Tell us about yourself:
I'm Mary Ellen Phipps, the registered dietitian nutritionist behind Milk & Honey Nutrition. I’m also a wife, mama to two little girls, recipe curator, foodie (though I hate that word), type 1 diabetic and registered dietitian. I make healthy eating easy, realistic, and most importantly... fun! If you head to my website, you’ll find yummy recipes, helpful tips, a little mom humor, and a healthy dose of sarcasm. I have expertise in family nutrition, family meal planning, corporate wellness, adult weight management, adult diabetes management, and metabolic syndrome. I grew up in Sugar Land, TX, received my Bachelor's degree in Nutrition Sciences from Baylor University in Waco, TX; and my Master's of Public Health degree in Epidemiology from The University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston, TX. I currently live in the Houston-area with my husband and two daughters. I'm very passionate about what I do and helping people feel confident in their nutrition choices. Whether for disease management, or general wellness and healthy eating, I can help you feel healthy and confident about the food you're eating.
What got you to start a food blog?
My blog happened entirely by accident. I launched my private practice a little over 2 years ago and started an Instagram account as a way to house recipes for my clients (let's just say I'm not very tech savvy and maintaining a website terrified me!) Slowly but surely people started following my IG account and it started to grow. Last summer I launched a new website and converted over all my recipes (with the help of a much more technology savvy friend)... and here we are. I feel so blessed to get to make a living this way, and don't take it lightly.
What's your philosophy when it comes to healthy living?
My "food philosophy" as I like to call it is that food is to be celebrated, and we celebrate with food. Food is a gift. Let's enjoy it. No guilt. But let's have some responsibility in that. I tell all my clients that I'd rather them have a small/reasonable serving of the "real thing" than a huge serving of a diet food alternative. This will help you learn how to listen to your body's cues and signals far better than eating a bunch of "fake" food will (think alternative sweeteners, fat free cheese, and zero calorie butter sprays 😝) So, enjoy a slice of cake at a party, have that favorite holiday dish. Do it wisely, do it sparingly, but ENJOY it!! Be honest with yourself and to your body... but don't be lazy and I think you'll find you're much more happy with your relationship with food.
We're all about delicious & clean eating: what are your favorite go-to recipes?
What makes you #hungryforgr8ness?
I want my babies to know greatness exists inside of them too. My girls see everything I do. I want them to grow up knowing their mama has/had a goal and rather than sitting back and waiting for it to happen, I went for it. I work hard and they see that. Not everyday is easy, and a lot of days are incredibly hard. But I want them to know if they have a goal, they have the ability to work towards it.
Follow Mary Ellen on Instagram, Facebook or her visit her website for more delicious recipes!!