Cozy, Nourished, and Ready for Fall: Pantry Staples with Holistic Nutritionist Tracy Houle
Today on the blog, I'm interviewing Tracy Houle, a Registered Holistic Nutritionist. Tracy is a past branding client of mine. We did her branding session back in 2024 for her website and her book launch, and I'm forever grateful to have been part of such a special milestone for her. We even shot her book cover 😍
One thing I remember very clearly is that during my brand research, I asked Tracy a lot of questions about what she does and how she helps people, and I was so impressed with her approach to food and whole food eating. At the time, the internet was so loud with the latest food trends. Instagram was full of highly processed "health" products, and when I read the ingredient lists, they didn't sit well with me. So when I heard Tracy talk about whole foods, I was so glad that finally, someone who really knows food was advocating for eating this way. I've loved Tracy ever since.
This fall, I'm starting a new blog series about the season and how families can navigate seasonal changes, and Tracy was one of the first people I thought of. Thankfully, she was on board right away, and we did a quick interview about Fall Pantry Staples for Busy Families. Come check it out!
1. For readers who haven't met you yet, can you share a bit about your background and what led you to holistic nutrition?
I’m a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, mother of 3 human children and 2 German Shepherd fur babies, and wife to one husband. 😉I was a stay-at-home mom after having my second child, and when my first born developed stomach issues that conventional medicine couldn’t answer, I did what most moms do - I googled it. I learned that food could be the root cause so with some online guidance, I slowly removed certain foods like gluten and dairy, and watched my son’s symptoms subside. The problem was that once I went down the 'food as medicine' rabbit hole, there was no coming back. I enrolled in nutrition school over twelve years ago and have been in practice for over ten years. The funny thing is, most holistic nutritionists have the same story I do - a family member was not well, and food helped, so we never stopped learning.
2. Your book, Ancestral Wisdom for Modern Healing, looks at food and healing through a more traditional lens — how does that philosophy show up in the way you think about seasonal eating, like in fall?
It shows up as really simplifying healthy eating. Eating a whole foods diet with minimal (not never) consumption of processed grain products means that it’s really easy to make healthy food choices, because we focus on what is available in our climate at that specific time of year, all the other foods can wait. It really helps with decision fatigue in the kitchen, too. Because we eat mostly seasonally, I’m not worried about buying everything in the produce aisle so I can get my 14 servings of produce a day. I can focus on what is in season, that way, in November I’m not buying strawberries and I look forward to them in the summer.
3. Is there a seasonal ingredient or ritual you personally look forward to once fall arrives?
Once fall arrives, I harvest and dry the herbs I’ve been growing in my garden all summer long. I love that over the next three seasons I get to enjoy dried herbs from my own garden. I really recommend growing herbs. They're the easiest food crops to grow, they will be ok if you go days and even weeks without checking on them. Some of them, like Thyme, Oregano and Rosemary, will grow back so you don’t have to replant every year. Just pick a spot you really like because they will turn into a bush after a few seasons.
4. What are some small, doable changes families can make to their fall routine that make a big difference?
Since we don’t have a huge variety of fresh produce to choose from in our Canadian climate, this is a great season to get accustomed to eating fermented foods. We eat fresh produce for the fibre to feed our healthy gut bacteria. In the fall, winter, and spring we can incorporate fermented foods like pickles, sauerkraut, or kimchi that have been fermenting in a live bacteria brine. Basically, we skip the middle man of our gut needing to feed on fibre for good bacteria, and we go straight to consuming the bacteria. It’s a great habit to boost our immunity for the colder and darker climates and time of year.
5. What are a few pantry staples you always have on hand this time of year?
Thyme is my favourite pantry staple. I grow it every summer and I almost always cook with it on veggies, meat and fish! Its flavour profile works with everything and the health benefits are important for fall and winter; its active ingredient, Thymol, is a powerful anti-oxidant that can kill harmful bacteria and fungi that cause infections. It also helps with coughs by calming the airways with its anti-inflammatory benefits.
6. Do you have a favorite easy fall recipe or combo you find yourself making on repeat?
My family loves my grandmother’s chicken soup! It’s on demand every fall and winter. I also love to make bone broth from the leftover chicken carcass. But, hands-down, my favourite soup and the perfect recipe for the fall is my Kale, Potato, and Poached egg soup. Check out the recipe below:
7. What's one thing you wish more people understood about nourishing their bodies as the seasons change?
I wish more people understood that up until about 70 years ago, before the advent of processed food, humans never argued about diets; which one is better, how many grams of protein we should consume, or if corn is a vegetable - spoiler; it’s a grain! Surprisingly, many people don’t know that.
Humans had a deep connection to the land and knew intuitively what to eat, because we also had a deeper connection to our ancestors who passed down food traditions. (I talk about this a lot in my book.)
Don’t let all the noise in the modern food space derail you, focus on whole foods, minimal processed grains and sugar, and walk every day - like our ancestors did - and you’ll be 80% of the way.
8. For readers who want to work with you directly — or check out your book, Ancestral Wisdom for Modern Healing — what's the best way to connect?
My website https://tracyhoule.com/ is where you can get your hands on my book and how you can reach out if you’d like to work with me. I'm also active on instagram https://www.instagram.com/tracyhoule.nutrition/ and would love for you to drop me a line and let me know any nuggets of wisdom your ancestors passed on to you. I absolutely love to hear those stories!
TRACY HOULE - REGISTERED HOLISTIC NUTRITIONIST
A huge thank you to Tracy for sharing her wisdom with us. This information is SO good. It's pure gold! I hope you love it as much as I do. As a mom, I know how busy this season gets, and having a few simple staples on hand makes such a difference.
Fall is such a beautiful season, and I absolutely love it. It's also the start of our colder weather, so stay well, stay nourished, and stay healthy. 🍂
P.S. If you're a small business owner and you loved Tracy's photos, I'd love to help you tell your story too. Feel free to reach out at lucy@lucytran.com or check out my branding page. Let's chat about your branding session!