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Food People, Parent Picks: we ask our favorite chefs, food writers, and industry insiders who we interview in our Order Up! Series to share the products, books, and bites they can’t live without.
Small Bites: Maya’s Cookbooks
Eating From Our Roots: 80+ Healthy Home Cooked Favorites from Cultures Around the World, A Cookbook [Bookshop, Amazon]
The Southern Comfort Food Diabetes Cookbook: Over 100 Recipes for a Healthy Life [Bookshop, Amazon]
In her Order Up! interview, registered dietitian, inclusive nutrition provider, and mom of two, Maya Feller reminded us that healthy eating doesn’t have to be about removing your cultural foods from your kitchen; it’s about updating them for how we live now, and understanding everyday foods vs celebration foods. Through her work at Maya Feller Nutrition, she helps families bring cultural traditions, joy, and practicality back to the table, through an anti-bias, patient-centered, inclusive approach to nutrition care.
At home, Maya’s go-tos are flexible and unfussy: beans, veggies, and a simple protein, brightened by pickled farmer’s-market finds or a spoonful of chili crisp. Her pantry always has good oils, a rainbow of spices, and plantain chips (for dipping, snacking, or stress-eating). And while she’ll tell you how in love she is with her cast-iron pans, her most impressive cooking tool might just be her mindset: staying open, adaptable, and forgiving, even on nights when dinner is less than perfect.
Below, Maya shares a few of her Parent Picks—the kitchen tools, healthy shortcuts, and weeknight favorites that make cooking for a busy family feel doable, joyful, and completely her own.
What’s your best advice for parents trying to feed their families well?
My mantra is always: give yourself grace. Parenting comes with a million expectations, and we can’t do it all. Be kind to yourself. And yes, my team and I do work with families! A lot of what we do is helping parents navigate nutrition without the overwhelm, because it can be confusing out there.
What’s one kitchen tool you can’t live without?
My cast iron pans—plural. I have them in multiple sizes, and I use them constantly. I love them so much.
Do you have a go-to cookbook you love or recommend to families?
That’s such a good question because I have so many cookbooks! One I really love is Vegan Soul Kitchen by Bryant Terry [Bookshop, Amazon]. But honestly, when I’m working with families, I usually search recipes online and help them adapt based on what they already have, their comfort level in the kitchen, and their cultural food traditions.
What pantry staples do you always keep on hand?
Oils—lots of them—and plenty of herbs and spices. Between those two, you can make just about anything taste good. [Don’t forget to pick up a bottle—or EVOO duo set, or flavored trio of oils!—from our friends at Kosterina Olive Oil. Read our Order Up! interview with founder & mom Katina Mountanos!]
What’s your go-to weeknight dinner when you’re short on time?
If it’s just me, I’d do something quick like frozen shrimp with jalapeños, sweet onions, and greens. But for the family, it’s usually beans, a vegetable, and a protein—like chicken, fish, or tofu—with lots of fun sides. We always have pickled veggies, chili crisp, or something from the farmers market to jazz it up.
What’s a meal your family requests most often?
Honestly, they don’t request much—I cook a lot, so they usually just eat what I make! But my daughter did ask for a sheet pan nacho bar for her birthday, and that was a hit.
What’s your go-to healthy snack for kids, or one you recommend to families?
Plantain chips! They’re so good with hummus, salsa, or cheese, and now they come in tons of flavors.
What’s one store-bought shortcut you always keep on hand?
Frozen vegetables, for sure. They’ve saved me so many times—especially after traveling when the fridge is empty.
What’s your go-to breakfast when you need something quick?
Eggs, fruit, and a corn tortilla. Simple and satisfying.
What’s a splurge-worthy kitchen item that’s been worth it?
A good stove hood/vent! I know that sounds random, but it’s true, especially if you cook fish or foods with strong smells. It makes such a difference.
What’s one resource you recommend to parents who want to learn more about nutrition?
My friend Stephanie Middleberg has three great books: one about baby nutrition, one about toddler nutrition, and another that breaks down pregnancy nutrition by trimester. They’re both practical and full of solid information. The Big Book of Pregnancy Nutrition [Bookshop, Amazon] — The Big Book of Organic Baby Food [Bookshop, Amazon] — The Big Book of Organic Toddler Food [Bookshop, Amazon]
