I think we’ve officially lost the plot.
Everyone I know seems exhausted. Overworked, underpaid. Trying to keep a million little pieces of life moving at once.
And somehow, the internet’s answer is always to do more.
Optimize your morning routine. Your finances. Your workouts. Your meals. Your career.
Optimize your sleep! Your productivity!
And when you finally admit that you’re overwhelmed, the IG algorithm hands you a beautifully designed graphic reminding you that you don’t have to do it all….
Followed, naturally, by 17 things you should do instead 🙂
I am tired. Not necessarily of my life. I actually really like my life.
I’m tired of feeling like I am perpetually managing my life instead of living it.
So I’ve started asking myself a different question:
What if I stopped optimizing and started participating?
My goal is time freedom. The ability to go to the gym in the middle of the day if I want to. More flexibility.
And then, almost comically, the universe gave me something.
I’ve been a member of the same gym for ~2 years. I’ve made incredible friends within the community. The owner came to my first Snack Attack event. We’ve talked about food and community and wellness and what we’re building in Buffalo.
Last week, she asked me to help with something.
The gym is launching a six-week habit nutrition program focused on six foundational habits: protein, plants and fiber, hydration, sleep, fueling around training, and daily recovery support.
There are no calories to count. No foods to ban. No perfect score.
The whole philosophy is paying attention, learning why these things matter, and figuring out what actually works in your real life.
A dietitian will lead the nutrition education. And I’ll be helping turn those concepts into actual food and routines - with recipes, grocery lists, meal-prep strategies and ideas for busy weeks.
In other words: I get to help people figure out what the heck they’re actually going to eat.
Which is, conveniently, exactly what I’ve been doing here, with this Substack and Niknack all along.
Food as the entry point. Nutrition without perfectionism.
This Week’s Snackagories
It’s that beautiful time of year where summer produce is still available, yet we’re slowly shifting to root vegetables and fall recipes. This week’s snackagories are designed to be simple and versatile, while make you feel like summer isn’t over, fall is just joining the party.
🥣 Savory Dip / Spread
Caramelized Onion Dip
This is an OG Niknack recipe that I love breaking out as soon as September hits and football is on the TV.
Ingredients
Cannellini beans
Yellow onion
Olive OIl
Lemon juice
Dijon mustard
Honey
Salt + pepper
Fresh thyme or rosemary
Cook the onion until deeply golden brown, then blend half/all of it with the beans, lemon, Dijon, honey and olive oil / seasonings. Fold in the remaining caramelized onions back in.
Niknack Tip: This is a component, not a dip you need to know how to use. Scoop it with veggies or crackers, spread it on toast, add it to a grain bowl, use as a sandwich spread… you really can’t go wrong.
🍞 Grab + Go Pantry Snack
Apple Pie Trail Mix
The first apple-pie feelings of fall without actually making an apple pie.
Ingredients
Pumpkin seeds
Pecans or walnuts
Apples, chopped
Cinnamon
Dark chocolate chips
Combine pecans or walnuts (or both!) + chopped apples and cinnamon on a baking sheet. Roast at 300 degrees for 1 hour for a low and slow roast. Then combine with pumpkin seeds and dark chocolate chips.
Dump it into a container for yogurt topping or snacking all week long.
🥕 Fresh Produce
September Snack Plate
The easiest way to eat more produce? Make it snackable.
Prep a container of washed/cut produce and keep it front and center.
Ingredients
Plums
Blackberries
Fig jam
Cucumbers
Sharp white cheddar
Salami, smoked turkey or jerky
Toasted almonds
Niknack Tip: Incorporate dips, cheese, nuts, whatever protein you already have. Produce doesn’t need to become a salad to count.
🍫 Sweet Tooth Snack
Maple Vanilla Energy Bites
Portable, pantry friendly, simple.
Ingredients
Rolled oats (old-fashioned)
Almond butter
Pure maple syrup
Almonds or walnuts, finely chopped
Chia seeds
Vanilla extract
Cinnamon
Sea salt
Seasonal Tip: Add any dried fruit of choice - apples, cherries, cranberries, raisins, etc.
🍗 Bulk Protein Source
Tomato Basil Chicken Breasts
This is one of those transitional recipes that works equally well with summer produce and the things coming next. Slice it over a salad, turn it into a wrap, put it over rice, serve it with roasted veggies, or, my favorite, eat it cold standing in front of the fridge.
Ingredients
Chicken breasts
Flour
Olive oil
Italian seasoning
Garlic powder/onion powder salt + pepper
Finish with fresh tomatoes, basil and balsamic or balsamic glaze
The goal isn’t to have the perfect week of food. It’s to make the next nourishing choice a little easier.
How I’m Participating
I’m still going to create.
I’m still going to do good work at my day job, while I’m there.
I’m still going to save money and make plans and take care of the things that matter.
But I’m trying to remember that none of these things are my entire life.
My job is a job.
Niknack is my passion project.
The future is the future.
And right now, there is a Sunday to live.
Food to prep.
Dinner to make.
There are workouts and walks and books and weddings and birthdays.
There is a life happening while I’m busy trying to make sure I’m doing life correctly.
So maybe the goal isn’t to finally become the person who has everything figured out.
Maybe it’s to become the person who actually participates in her own life.
Less optimization, more participation.
That’s the chapter I’m in. If you’re on a similar page, I’d love to learn more. Reply, comment or DM me any time!
Thanks for reading this weeks SubSnack <3
Until next time,
Niknack
