Meet Janet Irizarry

"Mindfulness is about being fully present in the moment without
judgment or distraction. It means paying deliberate attention to our
thoughts, feelings, our mind and body, and the world around us."

What Makes Me a Mindful Foodie?

After a 30-year career in the restaurant industry, one could say I've gained extensive knowledge about food. However, I recently realized there was a missing ingredient: Mindfulness. When I began to incorporate it, my enjoyment of food hit a whole new level. I found that when I applied mindfulness to food, it went beyond saving money or promoting healthy eating—it seemed almost magically to help me align with my innate values of gratitude, caring for others and kindness to the environment.

Values I had found that throughout life I still held but seemed to get lost in my actions along the way. But as I became more aware of my food choices found an unexpected joy in becoming more aligned with my values and find it is an incredible feeling. One I want to share! Find the joy of mindfulness that nourishes a sustainable lifestyle which at the same time lets you nurture others and the planet. All of this becomes accessible when you engage in the My Mindful Kitchen method and the 90-Day Path to Becoming a Mindful Foodie program.

My Story

I guess you can say that my career has been focused on food, starting with my first restaurant job when I was just 16 and moving on to become the owner and operator of three independent restaurants, deeply involved in the culinary landscape of my local area, the Hudson Valley.

I founded Hudson Valley EATS in 2017, an online platform dedicated to showcasing food entrepreneurs and promoting sustainability initiatives throughout the region. Driven by a passion for helping the community, I spearheaded fundraising efforts that generated over $50,000 for local food relief programs by organizing and running impactful events such as "Cooking for a Cause" and "The Hudson Valley Food Waste Challenge," attracting sponsorship from industry giant Chobani.

I hold a Master of Education in Instructional Design and Technology. For the past seven years, I've served as an Instructor of Hospitality at the renowned Culinary Institute of America. In this role, along with teaching the next generation of food entrepreneurs the intricate workings of the hospitality industry and the vast career opportunities it opens up, I also developed eLearning module focused on sustainability titled "Upcycling: Creating a No-Waste Kitchen" program for the Applied Science Department.

Today, I am committed to My Mindful Kitchen and making a positive impact on others and the future generations by helping to bring awareness to the dire need to create a sustainable food system. I am dedicated to showing people the connection between mindfulness and social and eco-consciousness and how it can bring more joy into everyone's life in a way that is meaningful beyond the four walls of each individual’s kitchen.

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Becoming A Mindful Foodie

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The My Mindful Kitchen Method

Finding alignment, balance, and joy... in the kitchen and outside it

I've been immersed in writing about food and sustainability for years. Exploring and documenting the food scene has shaped my journey, and I invite you to take a look. It's a wonderful opportunity to get to know me better!

Hudson Valley EATS

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