Interview: Emilie Hebert of Emilie Eats

Emilie Hebert of Emilie Eats breaks it down for us in today’s interview about her blogging journey, health philosophy, tips for starting a food blog, cooking hacks and of course some jaw dropping vegan recipes. 

YOU GUYS.

stop what you’re doing because….

I had the honor of interviewing Emilie Hebert of Emilie Eats (!!!) and my heart could not me more full! I’ve watched Emilie grow her blog from the beginning (wow I sound like a mom 🤦🏻‍♀️) & been a HUGE fan since day one. She got me with her vegan parmesan cauliflower steaks and i. was. SOLD.

Emilie has an infectious personality and could not be more authentic in a world where it’s nearly impossible to be. She talks so openly about her life, disordered eating, health journey and is just plain real. Watch her instagram stories and you’ll see what I mean. ( You’ll also see her adorable cat and sweet boyfriend, but that’s just an added bonus 😉 )

Emilie runs a vegan food blog — providing the world tons of delicious, plant-based recipes, is a senior at LSU AND working on getting her RD…she’s a literal rockstar and I’m so incredibly thankful to have her on the blog today!

SO LETS GET TO IT

Introduce yourself to the Hello Spoonful Community!

Hey everyone! My name is Emilie Hebert, and I am the blogger at EmilieEats.com, where I share delicious, plant-powered recipes and overall wellness and lifestyle tips. I’m also a full-time college student, social media intern, cat mom, crazy plant lady, animal lover, and enjoyer of nature. I wear many hats, and I love them all!

I started my blog about 2.5 years ago, and it became a business a year later. I had just gone vegan after learning about the environmental impacts of animal agriculture (which has always been important to the hippie in me!), and I’ve always loved cooking and nutrition—a blog seemed like the perfect outlet to express my creativity and share what I had learned in my own journey. Now I share plant-based recipes that’ll knock your socks off, with some lifestyle content about sustainability, disordered eating, life in college, and blogging sprinkled in.

I’m currently a senior studying public relations in south Louisiana, but I’ll be attending graduate school in fall 2018 to become a registered dietitian. Crossing my fingers I’ll end up in Colorado!

How do you manage getting your R.D., running a business & having a normal college life all at once!?

This is everyone’s favorite question to ask, for good reason—HA! To be honest, sometimes I don’t have it all together. Actually, most of the time I don’t. I’m figuring out this work-life balance day by day just like everyone else in the online space!

What I’ve learned though is that, right now, my grades and getting into graduate school are my top priorities. Blogging is not my full-time career, nor do I ever want it to be, so I don’t have to spend 40-50 hours a week working. I definitely still struggle with overworking and not being able to step away from the computer, but I’m getting better about it. It’s all about setting boundaries for yourself!

I had to learn the hard way how important having fun in college is. I spent 2 years in college so into disordered eating that I missed out and barely saw my friends. Now in my senior year, I do feel pangs of guilt about that, but I’m trying to make up for all the lost fun. 😉 We can get really caught up in the Instagram community and always trying to be “perfect,” but I’ve spent more than a few nights this semester eating chips for dinner and drinking margaritas with the people I love—and I don’t regret them one bit.

Do the things or feelings that drove you to start Emilie Eats at the beginning still drive you now?

Of course! I always say that the blog is for the people who read it, not for me. I mean, I could get creative in my kitchen but keep the recipes to myself. The reason I share them is because I LOVE showing people that nutritious foods can be delicious, affordable, and easy to prepare. The best feeling is when someone comments on my blog to tell me that they loved my recipe, their kids loved the recipe, they could feed my recipe to a family member with a certain disease, etc. THAT’S the reason I do what I do—so that people can cook one of my recipes and share it with the people they love.

I was also so passionate about veganism when I started the blog, which is still true now. I am not in the business of forcing anyone to go vegan—that’s not the best approach, in my opinion. I’m simply coming from a loving and encouraging place to show people that you can do better for the environment, for the animals, and for your health just by tweaking what’s on your plate.

[ related posts: Vegan Black Bean Brownies | 5-Minute Vegan Cheese | Practicing Self-Love and Knowing Your Worth ]

{ be sure to check out her drool-worthy recipes like these loaded vegan sweet potato nachos }

If you had to start your blog today, how would you approach it since the industry is much more saturated than before?

This is a hard question—so many things have changed in the online space just in the 2.5 years I’ve been blogging. Facebook and Instagram have made it harder to grow your brand and connect with followers. There are so many people doing exactly what you want to do. BUT I don’t think that should discourage anyone from starting a blog—it’s still such a rewarding and fun experience.

I think I would approach it with the same attitude as when I started. I had no intention of growing it into a business. I blogged with so much genuine passion and a desire to learn, and I think readers saw that and connected with me. If you start a blog with the sole purpose of making money, people can see through that, and you won’t come off as totally genuine.

I would approach it with the same true passion I did when I started, and then I would try to figure out all of the other stuff!

What were some mistakes or difficulties you had in finding your voice and message?

Since the online space is so saturated with food blogs, I have had more than a few moments of, “XX is already doing what you want to do, so don’t even try” or “why do you think you can stand out?” I’ve really had to fight through those thoughts to recognize that I DO have something valuable to offer, no matter if someone else has done something similar.

In this health world, especially on Instagram, there are many messages that I think come off as very privileged or unrealistic. I have always tried to put out a very realistic and approachable way of being healthy—like sharing those chips & margaritas nights or sharing affordable food options that are accessible to most people. People really appreciate when you don’t seem so “perfect” all the time!

Tell us about your health/food philosophy!

There are a few quotes that come to mind. “Love the food that loves you back.” “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”

I’m a big believer in food as medicine and the healing power of a plant-based diet, but I am also a believer in not being obsessive about it. – Emilie Hebert

That means quinoa and spinach and chickpeas, with some donuts and pizza and chips. For me, I chose to eat and live vegan because that lifestyle aligns with my values and the person I want to be. I have struggled with restriction in the past (and still struggle sometimes!), but I have learned to find food freedom and eat intuitively even within a vegan diet. AKA vegan ice cream and pizza and burgers!

[ related posts: Vegan Black Bean Brownies | 5-Minute Vegan Cheese | Practicing Self-Love and Knowing Your Worth ]

I’ve also learned that health is so much more than food. It’s having supportive relationships and how your home makes you feel and the hobbies you do and having a career you love. For me, chips & margaritas nights with friends when we don’t stop laughing is just as healthy for my soul as a veggie bowl.

{ brb going to make Emilie’s vegan teriyaki sushi burrito.. can I get an AMEN!?}

If you had to eat one food for the rest of your life what would it be and why!?

Sweet potatoes with tahini! A little sweet, a little savory, and SO satisfying.

Grocery essentials?

Spinach, almond milk, frozen berries, apples, bananas, oats, broccoli, beans, walnuts, tahini (it runs through my veins, HA), potatoes

Favorite cooking hack or tip?

Always brown your onions. It’s a Southern thing! My mom taught me that before you cook anything (sauces, soups, stir-fries, etc.) you cook your onion until it’s nice and brown. So much flavor!

Favorite cocktail of choice?

Moscow mule with ginger kombucha instead of ginger beer! Basically any cocktail with kombucha. 😉

[ related posts: Vegan Black Bean Brownies | 5-Minute Vegan Cheese | Practicing Self-Love and Knowing Your Worth ]

Isn’t she just the sweetest human!? I’ve re-read her answers about five times by now and have a feeling I’ll be book-marking my own blog post 🙈 I can’t say enough wonderful things about this girl right here. Hope you all enjoyed!

Be sure to follow Emilie on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, subscribe to her blog AND check out her e-book!

x, elizabeth

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