Growth takes time, and grace.
8… even 5 years ago, I was grabbing Chick-fil-A for breakfast every single day and eating out for lunch every single day. Cooking felt overwhelming, stressful, not for me.
And now? I’m finding peace in making breakfasts like this—without stress, without anxiety, coming up with ideas on my own. This is the growth I’ve been yearning for, and it didn’t happen overnight.
Of course, I couldn’t have done this without Sebastian—he made this homemade vegan protein cream cheese earlier this week, and I didn’t want it to go to waste. So I mashed in some blueberries, spread it over sourdough toast, topped it with strawberries, a drizzle of honey, and fresh basil from our kitchen. (Oh, and the cream cheese alone packs 15g of protein!)

And if you are in a place where cooking feels like a struggle—where takeout feels like the only option—please know that it’s baby, baby steps. Stop shaming yourself. Stop feeling guilty. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that our emotions drive our cravings and hunger. If you’re going through a lot, give yourself grace.
I remember when a family member passed away, I felt so bad that we were eating fast food for breakfast. But my dietitian (who I was privileged to work with at the time) reassured me: someone just died. Sometimes, we do what we need to do to be able to show up. Survival, care, nourishment—these don’t always look like a perfectly planned, home-cooked meal.
And let’s be real—this culture and society were not built to nourish and fuel us. They were built to take our money as quickly and frequently as possible. Cooking for yourself is an act of care, but it’s also a privilege. Not everyone is in a place to reach every goal or match what we see online.
So stop listening to people trying to sell you quick fixes. Tiny, doable changes add up. Big changes take time and grace. Even just setting the intention—that one day you want to enjoy cooking—matters.
Be kind to yourself. Your journey is yours. ❤️
Vegan Cream Cheese Recipe Link: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFTJxdSqv7n/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
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