Rachael Devaux on why moms need more protein, letting go of perfection, and slowing down
If you’ve ever found yourself standing in the kitchen at 6 p.m. thinking, “What are we having for dinner?” while simultaneously bouncing a toddler on your hip, Rachael Devaux gets it. The registered dietitian, certified personal trainer, and author of the new cookbook The High Protein Plate has spent a decade helping people build balanced, energizing meals. But it wasn’t until she became a mom to her son Hayes, now 19 months, that she truly understood how the mental load of motherhood can derail even the best-laid meal plans.
In this conversation on the Motherly Podcast, Rachael opens up about the tension between her Type A work ethic and the beautiful chaos of new motherhood, why she made her cookbook during postpartum (and wouldn’t recommend it), and the surprisingly simple strategies that keep her family fueled through busy seasons. Her message to moms? Food should support your life in the season you’re in—not compete with it.
Meet the expert
Rachael Devaux is a registered dietitian and certified personal trainer based in Seattle. She graduated with a degree in dietetics in 2015 and completed her dietetic internship working as a sports dietitian at Oregon State, fueling football and soccer players. After launching her private practice, she pivoted to building her brand online, where she’s spent the past decade creating nutrition and fitness guides, recipes, and now two cookbooks. Her latest, The High Protein Plate, features recipes from breakfast to dessert with protein at the forefront—and the majority are gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free.
Liz Tenety: What surprised you most about motherhood?
Rachael DeVaux: The brain fog is real. I always heard the term “mom brain,” but now I can confirm it’s a real thing. I’m always grasping for words and sometimes they just don’t come. As someone who has to be “on” as a communicator, that’s been a tough adjustment. I’ve had to lean into the things that always worked for me—prepping, studying, being ready. But I’ve also given myself grace in this season of change. I’ve been softer on myself over the past 19 months than I ever have before.
Liz Tenety: You’re a business owner and a new mom. How did you navigate the pressure to get back to work?
Rachael Devaux: Being a business owner and having a baby was a huge adjustment. You’re the one who makes your business move forward. I immediately felt that rush to get back to work—posting content, developing recipes. I was actually making my cookbook in postpartum, which is wild and something I probably would not recommend. I felt a sense of resentment toward people who don’t own their own business, who could take 12 weeks off and not think about work. But I did give myself time to really experience newborn life, and I’m so glad I did. Even now, I still find myself thinking, what’s important to me is Hayes—I would so much rather spend time with him than get back to emails.
Liz Tenety: How has motherhood shifted your approach to your content and your brand?
Rachael Devaux: It’s definitely taken a backseat, which I’m okay with. I really hustled for a decade—working nights, weekends, building my business 24/7. I set myself up in a way that I could step back a little. I don’t post as much content as I did, but I’m proud of what I am putting out. There’s no way I could post every single day—that’s just not realistic for me. I’ve learned to tell myself it’s okay. If I can get one new post up a week, that’s fine. I’m probably relating to more people than the wellness influencers who have so much free time to post and edit.
Liz Tenety: There’s a conversation happening on social media about wellness advice that doesn’t account for the realities of motherhood. How has becoming a mom changed your perspective on that?
Rachael Devaux: I can relate to that so deeply. Motherhood strips your desire to fully micromanage recipes and food and to-do lists. You have to lean into being flexible. Someone gave me advice after having a baby—everything’s a phase—and I’ve followed that to a T. There’s no rigidity you can have as a postpartum mom. You really have to surrender that desire to micromanage everything. The mental load a mom has is so different from anything else, because she’s most likely responsible for feeding the whole family and feeding herself. It’s a whole other ballgame.
Liz Tenety: You used to be huge into meal prep. How has that evolved now that you’re cooking for a little one too?
Rachael Devaux: If you take just 10 minutes to plan on Sundays—or whatever day you have free—that’s going to help you so much. I notice when I’m busy, it really comes out in our dinners. If I actually plan ahead, even three days ahead, everything goes smoother. The same goes for prepping meals for Hayes. Even if it’s one thing—homemade muffins, pancakes I can freeze—if you can do one thing to set yourself up for success, it’s the same thing for us as adults. Prep a protein you can repurpose for the next three to four days. Add a veggie, rice, or potatoes, and you’ve got a simple bowl.
Liz Tenety: Why did you need to write a whole book about protein?
Rachael Devaux: If people were eating enough protein, I probably wouldn’t be talking about it this much. It’s a huge gap that people are finally realizing exists. Protein is an anchor to our meals. It’s going to keep you full, support your metabolism, maintain and increase muscle mass if you’re doing resistance training, and stabilize your blood sugar. I wanted this cookbook to give people tools so they could have recipes from breakfast all the way to dessert with protein at the forefront.
Liz Tenety: What is it about protein specifically that’s so important for women, mothers, and kids?
Rachael Devaux: Protein supports blood sugar and insulin sensitivity. It slows digestion, which keeps you full and reduces cravings. And here’s a not-so-exciting fact: we start losing muscle at age 30 through a process called sarcopenia. If we can continue to eat protein and maintain the muscle we have, that’s huge for our metabolic health as we age. And during pregnancy, protein is building tissue—it’s supporting the child you’re growing. It really is doing so much.
Liz Tenety: What does your ideal protein-forward morning look like? What are your go-to breakfasts?
Rachael Devaux Starting your day with protein is going to stabilize your blood sugar, give you fewer cravings, and get you to your next meal. You don’t need 50 new recipes—just have five that you trust. My go-tos: Honey blackberry overnight oats with protein powder, Greek yogurt, chia seeds, and almond butter—about 35 grams of protein. Make-ahead breakfast sandwiches with homemade turkey patties, sheet-pan baked eggs cut into squares, cheese, and avocado. Banana protein muffins. A turkey potato hash you can double or triple batch on the weekend and heat up in a skillet with a fried egg. And chia pudding—I do mango coconut for a tropical vibe during the depressing Seattle winters.
Liz Tenety: Tell us about the “power pantry” concept from the book.
Rachael Devaux: It goes back to having a simple formula for building a plate. Our fridge and freezer are typically stocked with a variety of proteins—ground beef, ground turkey, chicken, cod, salmon, eggs. That’s the power protein pantry. I also cook with a lot of nuts and seeds. If I know that three tablespoons of hemp seeds gives me 10 grams of protein, I’m including hemp seeds in everything. I keep canned organic chicken in my pantry for a quick pesto chicken salad, wild-caught tuna for something fast. It’s all about finding nutrient-dense ingredients that provide energy and support your body.
Liz Tenety: How do you navigate the confusing messages around protein quality that are out there right now?
Rachael Devaux: If you’re using proteins that are one ingredient, that’s a big win. Ground beef is a single ingredient—you’re getting a quality product. Of course you can go organic or grass-fed, but even conventional proteins are giving you high-quality nutrients. I really try to boil it down to getting as much whole food in your body as possible and not relying on protein powders for every meal. I use them myself as a supplement to a whole-foods-based diet, but not at every meal. If you track just your protein for three days, I guarantee it’s going to be less than you should be getting. A good starting point: look at what you’re consuming on a standard day and see if you can make a healthier swap at the grocery store.
Liz Tenety: You’re in the middle of a very demanding season—new book, book tour, new mom. What keeps you feeling strong?
Rachael Devaux: It’s about setting yourself up for success. Plan ahead for the next two to three days. Have snacks ready in the fridge or pantry that you can grab in two minutes between meetings. Exercise always makes me happier—even 15 minutes on the treadmill before a busy day sets me up. I’ll do that when Hayes goes down for a nap. And I want to get a new hobby in 2026—I’ve narrowed it down to watercoloring. I actually did it the other day while he was napping, just for 30 minutes with music on, and it was really nice. I’m also determined to learn sourdough this year, although that might be a part-time job in itself.
Liz Tenety: At Motherly, we believe that motherhood brings out our superpowers. What’s yours?
Rachael Devaux: Being present in the moment. Motherhood has really taught me to just be present with him. I could watch him all day and tune out everything else. Just slowing down and becoming very present—I’m so grateful that motherhood has given me that.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Listen to the full conversation on The Motherly Podcast.
source https://www.mother.ly/podcasts/the-motherly-podcast/rachael-devaux-the-motherly-podcast/
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