Never have I been more convicted to do my part for Black Lives Matter than I am right now. I sit here almost ashamed of my naïveté and ignorance, born of my sheltered life of *relative* socioeconomic privilege. I cannot change that, but I can do my part in educating myself and becoming ACTIVELY acti-racist. It isn’t enough anymore for me to just say, “I’m not racist.” From now on, I will do my best to better educate myself, so I can do better, be better and help stop this spread of racism that, before now, I truly had no clue existed.

I know my platform is very small, as is my sphere of influence, but from now on I will be intentionally diversifying my pantry and table by cooking with foods that come from Black Owned businesses. I believe any positive change here in stamping out racism and ignorance here is a good thing, no matter how small your platform. Delish.com and Bon Appetit have helped me curate my list and these are a few of the brands I will be trying in the near future! Just wanted to share in case anyone else found this helpful! stay tuned ❤️

I’ve also included the links for all of these brands and companies! Excited to show y’all what I can make with these amazing products ❤️

I stole the above graphic from @msmaverickmuse because I loved it (and her message) so much! Support in any and all ways that you can- especially if you can spread joy and light while doing so.

Here are some food items that I have either ordered, used or will order to use in my kitchen (and showcase on my blog here). They are black owned business and I will tag them below ❤️

@iyafoods- Founded in 2015 by Toyin Kolawole, Iya Foods promotes nourishing African-inspired ingredients and supports job creation via buying local and sourcing from growers who use environmentally responsible methods. If you saw my stories, you already know I ordered a bunch of these products and can’t wait to use them- you can get them right on Amazon! I bought the plantain and cassava flours so far and I plan on buying her crushed Hybiacus and cauliflower/cassava flour blend! I’m thinking of making cauliflower bites and zucchini bread with these!

@berhanteff – is a company founded by Ermeyes and Betlehim Ghebrreselassie that makes Ted flour; a gluten free, nutrient packed ancient grain indigenous to Ethiopia. I’m a flour nut and can’t wait to experiment with this!

@golde – Brooklyn-based brand that makes superfood-boosted health and beauty products. I’m still digging into what I want to order here… it all looks so amazing!

@partakefoods – founded by Denise Woodward, this is a cookie company that specializes in gluten free, allergy free, vegan cookies that are *reputably* super delicious. I’m dying to try their Birthday Cake cookie and need to place my order stat!

@ivysteaco – not only is this business Black owned (by the herbalist, Shanae), but one day every month, Ivys Tea Co. donates to various black forward charities. I cannot wait to try the Coconut Vanilla Rise And Grind!! She’s been swamped with business lately (whoop!) but I’m patient, so that’s ok ❤️

@jonesbbqkc – it’s amazing. My favorite is the “Sweet and Tangy” and I’ve already made ribs with it. I’m sure not near as good as they do, but I’m learning!

@vickycakeapancakemix – because I’m always looking for better pancake mixes. It’s a hobby of mine. And these have some serious hype!

@ivyees – I’ve gotten their hibiscus raw honey from @wholefoods before and it is amazing. Definitely time for a re-order and I actually want to try their bee pollen too! They also sell skin care products as well.

@realdopecoffee – well, I feel like that speaks for itself! My husband loves a good Guatemalan blend, so this with a side of beard oil (yes they sell that!) seems like a good Fathers Day gift to me. Their CEO, Mike, also seems very relatable and I have found his videos to be very raw, real, open and honest and I really appreciate that. Oh- and he’s also a former Marine. Gotta love a good Veteran owned business.

Excited to diversify my pantry and my feed. Stay tuned. And try a few of these brands!