Up Beet Kitchen is your home for wholesome, nourishing recipes designed to fuel your healthy lifestyle and make you feel good, inside and out.
Everyone is welcome here! While I was plant-based for a decade, I removed that label from my diet and lifestyle in 2021. I now enjoy all foods and share all sorts of recipes on Up Beet Kitchen. You’ll find a nice mix of vegan, vegetarian, and omnivore recipes. Many also happen to be gluten-free and refined sugar-free, though I do not have any food rules. My hope is that my recipes and words encourage you to foster a connection with the food on your plate: A connection that extends to the land, the farmers, your family, and traditions.
my Background
I was raised in a home where my mom had the immense privilege of being a homemaker. Growing up, the kitchen was the centre of our home. I remember our kitchen being filled with love, laughter, conversation, and the aromas of home cooked meals each and every day. We didn’t have a microwave and every meal was cooked from scratch. In these times, that might come as a surprise, but that was what I grew up with, and it was my “normal.”
Owing to my upbringing, I have always loved food with my whole heart. It was only a matter of time before I took an interest not only in preparing it, but in creating, too. I started Up Beet Kitchen in 2018 and never looked back!
I took a rather circuitous educational route, beginning university fresh out of high school, taking a hiatus to explore other ventures and deepen my understanding of the world generally and holistic health and nutrition in particular, and ultimately returning to university to finish my degree several years later. While everyone is different, I have found my most enriching learning experiences to occur outside of the classroom.
Due to my involvement in gymnastics and running, as well as a perfectionistic streak, I developed an unhealthy relationship with food for many years. Thankfully, after a lot of work, I have been able to make peace with food and see it as something that nourishes and provides pleasure and connection.
A fun fact about me: I really enjoy running and fitness! I have a PR of 38:45 in the 10 km; 1:25 in the half marathon, and 3:25 in the full marathon. I love to complement running with a mix of weight training, cardio HIIT, and yoga. I am a big fan of variety! In addition to recipes, I have a number of fun and challenging workouts here on the blog.
Not sure where to start? Check out my Recipe Index. Want to work together, or get in touch? You can contact me via the contact form here, or simply send an email to allison@upbeetkitchen.com.