When you become a kencko member you’re getting more than monthly shipments of smoothies. You’re also gaining access to our top-notch nutrition team!
At kencko, we’re all about helping you start and stick to healthy habits. We want our smoothies to make enjoying your daily servings of fruits and vegetables a little more enjoyable and a little less stressful.
But we know that realistically, even if it were possible to monastically ditch the stress of modern life, take up residence in a house-sized fruit bowl, pass the time meditating on a throne made of bananas, healthy eating would still be challenging.
Which is fine! Drastic measures aren’t always the answer. Sometimes all we need is a little help from a supportive confidant, who really knows their stuff. That’s why we’ve made access to our nutrition team a core aspect of your kencko membership.
Got a question about healthy meal planning? Struggling to navigate the onslaught of nutritional information (and more realistically misinformation) as you scroll through your Instagram feed? Generally feeling a bit “meh” after eating certain foods? Mallory, Carolina, and Sofia are just an email away.
Read on to get to know the three passionate pros who comprise kencko’s nutrition team!
Mallory
Hailing from the plains of the Texas Panhandle but now a proud New Yorker, Mallory is our Director of Nutrition, and if you’re following us on Instagram, probably a familiar face! Mallory’s nutritional philosophy boils down to all foods fit.
“Unless you have a health concern or condition where you have to restrict foods, I don’t think we need to completely restrict food groups or foods – you don’t have to cut out pizza to be healthy.”
Describe your perfect meal!
It has to be Thai curry! Going through school for nutrition I can’t look at a meal and not see a carbohydrate, a protein, and a fat. Brown rice for the whole grain, vegetables contribute to the carbohydrates, tofu is the protein, and of course there’s going to be fat when you’re using oil or coconut milk for the curry sauce. It’s my favorite food on the planet.
What's one nutrition-related fad or myth you want to dispel?
I feel like I’m always hating on keto, but carbs are necessary for health – our body needs them for energy! What happens when your body is going into ketosis is that it’s using fat for energy as a last resort. And whenever your brain has to use alternative sources of energy (such as ketone bodies) it puts a lot of stress on your body to make and use that source. If this is a diet you’re thinking about pursuing I definitely recommend talking with your doctor or dietitian about it!
What's a food that doesn't get the love it deserves nutritionally?
Carrots. They’re packed with vitamins A and C, they have fiber and antioxidants, plus carotenoids. They’re the superfood we don’t call a superfood. This is so cheesy… but we buy raw carrots, and me and my husband and our dog all have “carrot time” during the day when we just eat a carrot. I’ll say “carrot time” and my dog runs to the kitchen for his carrot.
What's your favorite kencko smoothie?
I’m going to go with mint greens! I like a green drink – I just like the idea of a green drink for some reason! But mint greens doesn’t taste like a green smoothie. You know? It tastes so minty and delicious. It’s refreshing.
What do you like to do for fun?
I like to go to new restaurants. That’s one of my favorite things about living in New York. I also like the outdoors in the city, if that makes sense. I don’t like camping, but I like walking my dog. My husband works in photography and videography and I love seeing his projects. Sometimes I’ll take his camera and go out and take photos, just as a hobby.
Sofia
Sofia, the newest member of our nutrition team, calls Lisbon home, where she brings her lifelong passions for fresh, local food and its preventative powers to the table for her clients. When it comes to her approach to nutrition coaching, she firmly believes that “knowledge is power.”
“You have to learn to know your body, and you have to learn how to read labels and to recognize food quality. If you understand the bases of nutrition there is so much you can do with it!”
Describe your perfect meal!
A piece of grilled fish (the cod here is so good here in Portugal!), boiled potatoes with some extra virgin olive oil (and a squeeze of lemon juice), a salad with vegetables from my dad’s garden, and to drink, some homemade lemonade with a hint of mint and lots of ice. This meal always reminds me of summer days with family and friends.
What's one nutrition-related fad or myth you want to dispel?
“You shouldn’t eat past 8:00 pm.” Every food has the same nutritional facts before or after 8:00 pm. People often think that after a certain time, any food that you eat will be harmful to your body. But really, what counts is the food you consume over the course of the whole day and your level of physical activity.
What's a food that doesn't get the love it deserves nutritionally?
Water! Water is needed for most body functions – flushing out waste from your body, regulating body temperature, helping your brain function. It’s really common for a client to eat very healthy, but when I ask about water consumption, they aren’t drinking enough of it. People often underestimate water and how important it is.
What's your favorite kencko smoothie?
That’s so difficult! Can I give my top five? I have a top ten and even getting a top five was hard! 1. peaches, 2. golden plums, 3. yellows, 4. beet reds, 5. mint greens.
What do you like to do for fun?
So many different things: cooking, reading, painting, gardening, just hanging out with family and friends – I love when you sit down for a meal together at 4pm and all of a sudden it’s 11pm and you didn’t realize it. I also like group sports, like playing basketball, padel, and going for power walks.
Carolina
Carolina is our in-house expert on all things plant-based nutrition. Though originally from São Paulo, she currently splits her time between Miami and New York City, and sums up her nutritional output in one simple mantra: eat more plants.
“I like to keep things simple. Plants have so many incredible properties and almost work as medicine in preventative ways. Even if people aren’t vegan or vegetarian, if they simply eat more plants, the studies say they’re at a decreased risk of certain diseases.”
Describe your perfect meal!
I’m originally from Brazil where rice and beans is something everyone eats on a daily basis, usually with meat. Now that I’ve been plant-based for a few years, I like it with some sauce, then a side of steamed greens – or sauteed Swiss chard and collard greens – then roasted broccoli. It reminds me of my culture and home, and it’s a comfort food.
What's one nutrition-related fad or myth you want to dispel?
“You can’t get enough protein being plant-based.” This is just not true at all. Protein is in everything – even in carbohydrate-rich foods like brown rice, oats, and spinach. It requires attention but it’s 100% possible and doable to get everything you need from plants.
What's a food that doesn't get the love it deserves nutritionally?
Dark chocolate! Cacao beans are so nutritious! Iron is a common nutrient deficiency and cacao is an incredible source. It’s rich in polyphenols, and it’s so rich in many minerals such as manganese and magnesium, phosphorus, and copper. I think people just associate chocolate with candy and milk chocolate but forget that cacao itself is a nutrient powerhouse!
What's the best nutritional advice you've ever received?
“Eat better, not less.” We live in a culture where people fear food, and they see food only as a thing that can cause weight gain. So people develop this fear and think cutting calories or macros is the answer, when the quality of the food you’re eating is what matters. If you’re eating wholesome foods, that’s what counts.
What's your favorite kencko smoothie?
I think I have two! I love reds, probably because strawberries are my favorite fruit and I’m obsessed with ginger. Every time I have it I feel like I forgot how much I love it. And golds, because of chocolate – obviously!
What do you like to do for fun?
I’m an outdoors and nature person and I love hiking – especially in upstate New York, that’s one of my favorite places in the world. I’m definitely the person to pick mountains over the beach. (Don’t get me wrong, I love the beach too.) I love kayaking, being in the water. And my husband and I love a great craft beer. Whenever we travel we try to go to a local brewery – and pick up a coaster for our collection, of course!
