About 40 Aprons

Cheryl Malik sitting on a kitchen counter.

Hey, I’m Cheryl!

I’ve been writing delicious, healthy-ish, family-friendly recipes at 40 Aprons for over 12 years now, and my food-philosophy is pretty simple:

Recipes should be easy, tasty, and make the whole family happy. Food should be delicious, and “healthy eating” doesn’t have to be complicated or super restrictive.

Besides being the CEO and Editor-in-Chief here at 40 Aprons, I’m also a mom to 3 young kids, a certified yoga instructor, a certified health coach, and the president of a virtual assistant agency for bloggers in any niche.

Be sure to take a look at my other two food blogs while you’re here!

Easy Healthy Recipes – A one-stop shop for recipes that are simple and/or healthy, focusing on easy cooking options, short ingredients lists, and really yummy dishes.

Cheap Cheap Eats – Dining on a tight budget? My newest site, Cheap Cheap Eats, is all about cost-effective cooking, with recipes designed to feed groups of 4 or more without breaking the bank.

What You’ll Find at 40 Aprons

We are ALL ABOUT eating some really good food here. You won’t find anything bland or boring – basically, if it’s not delicious, I don’t put it on the blog. I try to put as much flavor into my recipes as possible, while keeping things manageable for beginner cooks and professionals alike.

Being a mom of three super active kids AND a serial entrepreneur, I pretty much exist in a constant state of “tons to do and not enough hours in the day”. That’s why it’s really important to me to create really flavorful meals that cover a variety of needs and schedules. Meal preps, casseroles, and 30-minute recipes are staples in my recipe arsenal, right next to my Instant Pot, CrockPot, and air fryer.

I try to focus on recipes made with whole, unprocessed ingredients. When that’s not the case (look, sometimes you just need some pizza rolls or dump-and-go chicken nuggets) I make adjustments where I can, using organic or all-natural ingredients or opting for lighter cooking methods like the air fryer.

We’re really not a “diet blog”, but we DO offer recipes that fit a variety of dietary considerations, whether it’s Whole30, paleo, keto, vegan, gluten-free, or a number of other eating styles.

I want to offer recipes for real people, and that’s what you’ll find here. Food that tastes amazing but isn’t overly complicated. Your kids will …probably eat it, and you may even find some new dishes that become a permanent part of your regular meal rotation.

If you’re not sure where to get started, click here to check out some of my personal favorite 40 Aprons recipes!

My Story with Clean Eating

I’ve been blogging since 2009, but it wasn’t until 2015 that we discovered the paleo diet and the way Whole30 made us feel.

I’ve been interested in healthy eating since I was VERY young. I went vegetarian at age 10 because I felt like something was just not exactly right about the standard American diet my family was eating.

At that time, vegetarianism was the only really visible “alternative” diet, and I was vegetarian or vegan off and on for 15 years. Since then, I’ve experimented with almost every approach to eating, from Whole30 to low carb, paleo to keto.

Over this lifetime of trying to find the “right” diet for me, the only thing that’s been consistent is this: things change! How I want to eat changes, and I don’t like having anything completely restricted.

Today, I focus on eating whole foods and indulging when I really want to. This way of eating is sustainable and never feels like I’m missing out on anything, and my recipes are designed to help you feel the same.

We offer recipes within a range of dietary considerations, to best reflect how we think the typical person tries to live a healthy life. And that means deliciously indulgent recipes here and there!

I always say…

We’re not playing a game, so there is no “cheating.” Love your food!