Jenny’s Pure Food is pure health
By Bavani Purushothaman, Photography by Mark Dyrud
It’s often said we are what we eat. Maybe not literally, but the food and drinks we consume definitely have a direct impact on our health. With the increasing amount of toxins and chemicals in our foods, it would seem that the onus is on us to make the best possible choices when it comes to our daily diet. It is in our hands to prevent chronic diseases or at least maintain a clean bill of health.
Jennifer McClelland, the founder of Jenny’s Pure Food, is living proof of this. She was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroditis, a form of hypothyroidism. McClelland was given a stamp of her fate by a doctor stating that she would have to see herself living a life with this degenerative disease and having to progressively increase the dosage of her medication. However, under the supervision of her home doctor, her medication kept being reduced and she attributes her newfound health to the gradual lifestyle changes she made, first by eating more whole foods and then by adding in more nutrient-dense raw foods.
Today, Jennifer is medication free. She does not eat 100% raw vegan and does not adopt an official label—she simply enjoys the culinary adventure of turning fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds into mouth-watering soups, appetizers, main meals, and desserts. Jennifer confesses that many of her meals are lazy, easy-to-make blended on-the-go smoothies, full of energy and nutrients.
Inspired by her discovery, McClelland realized that teaching others about healthy cuisine was what she wanted to do with her life. While living in China for a few years, she used her certification as a raw food chef to teach classes in Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. She is known as one of the pioneers of the raw food movement in China.
Jenny’s Pure Food was born from McClelland’s desire to “add value to other people’s lives.” She says “food is one way I can do that.” What started with the blender in her kitchen quickly turned into scrumptious desserts that she shared with friends and family. McClelland is determined to make food that is “deliciously healthy so that it is not a discipline, but rather a lifestyle that people can live with.”
While most traditional desserts are filled with chemical preservatives, refined sugar, and white flour, Jenny’s Pure Food desserts such as the chocolate mousse, lemon cream custard, and salted “karmel cheesecake” use pure, natural ingredients derived from fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. She offers vegan, low glycemic, gluten free, dairy free, soy free, GMO free, and raw options. So if you ever find yourself searching for a guilt-free, delicious dessert, head down to the Boise Co-Op where you can find these tempting yet healthy desserts to satisfy that craving.
A graduate of Living Light Culinary Institute in Northern California, Jennifer McClelland is also a whole foods and raw food chef, instructor, and author of “The Right Blend: Blender-only Raw Food Recipes” which is available on Amazon and Kindle. She is available for classes, demos, and talks.
For more information on Jenny’s Pure Foods, visit her website at jennyspurefood.com.
