INDIANAPOLIS — Chef Tawana Gulley comes from a long line of cooks, so it’s no surprise that Gulley is making a living by serving up Afro-Asian hibachi dishes inspired by her life journey.
“I love Chinese [food], I love Thai food, I love African food,” Gulley said. “Sometimes those come with a lot of extra things that are not so good for you.”
So Gulley set out on a journey to create healthier versions of those foods without the added MSG and sodium.
“I started to meal prep, and those influences just kind of bloomed into other things,” Gulley said. “Healthy Soul is the culmination of all of that.”
Chef Gulley launched Healthy Soul Meal Prep & Catering in August 2019. Located inside AMP at 16 Tech, Gulley believes vegetables shine best when served fresh from a hot grill.
“I always envisioned it as being hibachi because the best vegetables always come off the searing hot grill,” Gulley said. “The flavor blends, the spices, the textures, all those different things, the heat just sears into those vegetables. They still have that snap, but they're hot, they're fresh, they're crispy and full of flavor.”
Flavor is a fixture at Healthy Soul. Gulley honed her seasoning skills while mastering the art of meal prep.
“We take everyday things and we give them so much flavor that you will want to eat it every day,” Gulley said. "Everything that we do is so flavor-rich and vegetable-heavy, once you get it, you don't even miss the meat.”
But meat is still on the menu. Healthy Soul offers wild-caught seafood and halal meat options. For Gulley, her go-to meal has it all.
“My go-to meal is the yellow saffron jasmine rice with kale and spinach greens sauteed,” Gulley said. “I like a little red onion with some peppers, my bourbon jerk sauce, and either salmon or chicken. The bite is spicy, sweet, [and] balanced. It's chef's kiss.”
Inspiration from the kitchen to the community
Chef Gulley opened Healthy Soul in the Riverside neighborhood with a purpose.
“Healthy eating is important to me, not only just for me, but for my community,” Gulley said. "Oftentimes, people of color, we live in areas where we don't get to choose what is in our areas.”
It’s easier to find fast food than healthy food.
“You go buy what you have enough in your pocket to eat at that time, and oftentimes, it’s going to be a burger and fries,” Gulley said. “When we thought about where we wanted to be, we thought about being here.”
Gulley created the Healthy Soul Culinary Bootcamp.
“We go straight to the youth,” Gulley said. “We teach them healthy eating habits along with other things.”
Participants in the six-week camp collaborate with various diabetes outreach groups to strengthen the impact of healthy eating habits in the community.
“I like to share with my community because I feel like it's important for us to understand that vegetables are not our enemies,” Gulley said. “I think knowledge is power, so the more knowledge you gain, you should share it, and that's just what we set out to do.”
Gulley is walking proof of the power of healthy eating.
“As an in-remission diabetic, you are exactly what you eat,” Gulley said. “It's cliché, but health is wealth. That's the most valuable thing that you could possess, is your health.”
Transforming your health takes time and Gulley says to start with small steps.
“Don’t be hard on yourself,” Gulley said. “I'm surrounded by vegetables, [and] some days, I don't want any of it. When you get a cheat day, don't make it a cheat week!”
Click here to learn more about Healthy Soul.
