Taste & Thrive

11/15/2025

✨ Last call! I have 2 more 1:1 client spots available before 2026 ✨

I'm limiting my 1:1 spots in 2026, so this might be the last call for a bit.

If you want this holiday season to feel different -- lighter, calmer, more joyful, and way less guilt-and-shame filled -- this is your chance.

Together we’ll work on:
🌟 Nourishing routines that feel natural
🌟 Stress + emotion-informed eating
🌟 Building trust with your body
🌟 Creating a holiday plan that supports you (not pressures you)
🌟 Releasing the “all or nothing” cycle

Imagine stepping into the holidays with clarity instead of worry, ease instead of overwhel, and confidence instead of second-guessing. That’s what this work does.

If you’ve been waiting for a sign to start—this is it. 💚

Let’s make this your most grounded, supported season yet. 🥧

DM me or book a complimentary call: https://calendly.com/tasteandthrive/discovery-call-with-melanya

11/01/2025

In this season of peak fall colors, watching the final drop I was inspired to create a dish that reflects the beauty of the season🍂

Roasted acorn squash, hearty quinoa, and toasted walnuts & goat cheese — proof that nourishing can look AND taste good too.

Every bite is like sweater weather and cozy evenings.
Would you share one or keep both halves? 😉



Follow for more inspo and DM for the recipe ☺️

10/10/2025

How long does it take the nervous system to recover from stress?

The truth is each is unique and there are no timelines. Your body and mind have the final say.

Your nervous system is resilient, but recovery doesn’t happen overnight. PLUS, streas is cumulative - which is why you may not recover as fast as before, if you're not letting yourself fully recover each time. That little bit of residual really adds up over time😢

After a singular event, reactions often begin to settle after a few weeks to a few months. Recovery from chronic stress or burnout can take several months—or sometimes years. And both affect our metabolism and motivation - consequently, our behaviors may shift to support the stressful environment, not the one that will get us out of the stress.

✨ Healing is rarely linear. Even in healthy individuals, recovery comes with ups, downs, and plateaus

✨ The type of stress matters: a single event, ongoing burnout, or repeated trauma each leave different marks.

✨ Nervous system healing is multi-layered—restoring balance in the body, rewiring the brain, and regulating emotions all happen at different speeds.

Honor the process, get support when you need it, and give yourself permission to take the time your nervous system needs. It's your life, after all.

If you want help finding the best path forward, drop me a dm and we can set up a free consultation call❣️

10/10/2025

We had our first frost of the season last night! So its officially soup season 🍲✨

First up is this recently created Sausage, Kale & White Bean Soup. It's the best of all worlds - rich in flavor, packed with protein + fiber, and totally satisfying. (And, you can make it with plant based sausage if you prefer!)

🥬 Kale brings antioxidants
🫘 White beans add protein, fiber, and creaminess
🍲Plant-based (or not) sausage keeps it hearty + indulgent

👉 Want the full recipe? Save this post + hit follow—I’ll be sharing ilthe recipe soon!

10/09/2025

What (and how) you eat doesn’t just affect your physical health, it also shapes how your brain handles stress. 🧠✨

When you’re under pressure, your brain needs steady energy and specific nutrients to stay resilient. But common eating patterns, like skipping meals, relying on take out, or eating too close to bedtime can actually magnify your stress response.l and make it harder for your brain to cope.

A few small shifts can support your brain and your stress response at the same time. Here are 3 strategies to try:

🌿 Eat consistently throughout the day - pick an eating pattern and stick to it. The body likes predictably

🌿Balance your plate- aim to have a fruit or vegetable, a protein, and a complex carb at each meal so you're giving it some of all the nutrients

🌿 Eat more earlier in the day and taper you intake as you approach bed time - this will better align with your body's energy output, so it won't be behind the curve trying to play catch up.

Stress is inevitable, but it can be wrangled so it doesn't affect you as much. Feeling constantly exhausted and a mind that doesn't shut off is just one sign that your body is struggling to handle the amount of strrss you're living with. Nutrition and lifestyle changes can be one of your best tools for resilience - schedule a free consultation to chat more about how we can improve your quality of life with what and how you eat.

10/08/2025

Kudos to Rowena for this gem😅 I legit think this *every* time I read the word!

10/08/2025

Check out this fabulous new fall soup recipe guide I co-authored 🍲🍂

Creamy greek lemon chicken
Hearty vegan chilli (you wouldn't even know it's meatless)
Hearty mushroom & wild rice

Plus fresh bread to pair! Just what you need to kick off spooky season ☺️

Anticancer Lifestyle Soup Recipe Guide. A lifestyle transformation program for people diagnosed with cancer.

08/23/2025

One of our newest recipes just published by the Anticancer Lifestyle program. Also superb with a touch of dark chocolate chips😉

Creamy Greek yogurt forms the protein-rich base of this Frozen Yogurt Bark, while chia seeds add fiber, plant-based omega-3s, and antioxidants that may help reduce inflammation linked to cancer risk. Sweet-tart raspberries provide vitamin C, manganese, and polyphenols that support cellular health, a...

08/19/2025

🚨 Happening Today! 🚨
Our free Stress & Metabolism Q&A Call is happening at 1 pm.
If stress has been leaving your body in “survival mode,” this open Q&A session is for you. You’ll learn how to support your metabolism without restriction or burnout.
📅 August 19 | 🕒 1 pm ET
👉 There’s still time to join us: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/V13TvXZrT4u03mAt5PAdHA

08/16/2025

Everything is happening all at once: back to back publications! Check out this freshly published article on culinary medicine education & the current food and public health climate in Today's Dietitian magazine🙌🥬👩‍🍳

https://www.todaysdietitian.com/issues/2025/augustseptember/ #49

Co- authored by Melanya Kushla, MS, RD, CHES and Christina Badaracco, MPH, RDN, LDN

For more info on how to start or scale your culinary medicine practice, join one of our free INFUSE CoP calls (and earn CEUs!) --> https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/3IwFQHkDTH2-UDsei9f1Lw #/registration

08/14/2025

📚 It’s officially in print - and I just got my copy! Over the past year, I had the opportunity to serve as one of two primary revision authors for the newest edition of the National Restaurant Association' Nutrition textbook.

I immensely enjoyed this opportunity to update the content to reflect current research and provide real-world context and considerations the intersection of foodservice and public health—including two areas I’ve devoted much of my career to: food security and teaching kitchens. 🌱👩‍🍳

Now, future foodservice and culinary professionals will gain exposure to the prevalence of food insecurity within our communities, as well as an introduction of teaching kitchens as a viable career path!

If you're seeking an author or consultant on culinary medicine, public health, nutrition, or health education, I'd love to chat. Click on my link in bio and drop me a note