About Me

Hi there, I’m Rena, the creator, recipe developer, and food lover behind Healthy Fitness Meals. I started this blog back in 2012 as a way to share my passion for wholesome, family-friendly cooking. What began as a small space to document my favorite homemade meals has grown into a trusted resource for thousands of busy families who want to eat well without overcomplicating things.

rena in a white shirt holding a bowl of strawberries

Originally from Sierra Leone 🇸🇱 in West Africa, I’ve called Detroit, Michigan, home since 1999. After earning my bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from the University of Michigan, I embarked on a different path than I initially planned: sharing my passion for wholesome cooking.

rena in a pink shirt looking down while cutting tomatoes on a cutting board.

rena in a pink shirt holding a knife and cutting tomatoes on a cutting board.

I’ve always loved food; my fondest memories of my childhood in Africa were skipping the school lunch and instead opting for street food from the locals at the school gates. I got teased endlessly for this but I didn’t care lol. My own journey into the kitchen started when I was still a teen, at 17 years old, learning traditional recipes from my mom and grandma, particularly those rooted in Mediterranean cuisine😍.

From Homemade hummus to Lebanese rice, my grandmother’s wisdom and love for cooking shaped my culinary identity. She taught me that cumin makes just about any dish delicious and two secrets for making the best tabbouleh. (1. Use loads of cherry tomatoes instead of the larger ones. 2. Adding pomegranate seeds guarantees you’ll want to go back for seconds.)

rena in a pink shirt holding a white bowl that has tabbouleh.

Family still plays a central role in both my life and my cooking. Healthy Fitness Meals was originally born out of an Instagram account, where I began to share healthier and more wholesome recipes while I was working to get back in shape after giving birth to my youngest child, Marc. As a single mom of five, I know firsthand how challenging it can be to put healthy, satisfying meals on the table every day. My goal has always been to make healthy eating approachable, realistic, and delicious. Every recipe I share is tested in my own kitchen and built around fresh ingredients, balanced nutrition, and big flavor. All my recipes are reviewed and approved by a Registered Dietitian, Ella Davar.

Here, you’ll find everything from quick weeknight dinners and comforting soups to meal prep ideas and healthy desserts. My recipes use everyday ingredients and are designed to help you feel good about what you’re serving your loved ones without spending hours in the kitchen.

When I’m not cooking or creating content, you can find me enjoying time with my kids, traveling, or exploring new flavors that inspire my next recipe.

rena in a white shirt holding and looking down on a single cookie.

rena in a blue shirt holding 2 juicing bottles next to a juicer.

Thanks for being here. Whether you’re a long-time reader or just discovering my recipes for the first time, I hope you find something here that inspires you to cook, share, and eat a little healthier every day.

You can follow along on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, or Pinterest to see all my videos. You can also find me on LinkedIn or Muck Rack, and you can always contact me here.

~ Rena

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Quick Favorites From Rena of Healthy Fitness Meals

My Favorite Recipes

Greek Chicken Bowl

Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup

Juicy Beef Kafta

Baked BBQ Chicken Breast

My Favorite Food

My all-time favorites are African dishes, like peanut butter soup that you serve with rice, Jollof rice, and dishes made with palm oil, like cassava leaf. And anything spicy—I’m addicted, even though my kids can’t handle the heat!

My Kids’ Favorite Recipes:

Raneen can’t get enough of my flourless chocolate muffins and requests that I make them all the time.
Haneen always wants my quinoa tabbouleh salad and will eat it for days when we have leftovers.
Sam loves drumsticks, and this baked BBQ chicken drumsticks recipe is my go-to for him.
Alec is a big meat-eater and goes for anything with beef. If I fed him steak every day, he wouldn’t complain. His top pick is this filet with mushroom sauce.
Marc (I refer to him as my #5), and my pickiest eater ever, adores my homemade beef stew. He also loves these protein chocolate chip cookies—and doesn’t even realize that they have added whey protein!

My Least-Favorite Thing to Eat:

I don’t ever deep fry anything. I am just not fond of it, but I do love my Air Fryer and think it is a lifesaver.

Non-Cooking Favorites:

Reading, especially historical romance. Yup, cheesy, I know.
Swimming and the ocean.
Languages: I speak four, Arabic, English, African (Krio), and French. My French is now a bit rusty since I haven’t practiced it much since I moved to the States.
Family values and traditions are very important to me, and I try hard to teach my kids what I was taught: Respect above all else.

My Favorite Lebanese and Mediterranean Dishes

The very first dishes my grandma taught me to cook were Lebanese and Mediterranean ones related to my culture. Growing up, I loved being in the kitchen helping her, and always so eager to learn. These are still some of my favorites today:

Chicken Kafta was my grandmother’s favorite dish, as well as my uncle’s, so she wanted to teach me how to cook it so that the recipe would stay alive in our family for generations.
Lentil soup has been a long-standing favorite in my family. Like my grandma, I always add some carrots to it. She said to throw them in for great eyesight; I like the sweetness they bring to the dish.
Beef Kafta, a Lebanese plate, always reminds me of when I used to pull up my chair and beg her to help roll them into logs or onto the skewers. It’s traditionally made with fresh parsley, but like my grandma, I make it without. (She always said including the herb was a recipe for heartburn.)