Once Upon a Meal

Chapter 1

A new chapter

In 2021, I moved from Texas to Toronto, hoping to start a new chapter. What I didn’t expect was how isolating it would feel—moving during COVID, working from home, and living alone while managing chronic depression.

On many days, I didn’t even have the energy to cook. I skipped meals, or just ate ramen and ice cream, because meal kits and takeout were too expensive.

Over time, my health really suffered. That diet took a toll: gastrointestinal issues developed, and my HbA1c levels rose above the healthy range.

The hard days

When food became difficult

Over time, my health really suffered. That diet took a toll: gastrointestinal issues developed, and my HbA1c levels rose above the healthy range.

“I wondered how many people experience this. So I began testing the demand for affordable, home-cooked meals for low-energy days.”

The question was personal, but I knew the experience could not be mine alone.

Chapter 2

A simple kindness

I left my job in May to focus on my health and started volunteering at a Buddhist temple. In exchange for helping with chores, the monk kindly shared meals with me. That simple kindness was life-changing.

Before, the fatigue was so overwhelming that even chopping vegetables or cleaning up after cooking felt impossible. Often, I’d just stay in bed, too drained to move.

A little energy returns

Food changed the day

The nourishing meals from the temple lifted me out of that cycle. With food already prepared, I could sit up, eat, and feel my energy slowly return.

These meals didn’t just feed me. They helped me get my whimsicalness back—and I felt alive.

Chapter 3

That’s when it clicked

How many others experience this? Whether it’s chronic illness, sick days, physical challenges, depression, or simply being stretched too thin—so many of us have days when even a simple task feels impossible.

I started conducting surveys to discover how the community was feeling and what kind of support would genuinely help.