Meredith Mann had an icky relationship with food and exercise. Her unexplained blood sugar issues left her fainting, craving carbs, and baffled that she didn’t feel good no matter what she ate. Discovering easy, high-protein meals changed her life AND her professional trajectory.
This spunky Birmingham, AL, mom is now devoted to demystifying the whole blood sugar thing. (Psst! It’s not just for the diabetics!) Her website, The Peachie Spoon, and 300k-strong Instagram are filled with easy, restriction-free nutrition tools like healthier copycat recipes, Trader Joe’s hauls, exercise snacks, and more. Read on for Meredith’s story and advice on feeling your best this year.
What led you to a career in holistic nutrition?
When I was a newlywed in 2005, I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia. I was having fainting episodes, or I’d shake if a meal were delayed. I’d have panicky cravings for carbs. My doctor told me I needed a lot of protein before I had any sugar. That was the first time I heard that, and that was way before protein was cool.
We had kids back to back, so I was pregnant or nursing for five years, and I didn’t prioritize protein. I was in survival mode and went on these 4 p.m. pantry raids. I tried Whole 30 and ate healthily but still didn’t feel great.
Healthy food wasn’t the missing key for me, it was that I wasn’t having enough protein at breakfast. Then, I’d have an unbalanced lunch and have a big blood sugar crash in the afternoon. That, on top of having little kids, was like a trifecta of having no self-control with food.
Then, I started making these loaded, full-meal smoothies every morning with plenty of fiber and fat. It set the tone for my blood sugar for the day, and I reversed my insulin resistance and hypoglycemia.
What’s a common misconception people have about blood sugar?
People think that if they don’t have diabetes, this doesn’t affect them. Many will see my page or cookbooks and say, “Oh, my mom is pre-diabetic. Or my dad has diabetes. This is a great resource for them.” But this knowledge is for everyone! These are not diet meals. There’s nothing super restrictive; it just keeps your blood sugar happy, which makes you a healthier person and reduces inflammation.
In the same breath, our obsessive diet culture is prone to be scared of blood sugar spikes or crashes. Enjoying cake at a party and having a spike and crash is no big deal. I don’t want people to be scared of that. But knowledge is power. I wear a glucose monitor to test my ideas and confidently share balanced recipes with my community.
Can you offer a few simple tactics for staying sane about nutrition heading into a new year?
The main thing is that it doesn’t get easier. People love to say, “Diet starts in January!” but there’s always a reason to celebrate and to enjoy food. There’s a baby shower, a wedding, the Super Bowl. But there are 21 meals in a week where you can make better decisions.
So if you think about it like that, Friday night Mexican is just one meal. There are many opportunities to lean on some go-to balanced meals that taste good to you.
What’s your current favorite thing to make for an event?
I love to bring a fancy salad. My dressings usually don’t have much olive oil, so they’re even lower in fat than most. I also love to bring dips like spinach dip, buffalo chicken dip, or whipped feta dip. I also have sweet ones like cookie dough yogurt dip, which is really fun to bring with fruit.
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What’s something that people are surprised to learn about you?
That I don’t actually enjoy cooking. It’s not very fun to me. Yet I’ve written two cookbooks. So, the recipes are easy. Sometimes, I don’t even want to cut an onion. I don’t love to cook, but I like how I feel when I eat healthy, and I do like to feed my family.
I have teenagers now, but cooking still feels like part of my job title. I want to nourish my kids and have dinner on the table when we get home from sports.
How does your role as a mom play into your food philosophy?
My kids were picky when they were young. They were nugget kids, and they didn’t eat many vegetables. But they all grew out of it and eat great now, and it’s no big deal. So, don’t stress if your kids are super picky and eat only certain things. Keep trying to give them other things, and they’ll outgrow it.
I care a lot about wellness without obsession. I try to create a life-giving house for my kids so they have a healthy relationship with food. When my middle was younger, I always found candy wrappers in the dryer. Now, I realize they don’t go to the neighbors’ and binge in their pantry if I have all the foods available.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
“Be where your feet are.” My husband says this a lot, and sometimes, it goes in one ear and out the other. I need to put the phone down more often and be thankful for the mess in my house and the people around me. It’s easy to be distracted and always try to make things perfect. Your kids are the ages they are today. You’re the age you are today. You might not be healthy another day. I try to take hold of that.
What advice would you give someone who wants to embark on a healthier 2025 but might be overwhelmed?
It can definitely be overwhelming. To simplify, ask: What sparks joy for you? For example, I’m never going to kickboxing, and I don’t want to do Zumba, but I like long walks, Yoga, and running (sometimes).
I would also add this: major in the minors. What is super important? Maybe it’s getting more protein and veggies on your plate. That, to me, is better than not eating until noon every day. That will backfire. You’re gonna be starving. What can you feasibly do? Don’t focus on all the things at once. Drink more water for a week, work on your sleep, and prioritize protein.
LIGHTNING ROUND!
Three things you can’t live without: My smoothie bowls (and cauli bowls) I make every day. Vuori Performance Joggers. Coffee.
Kitchen tool you can’t without? A powerful, quality blender
Bucket list vacation destination? Anywhere in Europe! I’ve never been.
Favorite “hidden gem” in the South? Fairhope, AL
Go-to birthday present to give? My current favorite lip gloss. Right now, it’s the Sephora Glossed.
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