Hey there! I’m glad you stopped by to check out my little blog. My name is Amber Robb, and I am a registered dietitian in Chapel Hill, NC. I’m the primary writer behind My Colorful Table, along with frequent guest posts from my husband, Colin, a home chef, and with “help” from our mini sous chefs, Ella (7) and Jojo (4). It’s a bit of a family affair.

The purpose of this blog is to share a way of eating that’s helped our family enjoy food more and feel good for several years now. We hope some of the recipes and perspectives shared here will be helpful to you and your family. I have come to call our way of eating the Colorful Meal Mindset — giving it a name is the RD in me coming out (haha)! In a nutshell, here’s what we do:

1. Buy mostly whole foods,
2. Make meals colorful, and
3. Eat mindfully

Here’s a little backstory on how it came about. I started ballet when I was 12 years old, and my desire to have the “ballet body” led to many years of struggling with my weight and relationship with food. There were times when I was super thin and hungry most of the time and times when I was overweight and uncomfortable in my body.

In 2011, I started grad school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to pursue a Master of Public Health degree and Registered Dietitian license. I learned so much about nutrition at UNC, but still struggled to find a way of eating that worked for me on a day-to-day basis. This all changed when I had my first daughter, Ella, in 2016. I was diagnosed with postpartum anxiety shortly after her birth. As a result, I went to mindfulness-based therapy for a few years. I learned how to not only live more mindfully, but also to eat more mindfully.

At about the same time, Colin developed a love for cooking (now that’s a hobby I can get behind!). He asked how he could create healthy meals without a lot of “rules” and stress. I suggested we try just making our meals colorful. We were already buying mostly whole foods, so this method really worked for us. Combined with my new mindful way of eating, buying mostly whole foods and making our meals colorful transformed how our family eats. It’s also simple enough for even our four-year-old to understand. She often picks out a variety of fruits and veggies (well, mostly fruits!) for her meals in an effort to make them colorful.

I know different things work for different people. If this perspective, or aspects of it, resonate with you at this time in your life, I hope you’ll follow along. I look at this blog as a space to connect with people who are searching for ways to enjoy meals and feel good. I’ll be sharing recipes, table setting ideas, and mindfulness techniques. Cheers, friends!