making sweet treats. 

Claire Siegel: Yeah. 

Rachael DeVaux: And so that is maybe the backbone of my brand, let's just be honest. And so yes, it was intentional. I love desserts. I love sweet treats. Um, indulging in them. So yeah, there's quite a few. 

Claire Siegel: I love that. Okay. If someone, I'm gonna ask you a hard-hitting question.

Claire Siegel: If someone could only cook one recipe from the book, what would you suggest? 

Rachael DeVaux: Sweet or savory. 

Claire Siegel: Okay. Let's do one of each. So two recipes. 

Rachael DeVaux: Okay. 

Claire Siegel: Cheater. 

Rachael DeVaux: Um, okay. I would, I would probably do the paleo almond butter fudge. I know you just showed it. Yeah. But that one, it's really easy and it's really good. Um, one of the other more savory recipes. I probably do my juicy Turkey burgers. I've been been making these for years. My mom, I feel like, always had a variation of this as we grew up, and so I kind of took the recipe and it is the best one. It is so good. You can make a lot for the week. You can reheat it. I honestly like eating it cold the next day.

Claire Siegel: Mm-hmm. 

Rachael DeVaux: On top of a salad. 

Claire Siegel: Oh yeah. That sounds good. 

Rachael DeVaux: Um, but it's so good. Protein packed, flavor packed. I would recommend the turkey burgers. 

Claire Siegel: Okay. So we're doing burgers for dinner and then almond fudge. Fudge for 

Rachael DeVaux: Yes. Yeah. 

Claire Siegel: Fudge for fudge for dessert. That sounds, that sounds amazing to me. Um, okay. My last question for you.

Claire Siegel: Like, we kind of started from the, the top here. You've made this like really massive and also dynamic contribution to this, the space. Nutrition, health, fitness, like wellness. Overall, what, what do you want people to take away from, from it? From, from Rachael's Good Eats and, and your contribution. 

Rachael DeVaux: That's so nice.

Rachael DeVaux: Um, I want my page to be the place where people feel comfortable, um, to start making the change to living a healthier lifestyle. They can take one tip from my page, they can take a few, but I just wanna keep promoting, living a healthy and happy lifestyle. Um, incorporating movement into their everyday routine, more focusing on ingredients that they're consuming.

Rachael DeVaux: So I think just an all around. We're not all the way balanced, but a more balanced approach to living a healthier and happier lifestyle. 

Claire Siegel: Totally. And like I said, you, you absolutely walk the talk, so if y'all don't follow Rachael already, which I, I just would be shocked, but if you don't follow Rachael already, you have to, the cookbook comes out on April 18th, so where can everyone get the book?

Rachael DeVaux: Basically most places that, um, book sell Barnes and Noble, Target, William Sonoma. 

Claire Siegel: Oh, cool. 

Rachael DeVaux: Amazon. Yeah. Um, I am going on a book tour also starting April 18th, hitting nine cities. 

Claire Siegel: Wow. 

Rachael DeVaux: Um, you can find everything on my website, rachaelsGoodEats.com. But New York, Boston, Dallas, Austin. 

Claire Siegel: I'll see you there. I'll be there.

Rachael DeVaux: Okay. I'll see you there. Um, San Diego, Orange County, San Francisco. Chicago and Seattle. 

Claire Siegel: Wow. Okay. So that's like your whole month of April, is it? 

Rachael DeVaux: I will be, yeah. I'll be gone April 15th coming back May 3rd. 

Claire Siegel: And do people have to get tickets beforehand? 

Rachael DeVaux: Yes. 

Claire Siegel: Okay. 

Rachael DeVaux: They do. 

Claire Siegel: Okay. 

Rachael DeVaux: So yeah, just head to my website.

Rachael DeVaux: Um, I hope to see you guys soon. 

Claire Siegel: Awesome. Well, thank you so much Rachael for, for being here so everyone can follow you at Rachael's Good Eats on Instagram. Are you on TikTok? Anything else?

Rachael DeVaux: I tried. Yeah, I'm not.

Claire Siegel: It's okay. 

Rachael DeVaux: It's like a, I took a two week, um, I tried for two weeks and then it just kind of ended.

Claire Siegel: Yeah, you've got a lot going on. Some might say. Um, okay. So they can find you. Rachael's Good Eats Instagram and Rachel's good eats.com. Anywhere else? 

Rachael DeVaux: Um, I have a few YouTube videos. Okay. Rachael's, Rachael DeVaux on YouTube.

Claire Siegel: Amazing. Well, thank you so much for, for coming to the Flourish podcast and it was so great to meet you.

Rachael DeVaux: So good to meet you. Thanks so much for having me. I'll see you in Austin. 

Claire Siegel: Yeah. 

Rachael DeVaux: Okay. Can't wait.



Claire Siegel:

Thank you so much for joining me for today's episode of the Flourish podcast. If you enjoyed it, please take a second to leave us a five-star review or better yet, share it with a friend. And if you're ready to start your own journey to get healthy for good with accountability from expert coaches and the support of an incredible community, head to the show notes to get started on your Flourish journey.

I'll see you in the next episode.

Featuring
Headshot of Claire Siegel
Claire Siegel
RDN, LD
Co-founder, CEO
Claire Siegel is the founder and CEO of Flourish. Claire has made it her life’s mission to help women create a sustainable approach to their physical and mental well-being.
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