Essential Ingredients Podcast 067: What Makes Comfort Foods Comforting? Mac & Cheese Made Right with Myles Powell
"We always say our mac and cheese is like a break from the chaos. When things are crazy in your life, you just need a break. You don’t have to go off the deep end and eat a bowl of some boxed XYZ... I want to eliminate that ‘Oh my God, what have I done?’ part after you eat." —Myles Powell
Comfort food isn’t just about taste—it’s about trust, memories, and feeling good from the inside out. Too often, the foods we love come with a side of guilt or mystery ingredients, but there’s a better way to enjoy the classics without compromise.
Myles Powell grew up cherishing family meals, only to find that most store-bought comfort foods fell short of those memories. Driven by a passion for real ingredients and honest business, he set out to reinvent mac and cheese and more, building a brand that puts people and purpose first.
Listen in for a no-nonsense look at building a clean-label food business, the real hurdles of funding and scaling, and how comfort food can be both nostalgic and nourishing. You’ll walk away with practical insights, inspiration, and a fresh perspective on what’s possible in your kitchen and beyond.
Meet Myles:
Myles Powell is the founder of Myles Comfort Foods, a purpose-driven comfort food brand dedicated to clean-label, better-for-you classics. Inspired by family meals and a passion for real ingredients, Myles turned his love for authentic food into a business that puts transparency, quality, and emotional connection first. With experience in both self-funding and raising capital, he leads with resilience and a commitment to making comfort food that’s as honest as it is delicious.
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Episode Highlights:
00:47 Better-For-You Mac&Cheese
05:31 Real Ingredients, Real Impact
08:27 The Challenges of Shipping Perishable Goods
10:35 Emotional Eating vs Food That Feels Good
13:26 Brand Values Over Product Hype
17:38 Funding the Dream, Learning to Pitch, and Handling Rejection
26:45 New Products on the Horizon