05/31/2026
One of the most important posts I’ve ever shared. The “why” behind our business, which remains true today.
A woman approached my booth at the market yesterday.
She read my signs, picked up one our grain-free specialties and looked at the label (with squeaky-clean ingredients; no gluten, grains, soy, dairy, peanuts, or refined sugars.)
She scoffed and said, "Why don't you just eat an orange, then?? I mean, seriously."
You know what? She's not wrong. 🤔
However, it gave me a chance to re-center and focus. To explain the "why" behind why I do this. And I think it's important to share it again.
Because honestly, 100 times over, I'd rather you eat an orange (or preferably another tasty, organic fruit locally grown and in season) over one of our clean-eats treats. Truly! Eating a whole foods, grain and soy-free, unprocessed clean diet is the best option for everyone. Period. 🍊
So why do I make cookies, cupcakes, bliss bites, and whoopie pies? Paleoatmeal and pizza crusts? Bread, muffins, and pumpkin rolls? Seasonings and coconut chips?
Why have I done a gazillion dishes, live with boxes of packaging where I might otherwise have a dining room, and stay up ridiculously late creating new recipes that might or might not work (which may result in $20 of ingredients going out to the birds?) 🤷♀️
It's simple. I want to help YOU be successful. My desire is for YOU to experience optimally healthy living.
Because the world we live in is NOT a whole foods, grain and soy-free, unprocessed clean dietary world. Period. Not socially. Not in restaurants, or churches, or on the road. Not even in grocery stores nor at farmer's markets! ❌
And unfortunately, most people, unless they absolutely cannot, will cave on the wrong things for a special event or while being social with friends. 🎂🍭🌭🥐
It might be once a year. It might be once a month. For some, it's on a regular weekly basis. Some have "cheat days." 😨
And the setback from that (besides just the difficulty of re-setting your own discipline) can have long-lasting, DEVASTATING effects. It can absolutely prevent full healing. It can allow disease to take root as it's constantly permitted to thrive by triggering inflammation.
My goal is for EACH of YOU to have the opportunity to be successful! And that means not always having to miss out, or feel like you are. And sometimes a cookie or chocolate bar or pizza crust might be life-changing for someone. It might just help them feel included. And if it helps them to say "Yes, I can do this!" instead of "No, I am not even going to try," then that is a WIN. 🍪🍕🍫💯
My friends, THAT is the sole purpose of our products. Each one is designed specifically to support you, to make life a little easier in the kitchen, to make you feel special at a family event, to allow Mom to say "yes" when everything else has to be a "no." To allow just a tiny bit of indulgence without a setback. 🤩
I'm not quite sure if she understood my explanation, even when I said I would always recommend an orange over our cookie. In fact, I think she may have wondered at that point if I was from another world. 🤣
But I hope you understand.
Because yes, yes I am...from a world where optimal health not only exists, I've seen it thrive. And that's the world I try so hard to create and sustain - one cookie, one smile, one "I can have this??" at a time.
I'll always tell you to choose the orange, but if you're going to cave, please cave on our gourmet, made-with-love, clean-eats. 😍
-Jen Cuevas
Founder & CEO
The Gluten & Grain Free Gourmet
