Hi! I am Chef Kirsten of Mesa de Vida (which means “table of life.) I am a personal chef, nutrition consultant and lifestyle and weight management specialist.

Besides being a personal chef, I am a busy mom to two children, lead an active life and help others get healthy along the way.  I personally lost over 100 pounds by transforming my lifestyle to a balanced, real food life…deliciously, while creating a new healthy family legacy to pass onto my children. You can read more about that below.

I created Menus by Mesa de Vida because I want to help families “Bring More Life To Their Table!” I had been creating personalized menu plans and recipes for many of my personal chef clients, but wanted to create menu plans that millions could enjoy affordably.

I searched for menu plans but couldn’t find anything my family would actually enjoy that also fit in with my requirements that they be REAL, whole food recipes,  easy, delicious, have gluten free options, healthy and amazing! Also, that they offer something a little more than just recipes with a grocery list…I can do that myself! No, I needed something more -  So I created my own!

I hope you enjoy!

My Philosophy.

Nourished. Verb: 1. Provide with substances necessary for growth, health, and good condition.

I truly want everyone eating well. Feeling well. Changing the legacy for our families and living for a healthier future. Giving our children strong roots for a long and healthy life.

Role modeling a balanced life filled with a respect for our bodies, appreciation for delicious, healthy food as well as laughter, love, compassion…and of course the occasional treats!

I also know most of us are extremely busy and may want all of these things also, but the time to do all of that is short. We may not have strong cooking skills. We may have creativity everywhere else in life, but cooking is just one of those things that we absolutely dread.

So, I am here to help!

My mission is to help bring more life to your table, nourish your family, reduce your stress, save you time as well as money, and still have you be able to enjoy amazing, healthy meals you feel proud to serve your family. Helping you create a healthy family legacy!

The studies are incredible:

• “Studies show that the more often families eat together, the less likely kids are to smoke, drink, do drugs, get depressed, develop eating disorders and consider suicide, and the more likely they are to do well in school, delay having sex, eat their vegetables, learn big words and know which fork to use.” Time Magazine
•  “…children who ate family dinners more frequently had more healthy eating habits” Harvard study
• “… found that the 9- to 14-year-olds who ate dinner with their families most frequently ate more fruits and vegetables and less soda and fried foods. Their diets also had higher amounts of many key nutrients, like calcium, iron, and fiber.” CNN.com
• “Students who regularly ate dinner with their families 4 or more times a week scored better than those who ate family dinners 3 or fewer times a week.  These results crossed racial lines and were a greater indicator than whether the child was in a one or two-parent family.” Louis Harris & Associates
• “…statistics show that nearly one in five children aged 6-19 in the U.S. are overweight. That puts them at higher risk for many health problems later in life, including heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes — as well as emotional problems.” WebMD… ”Children who eat with their families are less likely to snack on unhealthy foods and more likely to eat healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Studies have shown that when family meals are prioritized, structured, and positive in atmosphere, fewer weight control problems and disordered eating patterns were observed.” NYU Child Study Center
•  ”…researchers at Brigham Young University conducted a study of IBM workers and found that sitting down to a family meal helped working moms reduce the tension and strain from long hours at the office.” CNN.com
• “Americans spend more than 40% of their food budget on meals outside of the home. Eating out can be convenient but it’s also caloric — portion sizes in restaurants just keep growing! The average restaurant meal has as much as 60% more calories than a homemade meal.” CNN.com
• “…the average household spent $3,465 on meals at home, and $2,668 on meals away from home, according to the national Consumer Expenditure Survey from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. When you take into consideration that the $2,668 spent on meals away from home only accounts for about 30% of meals (according to historical data), that’s about $8 per meal outside of the home, and only about $4.50 per each meal made in your own kitchen. You do the math!” CNN.com

Less stress for you is what I am after, also. Relax. Enjoy the process of preparing food to nourish yourself and your family. Prepare the food with love in your heart. The recipes I provide are created with love as well. Enjoy.

Besides being a personal chef, I also want to help people live longer, healthier, more vibrant lives. I personally lost over 100 pounds by switching to a diet of mainly unprocessed, whole, clean foods and I share these recipes over at my website, Mesadevida.com.

I share my story, my recipes, information to “healthify” your life as well as have other products that can help you reach your goals and create a new healthy family legacy! I would love to connect with you also! Please click the links to the right of the page to connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube!

Interested in becoming an affiliate and making money for referring people to Menus by Mesa de Vida? Click here!

Cheers to your health and bringing more life to your table!