From backpacking by Central America, to constructing a household model from scratch in Texas, Kelly and Kody Workman of Positravelty are certainly one of social media’s most charming {couples}. Now they’re turning the web page to a brand new, extra grounded chapter with cinematic visuals and heartfelt storytelling, this husband and spouse duo made a reputation for themselves capturing love, journey, and journey. With a two-year outdated toddler and one other child due in December, they’re inviting audiences into their world of intentional parenting, creativity, and connection.
Kelly Workman is the Writer of The Plate Escape Shares Her Love of Cooking with Easy Vegan and Vegetarian Dishes
Their Positravelty model has developed to incorporate eBooks, customized pictures instruments, cellular presets, and now a well-liked plant-based
cookbook entitled The Plate Escape. Kelly has created heat, emotionally clever content material that resonates with millennial mother and father and aspiring creatives alike. Kody, a former photographer turned content material strategist, brings cinematic aptitude to their visuals.
Their viewers spans thousands and thousands throughout Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Whether or not sharing being pregnant milestones, real-life parenting wins (and fails), or family-friendly vegan and vegetarian recipes, they present that digital life doesn’t should imply filtered perfection—it could actually imply enjoyable, connection, and pleasure.
AM: I’m hungry, so let’s first discuss The Plate Escape. I assume you and your husband, Kody, are vegan or vegetarian.
Workman: Ha, we aren’t. We’ve got by no means been absolutely vegan or vegetarian. Properly, I take that again. We have been vegetarian, and truly extra pescatarian than something for in all probability a yr or so, and we stored meat consumption to a minimal. We nonetheless do at present. The entire objective of the e book was to indicate those who vegan and vegetarian dishes don’t should be boring.
AM: Understood. Then in the future you mentioned, Kody, let’s write a recipe e book for vegans and vegetarians.
Workman: It took place as a result of for about 5 years, we was once world vacationers. We have been touring the globe collectively, however when COVID hit, that clearly put an finish to our touring the world, and we have been caught in the USA.
For some time, and for the primary time, I began displaying my love for cooking on-line. The extra I shared my dishes, the extra individuals grew to become inquisitive about them, and after a while, my followers steered I write a cookbook. They mentioned, when you write a e book, we’ll purchase it. I assumed it appeared like a enjoyable venture. So, we determined to do it, and since I used to be solely cooking vegan and vegetarian meals on the time, that’s how the thought began. We each take pleasure in that delicacies, and to reiterate, I needed to indicate that all these dishes don’t should be boring.
AM: You probably did the writing, and Kody contributed the pictures?
Workman: We each did the pictures, however I might get him to assist me with some, too.
AM: Had been your recipes developed on account of your trekking and backpacking by Central America?
Workman: A few of them have been impressed by our travels, and loads of them have been simply by trial and error at dwelling. If I went to a restaurant and located a dish that I actually beloved, I might come dwelling and dream about that, and I might attempt to recreate it with my very own spin. I’m fairly good at choosing out flavors and sauces, and issues which are utilized in a specific dish. There are some Asian dishes within the e book as a result of we spent loads of time in Southeast Asia.
AM: Out of your social media followers, that are TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, are you discovering that extra persons are shifting to a plant-based weight loss program?
Workman: Not essentially. I might say that we’ve interfaced with many people who find themselves merely die-hard meat eaters, and that’s okay. However lots of people that I’ve chatted with are a minimum of open to the thought of it, in the event that they’re not already following a plant-based weight loss program. However I wouldn’t say that they’re changing into converts.
AM: Do you suppose individuals have misconceptions about being vegan or vegetarian?
Workman: Sure. I positively do. A few of my closest buddies don’t suppose {that a} vegan or vegetarian meal is definitely a meal. They suppose it’s extra like a aspect dish.
AM: What’s certainly one of your favourite recipes, be it vegan or vegetarian, from the e book?
Workman: I’m an enormous fan of malai kofta. It’s a standard Indian dish. It’s normally made with paneer, the Indian cheese, and potato, however I do mine with potato and tofu. After all, you should use cheese. Each are scrumptious. It’s a very enjoyable recipe to make. You roll them into little balls and season them with spices. It’s served with creamy gravy with tomatoes, onions, garlic, ginger, and floor spices. The flavors are unbelievable. The feel is de facto good, and the spice stage is nice. That’s certainly one of my private favorites, as Indian meals is amongst my favourite cuisines. It’s so flavorful and good. I might eat it each day.
Now that I’ve a daughter, she’s two, I plan on having her help me preparation of this dish. I really feel like she would take pleasure in serving to me, and it will be enjoyable too.
AM: What motivated you and Kody to stay the life that you simply did in regard to journey and the place you might be at present?
Workman: We met whereas touring individually. I’m from Louisiana, and he’s from Michigan. We had no concept that one another existed, however we each stop our jobs independently of one another stop our jobs. I left to do one thing totally different and greater with my life, and he did too. It was a very scary factor to do, however I felt like I had nothing to lose. I stop my very demanding job at a neighborhood on line casino. I used to be there for 13 years. I by no means bought weekends or holidays off. I assumed, I’m going to go stay my life. I’m single, and I’ve nothing holding me again right here. I deliberate to journey for simply three months, however then I met Kody. We wound up touring for 5 years. I didn’t return dwelling like I used to be initially presupposed to, and neither did he. Throughout that interval, social media entered our lives. Slightly over a yr into our travels, we began taking images and posting to Instagram. It simply sort of snowballed and every thing modified. It grew to become one thing that we have been doing for work.
AM: However it was enjoyable work.
Workman: Certainly. After 5 wonderful years, we have been each getting slightly exhausted from being on the street on a regular basis. Plus, we have been getting older and needed to calm down and begin a household, which is what we did. We determined to maneuver to Houston, TX, which was additionally very totally different.
AM: Completely different than Michigan and Louisiana.
Workman: Completely. Being on-line and having that as a part of our way of life has actually modified our lives in a good way, particularly as mother and father. We’ve got a lot freedom, and we’re simply so grateful for that.
AM: How did Positravelty come about? Did that turn out to be a part of your life if you have been touring?
Workman: After we initially began our web page, we have been travelling full-time and sometimes speaking about having/sustaining a optimistic mindset. “Positravelty” is a mixture of positivity and journey, and it simply felt proper on the time. We’ve got modified quite a bit since then, and since we journey much less and primarily talk about our household, parenting, and our way of life, it isn’t actually a reputation that matches us anymore. We’ve got been attempting to vary it for years now, however since we’ve a verified account, Meta doesn’t allow us to change it.
AM: It’s a really distinctive title.
Workman: That it’s.
AM: You’ve been to Asia and Central America. The place are another areas the place you went backpacking?
Workman: We’ve been to Africa a number of occasions. South America, Central America, and Europe have been wonderful. We’ve got not been to Antarctica and Australia.
AM: You must do it. Australia, in addition to New Zealand are great international locations.
Workman: I’m sure we’ll make it there in the future.
AM: This can be a morning interview. What would possibly a breakfast encompass in your house, particularly having slightly one?
Workman: At this time, for instance, I cooked one thing quite simple and one thing my daughter likes. I did an egg and cheese quesadilla with spinach. I simply made a scrambled egg omelet, put the cheese in, and two tortillas. An excellent easy dish with a aspect of salsa. It’s actually good.
AM: It does sound good. Did you have got that as properly?
Workman: Sure. That was the household breakfast.
AM: What do you need to share with households who’ve younger kids, in relation to weight loss program, or how they need to be raised by way of meals? Any ideas?
Workman: I positively prepare dinner quite a bit for my daughter, in all probability much more than I might say most do. I solely have one little one in the meanwhile (with one on the way in which), and it may be tough when you have a number of kids.
Cooking each meal just isn’t at all times possible for some, and I perceive that. I really feel lots of people resort to frozen meals and takeout. Now look, I’m not saying that’s all dangerous. However I personally prefer to prepare dinner for my daughter. I would like her to have higher meals, and I take pleasure in doing loads of meal prep. If individuals knew how to try this extra, they may dedicate extra time to it on the weekend once they’re not at work, or if they’ve slightly bit extra free time. You may simply make meals for the week. That means, you don’t should resort to going to McDonald’s or having frozen rooster nuggets and macaroni. I’m not knocking so-called quick meals. I perceive as a mother or father how tough it may be.
I nonetheless need my daughter to be a child on the finish of the day, so it’s not like I’m going to only by no means enable her to have these varieties of meals. Once in a while, that’s okay. However I prefer to prepare dinner for her, I like to ensure she’s getting nutritious meals.
AM: Nutritious meals for you and your husband as properly. However that leads me to my subsequent query. How conscious are you of the MAHA motion, Make America Wholesome Once more, that Robert Kennedy Jr. is de facto pushing and speaking about, as a result of we’ve too many ultra-processed meals? Once you discuss McDonald’s or any of these different quick meals locations, that actually falls into that class. Any ideas about getting rid of ultra-processed meals and actually maintaining a healthy diet?
Workman: I believe it will be nice. America is certainly one of many unhealthiest international locations on the planet. Whereas in Southeast Asia, the quantity of recent fruit and veggies and issues we have been aware about was superior. Their meat isn’t pumped filled with steroids, and it’s simply very totally different right here. All the things is simply mass-produced in America. So, change can be nice. They’re making inroads into eradicating meals dyes from meals over the subsequent few years. In different phrases, I really feel we’re beginning to take some good steps in the appropriate course, however we’ve an extended technique to go compared to different international locations.
AM: Whereas firms have dedicated to creating formulation modifications, it’s not going to occur in a single day.
Workman: True, however we are able to do it.
AM: The U.S. could be very a lot a bread-eating nation. Bread turns into sugar within the physique.
Workman: I agree. Bread is just presupposed to have three or 4 substances. However take a look at the substances of a loaf of bread on the grocery retailer, it’s loopy. There are such a lot of different substances in there. When you go away it on the shelf for 2 weeks, generally it’s not even moldy. I really feel like that claims quite a bit proper there.
AM: What else would you like our readers to find out about The Plate Escape?
Workman: I made lots of my recipes comparatively easy. I made certain to incorporate recipes which are simpler to organize and don’t take loads of time to prepare dinner. Nonetheless, there are a number of within the e book which are slightly extra time-consuming due to prep and prepare dinner time. The malai kofta is an ideal instance. That’s positively one thing that takes slightly longer to organize. My aim was to make easy dishes. Mothers who’re on the go don’t have loads of time. Recipes that take 20 to half-hour to make will not be solely easier, however they’re normally more healthy.
AM: Did you additionally take a look at it from a price standpoint of with the ability to make dishes that don’t value an arm and a leg?
Workman: That wasn’t one thing that I centered on, however I might say that almost all don’t contain loopy substances that you need to go seek out at specialty shops.
AM: With the price of meals on the rise, easy, cost-effective dishes can be a profit to any measurement household.
Workman: Completely. And meals prices have actually risen since I wrote the e book.
AM: How has your e book been acquired?
Workman: It has been acquired very properly, and to this present day, we nonetheless get tagged in tales on Instagram when individuals make my recipes or they share with me personally through DM to touch upon recipes they actually take pleasure in. We nonetheless promote arduous copies and eBooks.
AM: Do you do stay on-line cooking demos?
Workman: Not stay, however I do put up my tales on our social platforms. I’ll get my husband to movie me making fast dishes, and I’ll discuss what I’m doing.
AM: In your earlier years, I’m conscious you have been concerned in health occasions, and I think about consuming healthily was a serious concern.
Workman: Sure. One more reason that my love of meals sort of took place was as a result of I was, and this isn’t one thing that I did as a profession, however it was extra of a aspect factor, doing health competitions. I used to be doing competitions from the age of 20 to about 28. Total, about seven years. It was an enormous a part of my on a regular basis life. I used to be at all times within the health club, and I used to be at all times consuming. For certain, you wouldn’t catch me consuming at McDonald’s. I simply needed to carry up McDonald’s once more.
I used to be in wonderful form, and I began coaching on the aspect. I had some purchasers whom I might prepare and do meal planning for. I discovered that over time, I began getting actually good at ingredient substitutions, as a result of I didn’t need to eat like a typical bodybuilder. They have a tendency to load up on brown rice, steamed broccoli, and rooster. However I beloved meals an excessive amount of to only eat primary stuff on a regular basis. I didn’t need to sacrifice the flavour and the cooking of the meals that I beloved, so I might take a typical dish and make a number of modifications. For instance, I like pasta. That will not be the healthiest, and I discovered over time substitute some substances to make it slightly more healthy. As an alternative of utilizing heavy lotions, I might use cottage cheese and mix it, or coconut milk. That performed quite a bit into my e book. That’s one thing that I did for a very long time, and thus I’ve a meals background. You may take scrumptious recipes and, by making a few substitutions, immediately make them quite a bit more healthy.
AM: In different phrases, you had a profession past working within the on line casino.
Workman: I began at 19 till I used to be about 32. That was my fundamental job, however I had these small aspect gigs. It was fairly attention-grabbing and I had loads of enjoyable doing it, however I missed out on quite a bit throughout my 20s and early 30s, as a result of I used to be at all times working.
AM: I think about loads of household issues.
Workman: Lacking vacation household celebrations was the worst. I couldn’t inform you the final time I had a Christmas or New 12 months’s off. At this time I do, and it means extra to me than it ever did, as a result of I spent so a few years within the on line casino. I simply needed one thing higher.
AM: At this time, you’re nonetheless in form. Congratulations on the e book, your two-year-old, and now you expect your second little one.
Workman: Thanks a lot. I’m due in December and we’re very excited.
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