When Taylor turned 18 years old, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. She started educating herself on nutrition and what makes the body function optimally, specifically hers. Taylor knew she was going to make a life style change and essentially eat for her disease. After much research, studying ingredients and kitchen experiments, she came up with many recipes that allowed flavor to shine through without tainting the food with additives and certain methods like frying or microwaving.
Taylor says “I didn’t want to deprive myself of those nostalgic foods that I had grown to love without knowing what damage they were capable of doing to my body. So I mastered the ability to substitute! I’d sub out certain ingredients to still achieve the feeling I wanted from food.” For example, apple sauce instead of butter in baking and yogurt instead of mayo.
In conjunction with Taylor’s aspiration to become healthy and stay healthy, she was noticing that there were limited options for people with the same desire. Taylor rode horses competing on a traveling circuit and would make her healthy meals in hotel rooms with a plastic knife! “I’d stock my mini fridge with fresh veggies and make a beautiful salad to bring with me to the horse shows each day. It was work, but no matter how tired I was at the end of the day, I’d make my breakfast and lunch for the next day!”
Other competitors noticed what she was eating and asked her to make them the same thing because there weren’t any healthy alternatives available. Taylor gladly accepted and her healthy lunches caught on. She knew there was a need for convenient health and if she was already doing it for herself why not help others live a cleaner life style! Taylor says “These equestrians are athletes! They don’t want to eat a meal that holds them back or makes them feel sluggish.” Not only that, but many people don’t have time to prepare or put as much thought into new tasty ways to craft healthy food, like Taylor does!
"People need quick, delicious and nutritious food!”… And that’s how Taylor Made Café was born.