• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Lealou Cooks

Easy Meal Plans for Busy Families

  • Home
  • About Me
    • Contact Me
  • Work With Me
  • Free Guide: Make Cooking at Home Easier
  • Cooking Classes + Events
  • Lifestyle
  • Recipes
  • Shop
  • Cart

Hey! I’m Stephanie.

Hey! I’m Stephanie.

I’m Stephanie Fazio (aka Lealou*), Culinary Nutrition Expert, cooking instructor, and freelance writer.

I have a passion for food. Real food.

Like many children of the ’80s I grew up eating a lot of processed junk food.

My favourite foods as a teenager were Doritos and penny sour candies and I could polish off a bag of deep-fried fish and chips like no body’s business.

It wasn’t until I got to university that my tastes started to change and I realized what real food is: whole grains, vegetables, fewer ingredients.

I was blessed to live in a residence that didn’t have a meal plan, so I made my own food and instead of gaining the Frosh 15, I lost 20 pounds almost instantly.


Fast forward several years to when my son was born: he had severe eczema on his face and I did everything I could to figure out what was causing it.

I was nursing him so I changed my diet removing dairy and gluten and after a lot of trial and error, we realized he has a sensitivity to cow milk.

I learned so much about food during that process that I developed a passion for eating real food and planning meals that nourish the body.


In 2016 I completed my certification as a Culinary Nutrition Expert and I’m excited to combine it with my journalism degree from Ryerson University to educate others on the value of real food and what it can do for our bodies and our well-being.

I also have a passion for meal planning and teach my clients how to plan nourishing meals for their families every week so they can pave the road toward feeling their best. Life is as busy as ever, but I truly believe we can still eat well on a daily basis; we just need a bit of planning to do it!


Whether it’s creating custom healthy family meal plans, or hosting a workshop or virtual cooking class, I’d love to work with you on your healthy family food adventures.

Check out my services and contact me for more information, or head on over to shop my simple meal plans to get started right away.


*Wonder what’s with the Lealou nickname? I used to be a huge Bruce Willis fan back in the day and my favourite movie of all time is The Fifth Element. Have you seen it? The main character is Leeloo! I changed the spelling and adopted it as my nickname.



Free Guide + Simple Recipes!

Get my Free Guide: 3 Tips to Make Cooking at Home Easier + Easy Recipes Meal Plan

Thank you for subscribing! Your free guide and recipe booklet is on its way!

Something went wrong.

We respect your privacy and take protecting it seriously

Before Footer

Follow me on Instagram • @lealoulemonade

***EDIT: These are RAMPS! Oops. But you can still ***EDIT: These are RAMPS! Oops. But you can still read about all the benefits of garlic and green garlic below. Also, you can use ramps in the recipe I gave you!***

--

This week I got my first batch of green garlic in the veggie box!⁠
⁠
Green garlic, or spring garlic, is a younger version of the garlic we know well and use in our cooking. It’s milder and can be used in many recipes. You can eat the white and green parts.⁠
⁠
It has a white base like a green onion although it’s a bit bigger and its green stems are more flat than rounded. ⁠
⁠
The younger version of this garlic has the same amazing health benefits as its older version making it an excellent addition to your recipes.⁠
⁠
Not to mention it’s local and can basically be grown anywhere which is fantastic news for our environment.⁠
⁠
Health Benefits of Garlic:⁠
⁠
⚡️Helps to reduce cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure⁠
Garlic’s sulfur-containing compounds can be beneficial to the upper digestive tract.⁠
⚡️We need to eat garlic in our meals at least 2-3 times a week in order to see these health benefits.⁠
⚡️Use it raw and cooked. Raw garlic retains its health benefits more so than when it is cooked.⁠
⚡️Dried garlic doesn’t have the same effect as raw or cooked. Tastes good though!⁠
⁠
⚡️A Quick Recipe: Quinoa (or rice or millet) with Green Garlic⚡️⁠
⁠
Slice the ends off of the green garlic and thinly slice the entire vegetable including the green parts.⁠
⁠
Put a tablespoon of olive oil into a pan and sauté the green garlic for 1-2 minutes. Add quinoa (about 1-2 cups) and stir. Add a bit of salt and pepper and voila! You have a flavourful side dish. ⁠
⁠
--⁠
#recipe #springrecipes #simplerecipes
My brother-in-law Steve spent a large portion of o My brother-in-law Steve spent a large portion of our Christmas dinner sharpening my knives. I was so grateful, but also hesitant that I would cut myself.⁠
⁠
When I started cooking with my newly-sharpened knives, I was in awe.⁠
⁠
Sharp knives make all the difference when it comes to enjoying cooking. It's also safer if you can believe it.⁠
⁠
With a sharp knife, you're less likely to push down harder on the knife trying to get it through an onion, for example.⁠
⁠
It just slices through with little pressure. ⁠
⁠
Dull knives leave room for error and slicing fingers (listen, I've cut a few fingers over the years...).⁠
⁠
If you're having trouble enjoying cooking at home, I encourage you to either get a new knife (it doesn't have to be expensive), or get someone to sharpen your knives for you (call a Steve in your area!).⁠
⁠
Take care of them with a little holder and treat them kindly. Having a sharp knife will bring you one step closer to love cooking at home.⁠
⁠
xo⁠
Steph⁠
⁠
--⁠
#kitchenskills #cookingtips #easycooking #enjoycooking #inthekitchen
Keep Meals Simple Friends! I’ve said this befor Keep Meals Simple Friends!

I’ve said this before: keep your meals simple. 

Pick meals that take fewer than 20 minutes or less to cook so you’re not scrambling during the week to make dinner and keep the elaborate meals for the weekend.

Another idea is to choose a couple of veggies to roast on Sunday that you can use for various meals during the week. 

Roasted sweet potatoes are great with chicken thighs, but also taste fantastic in a frittata or taco. 

Cook once, eat twice (or three times).

Meal planning doesn’t have to be complicated. Keep it simple and nourishing and it get easier over time.

I’m accepting new clients at @onehealthservices! DM me if you’re looking for meal planning and prep help. 

#mealprephelp #mealplanhelp #springrefresh #
Mondays are our busy nights. I have tennis (so fun Mondays are our busy nights. I have tennis (so fun!) and my son has soccer. ⁠
⁠
That's why I make sure to make Mondays an easier night for dinner. ⁠
⁠
Enter salads and bowls!⁠
⁠
Last Monday, I made a salad bowl with arugula, leftover rice, olives, tomatoes, chicken, and feta, and wowee it was yummers!⁠
⁠
By prepping ingredients, the kids can take what they want and leave what they don't want (eh-hem, tomatoes) and we have a meal full of elements that will keep us satisfied and nourished.⁠
⁠
Need meal prep and meal plan help?⁠
⁠
I'm currently accepting new clients @onehealthservices! DM me or visit the link in my profile here @lealoucooks to chat about custom meal plans.⁠
⁠
--⁠
#mealprep #mealplanning #health #naturopath #virtualappointments #realfood #wholefood #foodmatters #holistichealth #culinarynutrition

Footer

About Stephanie

Photo of a white woman with brown hair

Hey! I'm Stephanie. I'm a Writer, Culinary Nutrition Expert and Cooking Instructor helping families cook nourishing meals. Read more about me {here}.

Popular Posts

  • 5 Benefits of Getting a Custom Meal Plan
  • 8 Easy Tips for Making Soup
  • Kids Not Eating Dinner? Try this!
  • Eat what you love.
  • The Best Pots and Pans to Use for Healthy Cooking

etsy kitchen utensils and linen napkins

Copyright © 2023 · Wellness Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Before you go...

You might be interested in these posts:

stack of cook books
Lifestyle

How to Meal Plan With a Cookbook.

Lifestyle

Going Out? Here are 5 Healthy Snacks to Bring With You

woman holding a white slow cooker
Lifestyle

7 Tips for Slow Cooker Success