Katie Braswell

IN THE KITCHEN WITH KATIE BRASWELL

Tell us about yourself:

I’m a born and raised Southerner from Atlanta, Georgia, but found myself spending most of my summers adventuring through the Rocky Mountains and falling in love with the great outdoors.

My love affair with the West eventually led my husband, fur child, and myself to Boulder, Colorado, where I currently reside as a Registered Yoga Teacher and Holistic Nutrition / Functional Medicine Consultant. I completed my Masters Degree in Holistic Nutrition from Hawthorn University and have been taking continuing education credits in fertility and prenatal and postpartum nutrition.

Growing up with a health-conscious family, my passion for real food and moving my body started at an early age. My mom would encourage my siblings and I to take supplements, eat mindfully, practice yoga, meditate, and pursue a balanced lifestyle for as long as I can remember.

My mom has always been a true advocate for my own health and wellness. Now, it is my turn to be an advocate for others through real food, intentional living, wellness, and community.

When I’m not working with clients, studying nutrition, or teaching yoga, you can usually find me exploring the mountains with my husband and son, Colter – whether that’s skiing, hiking, rock climbing, running, or fly-fishing! I’ll do anything if it means getting outside.

I feel so honored to support so many people throughout their health journey and am so grateful for this opportunity to be a featured chef for US Wellness Meats.

How did you get involved in cooking?

From a young age, I’ve always loved cooking. My mom always made sure to include my siblings and I in cooking for the family, so I think that attributed to my love of cooking. I love creating new recipes, researching new companies to source our food from and offering healthy, nutrient-dense foods for my family.

Describe your cooking style:

I like to be creative in the kitchen and come up with new recipes to share with clients! I work a lot with postpartum moms looking to optimize their nutrition, so I love creating meals and new recipe ideas for them. I’m also a huge advocate for eating real, whole foods so I love experimenting with nutrient-dense fat options (like US Wellness Meats Beef Tallow or even Liverwurst)!

How did you learn about grass-fed meats?

Growing up, I spent a lot of time hunting with my dad and learning the importance of where our food comes from. My siblings and I were taught to have respect for animals and gratitude for where our meat comes from. He and my mom both spent a lot of time educating us on what it means to have responsibly sourced foods, specifically meats. Around the time I went to college and when I wasn’t able to hunt as often, I started researching grass-fed and sustainably raised meat. I joined small CSAs near me and began to eat local, organic and grass-fed meats more often. Since then, my family and I have had the opportunity to help out on a local grass-fed cattle ranch near us. We’ve learned so much and really respect the work of our cattle ranchers and farmers – the work they do is so important for our health, ecosystem and future!

What is your favorite recipe featuring grass-fed meat?

My favorite grass-fed meat recipe is my InstantPot Short Rib recipe. Always my go-to… I think I make them once a week!

You’re stranded on a desert island; luckily, you’re stranded with your top 5 ingredients and one must-have kitchen tool:

Kitchen Tool: InstantPot

Top 5 Ingredients: Beef Tallow, Himalayan or Icelandic Salt, Oxtails, Eggs and Sweet Potatoes.

Best cooking secret/tip/piece of advice you’ve learned:

To join a CSA (Community Share Agriculture) Program. You’ll get a lot of fruits, vegetables and meats that you don’t typically source, so you learn a lot of new ways to cook things! I recommend that my clients join CSAs to have access to local food, but also experiment with cooking different foods. I find that my clients are able to explore new nutrient-dense foods that they haven’t tried before.

What’s your favorite quote/song for culinary inspiration (if any)?

“Fat gives food flavor” – Julia Child

I love this quote because not only does fat give food flavor, but it’s essential to how our bodies function. Fats are essential for energy and hormone production, vitamin absorption, maintaining the integrity of every cell in our body, contributing to growth and development and MORE!

Anything else you want to share?

I feel so honored to be a featured chef for US Wellness Meats. I’ve been a longtime fan of these products and constantly recommend all of my favorite US Wellness Meats products to clients – it’s an amazing company!