Knorr Eativist Nancy Umeh’s Simple Tips to Help You Make Better Food Choices

Knorr Eativist, Nancy Umeh wears many hats, and she cooks with all of them! Join this chef, public health guru, and founder of Radiance Cookware, a non-toxic cast iron cookware as she reveals her practical strategies for healthy family meals. Learn how Nancy leverages her diverse skills to navigate the kitchen with confidence, using Knorr to create wholesome dishes that tantalize taste buds and nourish bodies. Buckle up for some delicious and empowering tips!

• Managing a successful business requires resilience. Can you share a challenge you faced and how your diverse skill set helped you overcome it?

Nancy Umeh: When I started Radiance Cookware, I didn’t have a physical store. It was an online business, and I had to create content daily to meet my daily sales target. I used to take professional photos and videos of my cookware to share as content. As time went on, it became apparent that it wasn’t sustainable. I was burnt out and stressed and disappeared from social media for a month.

One day, I was making pancakes and decided to film the process to post on my stories. That day, I sold so many skillets; in fact, the colour I used was sold out before evening. That was when it dawned on me that my cooking skills were what I needed to show, not professional-looking videos of me talking about cookware all day. From then on, I decided to film everything I cooked with my phone. I posted daily on my stories and once in a while on the feed. I also encouraged my customers to share their recipes with me and do the same. Since then, sharing recipes has become a core element of my business. I wouldn't have known if I didn’t share my cooking skills. Sharing recipes is so effortless and rewarding.

• As a mom, what strategies did you employ to ensure a healthy lifestyle for your children, considering your business commitments?

Nancy Umeh: The one strategy I do not joke with is time management. It is impossible to cook three healthy meals daily without burning out, so I made a timetable for our meals. This meal plan was written with the help of my children. Their favourite foods with a healthy twist. That way, there is no rejection or complaint. They enjoy creating meal plans and batch cooking every weekend. I also teach my children basic skills like knife skills, food preparation, cooking, kitchen management, sanitation, and kitchen safety so they can cook their meals even when I’m not there. Right now, they can make themselves a healthy breakfast, thaw and reheat food. They can prep and slice their fruits and vegetables for eating/ cooking. When I’m away, I leave them healthy options for snacks. There’s always yoghurt and fruits in the fridge for a quick smoothie or parfait, and they have their favourite recipes. It’s important also to teach the basics of nutrition so they know they shouldn’t eat excess of anything, especially sugar. They understand balance in everything.

• In your experience as a Knorr Eativist, can you share a memorable experience when you successfully convinced your kids to try and enjoy a healthy dish?

Nancy Umeh: I’m trying to expand their palate, so I ensure they try out new foods/ flavours every other week. However, the most memorable experience till date was when I introduced them to edible termites, a healthy alternative source of protein in Nigeria. They had never eaten it before. I had to blindfold them to try it. My son tasted it and loved it immediately. However, my daughter was skeptical. She tried it, didn’t like it, opened her blindfold, and ran for her life. Eventually, she took a liking to it, and it has become one of their favourite sources of protein. I filmed the introduction, and it went viral on social media. It was such a fun time.

I have a rule: you can’t say a child doesn’t like a particular food after introducing it a few times. It has to be at least a dozen times.

Source: Legit.ng