Let’s be honest: most of us have tried to eat more vegetables—only to watch them slowly wilt in the back of the fridge. Or we associate veggies with bland, boring “diet food” and force ourselves to eat them when we’re feeling guilty, not because we actually enjoy them.
In this episode, Alison chats with cookbook author Jess Smith, whose brilliant approach to vegetables reclaims them from diet culture and places them at the center of meals that are actually satisfying, flexible, and delicious.
Jess’s cookbook Start With a Vegetable flips the script on meal planning. Instead of figuring out how to “squeeze in” veggies as a sad side dish, she shows you how to start with what you’ve got in the fridge and build meals that are full of flavor, fiber, and joy.
From systemizing grocery trips and smart storage strategies to go-to sauces and mix-and-match bowls, this episode is packed with practical ways to make veggies an easy, craveable part of your everyday routine—without adding stress, guilt, or rules that don’t work for your life.
If you’ve ever stared into your fridge at a sad, soggy bag of spinach wondering where it all went wrong … this episode is for you.
🔹 It takes veggies out of the “diet food” box and makes them delicious again.
🔹 Jess gives real-world solutions for reducing waste without meal-planning your entire life.
🔹 The grocery store tips alone are worth the listen—no more forgotten produce in the crisper!
🔹 You’ll walk away with ideas you can use this week (even if you hate meal planning).
🔹The vibe is realistic and anti-perfectionist for those of us who are busy and don't love to cook.
✅ You keep buying vegetables… and then throwing them away.
✅ You’re trying to eat healthier but refuse to live off boiled broccoli.
✅ You grew up on overcooked veggies and still have trauma.
✅ You want to eat more plant-based meals but don’t want to live in the kitchen.
✅ You’re juggling family, work, and life and just need a damn shortcut.
🎯 Why traditional meal planning might not work—and what to try instead.
🎯 The simplest veggie prep system to reduce waste and boost flavor.
🎯 Jess’s favorite no-fuss sauces that transform any veggie from “meh” to amazing.
🎯 How to organize your fridge so your veggies don’t die a slow death.
🎯 Ways to use one ingredient in multiple meals without getting bored.
🎯 Tips for incorporating more plant-based protein into your meals (no soaking dry beans required).
🎯 How to make cooking once and eating twice your new superpower.
Jess Smith is the writer and photographer behind the Inquiring Chef food blog. In addition to running the site which reaches over 8 million home cooks every year, she spent nearly a decade as chief recipe developer for the award-winning meal planning app Cook Smarts. She runs a popular cooking camp for kids every summer called Inquiring Chef Academyand in January she released a best-selling cookbook called Start with a Vegetable. Jess’s recipes have been featured in popular publications like Parade, Hallmark, Raddish Kids, Livestrong, Self, Yahoo, NBC, HuffPost, and She Knows.
🔗 Resources & Links:
📖 Grab Jess’s cookbook Start With a Vegetable
📲 Follow Jess on Instagram for insights and updates
👩🏻💻 Check out Jess's website for more recipes for real life
This episode was brought to you by Miles to Go Athletics. Take our app-based training community for a two-week no obligation test drive here.
Enjoying the podcast? Make sure to hit that Subscribe button so you never miss an episode filled with insightful conversations. And don’t forget to leave us a review—it helps more people discover the show! --Alison
Are you constantly pushing through fatigue, thinking you’ll rest later—only to find that “later” never comes? In a culture that glorifies busyness, rest often feels like a luxury we can’t afford. But what if we told you that rest isn’t just a break—it’s a performance-enhancing strategy?
In this episode, Erin Taylor joins us to unpack the truth about rest as fuel—why we struggle with it, how our mindset around rest is all wrong, and the small but powerful ways we can integrate it into our daily lives. We dive deep into the idea that rest is not something that just happens—it’s a skill that requires practice, intention, and a shift in perspective.
From simple strategies to transition into true rest, to dismantling the cultural myth that busyness equals worth, this conversation will change the way you think about recovery. If you’ve ever felt like you “can’t relax,” or that rest feels inaccessible, this episode is packed with insights and practical tools that will help you reclaim your energy and focus.
Whether you're an athlete, an entrepreneur, or just someone who feels constantly on the edge of burnout, you’ll walk away from this conversation with actionable steps to make rest work for you—so you can stop running on empty and start feeling fueled, focused, and fully present.
🔹 Erin reframes rest as a skill—not something that just happens, but something we must practice.
🔹 Small, in-the-moment rest strategies that you can use anywhere to recharge—no fancy spa days required.
🔹 The shocking ways busyness is hurting your creativity, focus, and even your workouts.
🔹 How rest directly fuels high performance, whether you're training, working, or just trying to function as a human.
🔹 The truth about weekend “rest”—why so many of us still feel exhausted on Monday morning.
✅ You feel guilty when you’re not being “productive.”
✅ You struggle to turn off your brain at night and get restful sleep.
✅ You know you need more rest, but don’t know how to actually make it happen.
✅ You’ve ever said, “I can’t relax” or “I don’t have time for rest.”
✅ You want to break free from the cycle of overworking, under-recovering, and running on fumes.
🎯 Why rest isn’t just “doing nothing”—it’s an active process that enhances performance.
🎯 How to spot the warning signs that you’re running on empty before you hit full burnout.
🎯 The role of transitions—how shifting between work, home, and sleep impacts your energy.
🎯 The “rest toolkit” method Erin swears by—and why having a go-to list makes all the difference.
🎯 How to make rest a daily practice—even when you feel like you have no time.
Erin Taylor is an international recovery expert, writer, and yoga teacher. For 20 years she has coached professional athletes, everyday runners, pre- and post-natal women, office workers, and anyone looking to integrate practices that improve well-being and longevity. She is the creator of Balance Practice, a platform that offers practical tools to inspire and support mental and physical balance in all aspects of life. Erin is also the founder of Athletes for Yoga, the only athlete-led, on-demand video platform and app that puts yoga into the context of sport and well-being goals, and the author of books including Move, Rest, Recover and Work IN.
Learn more and practice with Erin at erintaylor.works.
🔗 Resources & Links:
📖 Grab Erin’s book: Move, Rest, Recover: Your Practical Guide to Balancing Mind and Body
📰 Subscribe to Erin’s Substack, Balance Practice for weekly insights and short yoga-inspired classes → SPECIAL OFFER: Get a FREE month here!
📲 Try Erin’s Athletes for Yoga App—a library of yoga solutions for athletes
📸 Follow Erin on Instagram for insights and updates
This episode was brought to you by Miles to Go Athletics. Take our app-based training community for a two-week no obligation test drive here.
Enjoying the podcast? Make sure to hit that Subscribe button so you never miss an episode filled with insightful conversations. And don’t forget to leave us a review—it helps more people discover the show! --Alison