the first time I heard meshach rojas' voice, I wondered if I had finally found my favorite food lullaby station. With a voice as smooth as organic, grass-fed butter, Rojas—the brilliant mind and hands behind @AboutThisMuch (TikTok + Instagram)—is a true whole foods advocate and artisan. He has managed to take imbue a health-forward take into all of the global recipes he creates with "about this much" of his well-sourced ingredients. The best part? His nutrient-dense, deliciously robust dishes are highly accessible—even if you're cooking from a New York studio apartment.
One of the things that makes Meshach so unique is that he has no pretense about him at all. He is (as he describes) "Just a dude who enjoys trying new foods." After becoming obsessed with optimizing his body's physical performance, he became aware of how one's diet is deeply connected to chronic illness as we age. "This led me down a rabbit hole of looking for evidence to support different diets, nutritional needs, and random claims you see on the internet or hear from your coworkers. I feel like there is so much we have not been taught about nutrition and as I learned more, I saw the connections between what we eat and how it impacts our bodies." With over 10 years of knowledge, research, and food R&D on his side, Meshach is looking to get the word out that health can be fun, tasteful, and sacrifice-free.
He has been featured on Buzzfeed Tasty, Goodful, Trickstrong RX Podcast, and the New York Post.
In The Kitchen With Meshach Rojas Of About This Much
Food philosophy in short: Eat more veggies and less processed junk!
What’s always in my fridge:
+ Nuts and seeds (almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, chia seeds, flax seed, pumpkin seeds, etc.). They’re a great source of minerals and perfect for adding to other foods or using to make “milks” and nut butters.
+ Some kind of green. I tend to rotate between spinach, kale, swisschard, and collard greens. They’re some of the most nutrient-rich vegetables out there and super easy to steam and throw into any meal.
+ Chia Pudding. Creamy desserts have always been my weakness, so having this available makes for a great snack or dessert with some fruits mixed in.
What’s never in my fridge: Candy, cookies, ice cream. Any store-bought sweets really. I find that not having those things easily available helps to control any potential cravings and makes it so I'm more likely to grab a piece of fruit instead. If I do want sweets, then I have to put in some cooking time to actually make them. Oh yeah, I also avoid dairy and processed meats.
Meal I make in a pinch: Smoothies are my go-to meal when I’m in a rush or not sure what I want to eat. They’re so easy to customize based on my mood and hunger levels. Plus you can always sneak some veggies in.
Comfort food I make for nostalgia: Growing up, pancakes were often a weekend treat my mom would make for me and my sister. I find myself making gluten-free ones using cassava flour, adding some dark chocolate, and smothering it in whatever seasonal fruit I have available.
Go-to proteins: Wild-caught salmon and pasture-raised eggs. Quality matters, so overall, I avoid factory farming and foods that are pumped with antibiotics. As for plant-based proteins, I typically have quinoa, amaranth, and nuts.
Favorite ingredients lately: Dates. I use them in all of my desserts. They are a great sweetener and can easily be puréed with water if you want to use them in baking or to make sweet sauces. It’s not easy to find a sweetener that has it’s own fiber like dates do.
Must-have snacks: Seasonal fruits! They’re so refreshing and they hold you over without ruining your appetite for whatever meal is next. I’m not much of a snacker. If I feel hungry, I'll just make lunch/dinner.
5 staples always on hand: In no particular order...
01 | Some kind of green (dark leafy greens, cruciferous, or avocado)
02 | Cashews (perfect if you need to make anything creamy, both sweet and savory)
03 | Fresh or frozen fruits
04 | Vitamix Blender
05 | Dates
Best thing to make from scratch:Kale chips. So cheap, so easy, and store-bought kale chips would have been like $7! I also love to make coconut milk. I have yet to try a single brand that compares to freshly-made coconut milk. It’s so creamy without the need for any added thickeners.
Favorite condiments: Does olive oil count? I find most condiments overpower the food you add them to.
Ingredient that makes everything better: Okay, hear me out… vinegar. Don’t underestimate how much a little bit of acidity can really bring a savory dish to the next level.
Favorite dish you’ve made lately: I'm actually a pretty boring eater most of the time, but lately I have been making some really refreshing mango + passionfruit smoothies using frozen fruits and coconut yogurt. So good.
Best bargain-shopping tip: Plan ahead so you know what makes more sense to buy in bulk or to freeze. I always have a giant bag of wild frozen blueberries in my freezer so I don’t have to keep buying small packs of them, only for them to go bad because I didn’t eat them quickly enough. Also, if you have a Costco near you, get a wholesale membership. It’s great for buying bulk nuts, seeds, spinach, wild-caught salmon, and more. Just make sure you have enough room to store it all.
Best label-reading tip: Focus on ingredients and don't trust the front of the box...it’s just advertising/buzzwords. The nutrition facts don’t always tell you everything you need to know, so always read the ingredients no matter what the package claims.
Weirdest thing I often buy: Coconuts. I think it’s weird for other people because most look at me like “What are you going to do with that thing?" I love making fresh coconut milk and saving a few pieces in the fridge as a quick snack to grab.
Favorite splurge: High-quality, sugar-free coconut yogurt. It can be hard to find decent brands and when you do, they know their worth and like to charge for it.
For last-minute entertaining: Cheesy Kale Chips that are dairy-free and made with a cashew cheese. I haven’t met anyone who didn't enjoy them. I just wish I had a bigger oven so I could make more at once.
UPCOMING PROJECTS: My cookbook is coming soon (hopefully April)! It will have around 50 meal recipes that are gluten-free, dairy-free, with no added sugar, no heavily processed ingredients, and made with whole foods you can find at your local grocery store. There will be two versions—one that is completely vegan/plant-based, and the other completely omnivore-focused. You can get on the waitlist for it here.
I also have an older recipe book that is all about refreshing drinks people can make at home or for their next gathering as alternatives to sugary beverages with artificial flavorings. Both can be found on my website links here
For those who have already subscribed to my Instagram page, I have given access to my broadcast channel where I store all of the recipes for the videos I share on social media. This keeps everything in an organized space while giving a little “thank you” to those who want to help support me.
About This Much's Crunchy, Sweet Potato Avocado “Toast”
Serves 1-2
Ingredients:
1 sweet potato
Cooked chickpeas
1 avocado
Lime juice (to taste)
1tbs pumpkin seeds
1tsp olive oil
1/4 cup cilantro + parsley(chopped)
Salt + pepper
Directions:
01 | Peel your chickpeas and toss with a little salt.
02 | Bake at 350F for about 45 minutes.
03 | Slice the sweet potato in half (length-wise).
04 | Hold 1 half so you can cut thin slices.
05 | Cook the slices in a skillet with a little bit of oil for 5 minutes on each side. Alternatively, you can use your oven, air fryer, or toaster.
06 | Mash your avocado with the lime juice, olive oil, herb, pumpkin seeds, and salt + pepper.
07 | Adjust flavors to your liking.
08 | Spread on top of your sweet potato slices.
09 | Top with your crunchy chickpeas and enjoy.
The post In The Kitchen With Meshach Rojas Of About This Much: On Sweet Potato Avocado Toast + Creamy (Healthy) Desserts appeared first on The Chalkboard.
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