Essential Ingredients Podcast 056: Working Moms Incorporating Sustainability Into Family Life with Daniela Kratz & Shirin Aryanpour
“Simplicity was something I learned from my family and grew up with. The fact is, you do not need fancy food, you do not need a huge variety of food. You can have some potatoes, and you can have one vegetable, and you make a brothy sauce with the vegetables, and you pour it over the freshly cooked potatoes. It can be so comforting and nourishing. So simplicity is something that is important for us to understand.” —Daniela Kratz
“I grew up in a household where we cooked together. Cooking was a way of connecting for us. Culturally, food is a language of love, poetry, and respect for nature. We grew up and used everything that was available; nothing went to waste. So for my kids it was important to pass that on.” —Shirin Gonili Aryanpour
What if the most radical act of sustainability isn’t what you buy, but how you gather your family around the table?
In a world that tells working moms to do it all, the real challenge is weaving mindful choices into the chaos of daily life without losing the joy, the flavor, or the connection. If you’ve ever wondered how to nurture your kids, your career, and the planet—without burning out—this conversation is for you.
Meet Shirin Aryanpour, a mom and former physical therapist who transformed her family’s kitchen into a hub of love, culture, and zero-waste creativity, and Daniela Kratz, founder of Farmhouse Lab, who brings the wisdom of generations and the simplicity of real food to her own children. Together, they share honest stories of juggling work, family, and the pursuit of a sustainable lifestyle, offering practical rituals, cultural insights, and the reassurance that perfection isn’t the goal.
Tune in as Justine, Shirin, and Daniela explore how food rituals, cultural traditions, and open-door community spirit can empower working moms to teach their kids about conscious choices, nurture respect for nature, balance busy schedules, and celebrate the beauty of imperfection.
Meet Daniela:
A SF Bay Area-based mom of two, Daniela Kratz, the mastermind behind Farmhouse Lab’s high-quality specialty dressings, which she launched in 2016, shifted from a sustainability leadership role with a large global corporation to focus on what inspired her most — directly helping individuals make healthier, more locally-driven and sustainable food choices.
Daniela’s inspiration for creating high-quality, sustainably sourced, delicious dressings originated from her realization that the majority of dressings on the shelves contain emulsifiers, preservatives, artificial flavors, and/or refined sugars. And what was easy for her to whip up in the kitchen wasn’t so simple for many on-the-go parents and professionals. With the start of her own family, combined with her love of entertaining and passion for sustainability, it was a natural for Daniela to create a business designed to promote a healthy lifestyle.
Meet Shirin:
Shirin Gonili Aryanpour is a passionate leader, healer, and advocate for women's empowerment. She is the founder of Illuminate Her Path, a transformative digital community that blends wellness, education, spiritual connection, and collective growth. With over 16 years of experience as a physical therapist and a decade of humanitarian work through Operation Smile (co-founder of Northern California Chapter), Shirin has long been devoted to healing and service.
Her journey as a two-time breast cancer thriver revealed the critical gaps in women's healthcare and ignited her mission to create spaces where women can thrive. Through curated events, sacred women’s circles, and evidence-based wellness resources, Shirin cultivates environments where women can share their stories, access healing, and build lasting connections. She believes in the power of community to create a more equitable and balanced world—one heart at a time.
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Episode Highlights:
02:16 Cultural and Family Cooking Practices
06:32 Teaching Kids to Cook
10:01 Community and Shared Meals
13:35 Educating Kids on Food Choices.
17:27 Regenerative Agriculture and Sustainable Living
20:27 Non-Negotiables in Family Food Practices