Wear Red Day, interview & vegan hemp “burger” recipe

When Maura (Mo) Knowles wasn’t pursuing her career as an actor and singer, she was working on building her healthy baked morsel company with her dad Mac in mind. A diabetic and heart patient, Maura’s dad would beg her for something sweet, so she decided to go make it herself. After a trip to the grocery store, she came up with delicious morsel treats that are vegan, gluten and sodium free, with no sweeteners or preservatives. The whole family ate them up and so she decided to keep them coming! She calls her company Mac-n-Mo’s.

To turn her one-time creation into a business, Maura surrounded herself with like-minded health professionals who could help inform her business. In the process, she worked up an interest to learn more about health and food too. Today, she is a current student in the health Coaching Training Program and the successful CEO of Mac-n-Mo’s, with treats sold in over 20 retail stores and online. Find out what makes Maura’s company unique and how her education feeds her company.

How did your life change after enrolling in the Health Coach Training Program?

My baking business has grown with my cooking and baking classes, and speaking engagements. People from all over the country call me for advice and personalized recipes. It’s more fulfilling than I ever dreamt.

What makes your product unique?

I created Mac-n-Mo’s Morselicious Treats for my dad. They are vegan, gluten-free, kosher, sodium-free and have 1g sugar with no sweeteners or preservatives. I am committed to creating and sharing a “morselicious” lifestyle for people without hidden sugars or sweeteners using real whole foods and lots of fun!

You also work with clients. How do you help them become successful?

I work with each client on their specific goals and needs at the time. Certain weeks they need more focus on ‘personal’ time rather than focusing on eating more greens.

One client is a young woman who is working diligently at changing her life and I am now focusing on helping her get organized in every area, one step at a time. She is easily overwhelmed and we work together at “one room” each session. For example, clearing her clutter, making a new recipe every week, trying a new “move” (she hates the word “workout”), tasting a new vegetable every week…things like that. She calls me her number 1 cheerleader and I am very proud of her.

What do you love about your work?

I love inspiring people and learning from others. I love hearing their ideas, recipes, questions that, in turn, make me question and answer things I hadn’t thought of before.

What is the company doing now? What are some of your achievements?

My healthy baked goods company, Mac-n-Mo’s, now has distribution in over 20 retail stores, as well as online. Mac-n-Mo’s has been featured in web publications, magazines, radio shows and I, Mo, the Morselist, was on Dr. Oz’s Health Corps gala host committee! My dad, Mac, and I got to meet Dr. Oz and his wife Lisa in Sacramento, California – a dream come true!

In addition, my play, Insult To Injury, had a staged reading at an award-winning theatre in Los Angeles in December. I wrote the script. It deals with my health journey, and my family’s, with lots of humor.

Is there a need for Health Coaches where you live?

I live in Los Angeles, a highly over-busy stressed city and many people here, me included, need a Health Coach. I’m a firm believer everyone can use a health coach.

Coconut-Hemp Veggie Patties

Serves 4

Ingredients

Coconut oil
2 to 3 cloves garlic, diced
Green onion, chopped
Vegetables, diced or cubed: carrots, zucchini, yellow squash
Apple cider vinegar
Fresh lemon juice
1 scoop hemp protein powder
1/3 cup unsweetened coconut milk
2 tsp. curry powder
1 to 2 tsp. cumin
1.5 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. red pepper
1 (15-oz.) can low-sodium white kidney beans, or beans of choice, rinsed and soaked
¼ cup gluten-free baking mix

Directions

1. In a medium-sized skillet, sauté garlic and onions in 2 Tbsp. of coconut oil.

2. Stir in diced/cubed vegetables along with a splash of apple cider vinegar and fresh lemon juice. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are soft.

3. While vegetables are cooking, combine remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl; mix well.

4. Pour mixture into pan with vegetables; cook for an additional 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat; let cool.

5. Shape mixture into patties. Pan fry in a heated skillet coated with coconut oil.

“Mo’s Healthy Morsels” is written by Maura (“Mo”) Knowles, a certified health coach, recipe developer and owner of Mac-n-Mo’s, a vegan baked goods company created by Knowles to help her dad eat better (and still enjoy food!) after he underwent quadruple bypass surgery in 2010. Knowles’ recipes for snacks, treats and other fun and healthy dishes appear every week here on the Vitacost blog, or visit Mo on Facebook orwww.macnmos.com for more “morselicious” ideas and tips.