OUR FOOD
Ethos
Take the time, make the effort and produce the best because only the best is good enough for our Kayla and the same goes for our customers. We believe our bodies are designed to absorb the nutrients we need from real food, the right food and in the right portions.
Only good ingredients make good food.
WHAT WE BELIEVE
We believe investing in a healthy diet means investing in your overall health and happiness. The right food and a correct balance of nutrients in your diet is a key factor in maintaining your energy levels, good digestion and general wellbeing.
Pills and supplements are no substitute and not nearly as effective when it comes to getting all the vitamins and minerals our bodies depend on. We have done a lot of research; we know what an ailing body needs and that’s NO nasties, NO synthetic additives or flavouring, ZERO refined anything – just a combination of quality proteins, vegetables, and carbohydrates; all naturally designed to nourish you from the inside out.
OUR SUPPLIERS
We are passionate about real food, fresh produce sourced locally where possible. Our family eat meals from Kayla’s Kitchen every week so we don’t include anything we wouldn’t want to eat ourselves or more importantly that’s not good enough for Kayla.
Our stock is high quality, authentic, fresh and sourced from our trusted suppliers. Our beef and lamb are reared in Wicklow from our favourite butchers McLoughlin’s Premium Craft Butchers. We use only Irish free range chicken and pork.
OUR PROCESS
We cook, we freeze, we deliver, so all you have to do is reheat. We make super-tasty meals the home-cooked way, then deliver them to your door. Each dish is packed with goodness and full of nutrients, a result of our method of snap freezing to lock in every ounce of taste and goodness.
Every dish arrives ready to pop into the freezer. They’re perfect for those in ill-health, incapacitated or just too busy to make healthy food from scratch.
We prepare all our spice blends and pastes by hand in our own kitchen, using fresh herbs and spices. The difference shows in the results - our Moroccan, Thai, Malaysian & Indian dishes are the real thing! Our Italian sauces are all made in the kitchen as are the meat and vegetable stocks that go into our dishes. We pride ourselves on getting our dishes to your table without even a pinch of flavour being lost.
WHY SNAP FREEZING?
Cooked meals can be preserved by snap freezing after cooking is almost complete. Snap freezing (or blast freezing) is the process of rapid cooling for the purpose of preservation. The speedy freezing process cools food to a temperature under 3 degrees Celsius within 90 minutes of cooking and stored at a maintained temperature of 0 to 3 degrees Celsius.
This ensures that bacteria has minimal time to develop and keeps produce fresh as it effectively stops rapid nutrient deterioration. A slower freezing process would still allow for unwanted changes in the produce and could result in bland, unhealthy food.
These processes have the advantage that preparation and cooking of meals is not tied to the times when the food is to be served. Nutritional health is of particular importance to Kayla’s Kitchen especially for those who are considered vulnerable and who are reliant on nutrient-dense foodstuffs. That is why the nutrient preserving properties of snap freezing are so beneficial.
Postpartum
We pride ourselves on making meals bursting with micronutrients, the littlemiracle workers we know are true heroes for supporting a recovering, perhaps breastfeeding, body and rebuilding strength.
We were delighted when the Doula Association of Ireland asked us to collaborate on a hamper that ticks all the boxes for a New Mum.
Here's what they say.
Written by Amélie Nyhan and Anita Petry from the Doula Association of Ireland.
The Doula Association of Ireland developed the New Mum Hamper with Kayla's Kitchen. We have been recommending them to clients for a long time and are thrilled to have officially partnered on something that is so vital, food for the new mum (and the whole family, if she decides to share!).
Welcoming a new baby into your family is a wondrous life experience and a pretty significant transition. It brings its own unique challenges, as looking after a newborn baby is a full-time job that you will need to do whilst recovering from pregnancy, labour, and childbirth.
Your postpartum recovery can be a very special time for you and your family and will carve the path for long term health and wellbeing. Doulas believe the new mother stands (or rests!) at the very centre of this experience, surrounded by the care and attention of others, so that she in turn can care for the new baby.
There are undeniable essentials to your postpartum recovery, such as rest, support, and good nutrition. In her book The First Forty Days, Heng Ou emphasises the great importance of nourishing the new mother. She states: “eating well can be the first thing that gets sacrificed when time, energy and resources are lacking, yet -paradoxically- the demands of postpartum require you to stay very well fed” It is no wonder then, that new mothers seem to appreciate nothing more than tasty, nutritious, and comforting dishes, made by others. Oh, that smell of cooking in the house!
Postpartum foods need to be packed with nutrients, easily digested, warming and, of course, nourishing. Dishes such as soups, broths, and stews are perfect for new mothers, as they are:
- Freezer-friendly
- Easily reheated
- And can be enjoyed one-handed!
Let’s have a closer look at what to prioritise in your postpartum meals.
Postpartum food is revitalising.
After giving birth to your baby, your body will be depleted of nutrients and energy. In order to recover from the experience, your body and soul need plenty of rest and good food that does not require your digestive system to work too hard to process it. Prioritise foods that are packed with a variety of fresh vegetables, grains and legumes, and don’t be afraid to add a bit of fat. Green vegetables will provide you with iron and vitamins while legumes such as lentils or chickpeas are a great source of protein.
Postpartum food is warming.
One of your goals during your postpartum recovery, and possibly one of the greatest challenges, will be to maintaining support your body’s warmth. During pregnancy , your blood volume increased about 50%, so after the birth of your baby, the loss of this excess warm, circulating blood, means that you will need some extra comfort and warmth being brought to you by outside sources. Lentil dahls are a wonderfully comforting option that new mothers enjoy greatly for their gently warming spices, like ginger, cinnamon, cumin, and cayenne.
Postpartum food rebuilds you
Your postpartum menu needs to bring you the nutrients needed to support your physical recovery. Collagen is an essential building block. Your body will have stretched and loosened, and your internal organs will have moved to allow for your baby to grow and for the process of childbirth to happen. Therefore, during the early postpartum period, including collagen-rich foods such as bone broth will kickstart your physical recovery. A simple, made-from-scratch beef stew is a delightful dish that will provide you with collagen, healthy fats, amino acids, minerals, protein, iron…(you name it) that will stock up your energy levels and boost your immune system.
Postpartum food brings you joy and comfort
You do not need to watch the calories as you recover from childbirth. During the first few months after birth, and beyond, we believe in enjoying a wide range of foods, in dishes that you love and that make you feel energised, happy, and nurtured, and to eat to satiety, especially for those who are breastfeeding. Your body needs energy, proteins, fats, and sugars to recover physically and emotionally and to allow you to fully embrace your new role as a mother. Depriving yourself of calories or limiting your intake is counterproductive and will only leave you depleted and despondent. Trust us, we have seen it over and over again. The foods you choose to consume during the early days postpartum will set you on a path towards long term health and wellbeing, and help you understand that taking care of yourself is invaluable.
Freshly made desserts, bakes, and treats also have comforting nourishment in them and will benefit your mood too, so by all means include a bit of indulgence if you feel like it!
An ideal postpartum diet is rich, satisfying and comforting, to fully support your physical recovery. Wholesome dishes, made from fresh ingredients with a wide variety of colours and flavours will not only nourish your body but also boost your mood and make you feel nurtured and loved.
Great! Now. How do we do that? We really do need that village that everybody talks about.Ideally you’d have a few very supportive friends and relatives who would descend upon your house and tidy the kitchen, do the laundry, cook for you, and hold the baby so that you can have a shower or a cuppa. That’s what we do as doulas day in and day out, helping new families find their footing, keeping new mamas company, offering reliable information, some time for self-care, a warm beverage, and a bowl of something delicious.
We often prioritise nourishing the new mother because even though we all know of its importance, the simple act of eating a nice meal can be one of the first things to fall through the cracks.
