For Sade Meeks, a Mississippi University for Women graduate, registered dietitian and founder of G.R.I.T.S. Inc. (Growing Resilience In The South), the path to championing cultural nutrition began with a simple meal of grits shared with her grandmother.

“I was sitting eating grits with my grandmother, who’s now 103, and she’ll be 104… she was just talking about all the things she grew in her garden,” Meeks said. “It was just really refreshing to hear, because unfortunately, in grad school, I heard a lot of narratives where there were a lot of these European standards that were kind of painted as the gold standard… like the mediterranean diet… and cultural foods were never in conversation.”

That conversation sparked what Meeks calls a “light bulb moment.”

“It was a very contrasting moment sitting with my grandmother, seeing how resilient, how strong, how intertwined our food has been into her life and our family’s life,” she said. “I wanted people to be able to connect with their cultural food in this way.”

From pastry chef to dietician

Meeks earned her bachelor’s degree from Mississippi University for Women, where she studied culinary arts with dreams of becoming a pastry chef. From there, Meeks attended California State University, Los Angeles and earned her Master of Science in nutritional science.

“I always loved food, just cooking, helping my mom cook on Sunday dinners,” she said. “Originally I just wanted to become a pastry chef, because on Sunday dinners, my mom had me doing the desserts.”

But her master’s program exposed her to the science behind food, shifting her focus to nutrition.

“Getting my master’s, I began to be exposed to the science of food, and the food science classes really piqued my interest into nutrition,” Meeks said. “Food tells stories. Okra can tell a story. Grits can tell a story.”

Redefining soul food

When asked to define soul food in 2026, Meeks offered a perspective rooted in history and resistance.

“Soul food is less about the actual food, but more so about what is rooted in it,” she said. “Soul food started during the Black Power movement, where there were activists fighting for our rights and equality, and food was something that grounded people, whether they were in Chicago or New York.”

She emphasized that soul food represents more than sustenance.

“It was fueling this movement. It was fueling their activism. It was fueling their imagination about what freedom and equality would look like,” Meeks said. “It’s the meaning more so than anything that makes soul food soul food.”

Challenging misconceptions

Meeks works to dismantle what she calls “single story narratives” that demonize cultural foods.

“The biggest misconception is that our food is unhealthy,” she said. “Early on, I was trying to find some positive research about Black food culture, and the only thing I kept seeing was headlines saying Black food, or slave food, is killing Black people. And I was like, this isn’t true.”

Her research revealed that systemic issues, not cultural foods themselves, drive health disparities in Black communities.

“A lot of Black communities have food deserts, grocery store redlining or lack access to grocery stores,” she said. “When people lead with those narratives, it’s really lazy, because we don’t really get to the root issue.”

Bridging tradition with health

In her work with clients, Meeks uses a technique called “bridging” – taking something familiar and connecting it with healthier alternatives.

“I don’t tell people what to do. I empower them to choose,” she said. “I give them the choices and the options and see what they’re most drawn to. There are more sustained habits that way, because they are choosing.”

She emphasized the importance of herbs and seasonings in Southern cooking.

“I love herbs and seasonings. I think they can elevate any dish, and that’s something that our ancestors have been doing as well,” Meeks said. “The reason that we cook a lot with peppers and smoke things is because we didn’t always have access to a lot of salts and seasonings.”

A love for Mississippi catfish

When asked about her go-to comfort meal, Meeks didn’t hesitate.

“I love catfish,” she said. “You don’t have Mississippi catfish anywhere else. So I take real pride in that, knowing that Mississippi catfish is just very unique. We are the number one producers of catfish in the world.”

She suggested blackening as a healthier preparation method using avocado oil, which can withstand higher temperatures without burning.

Empowering communities

Beyond individual nutrition counseling, Meeks’ work addresses broader systemic issues through G.R.I.T.S. Inc. and her documentary “Food as Resistance.”

“Food being healthy isn’t just about the nutrients,” Meeks said. “If you’re disconnected from your community, I don’t think that’s healthy. If you’re disconnected from your culture, I don’t think that’s healthy.”

In celebration of Black History Month, Meeks’ message is clear: soul food is about resistance, resilience and reclaiming narratives.

“My mission is to empower communities to reclaim their food heritage,” she said. “Food isn’t just about what’s on your plate. It’s about community and connection.”

ROSEMARY SWEET POTATOES

Meeks shared one of her favorite recipes, which pays homage to George Washington Carver’s innovative work with sweet potatoes while honoring her grandmother’s influence. This recipe is from “Freedom for Life,” a free, collaborative cookbook Meeks and others wrote with Freedom and the Mississippi Department of Health. According to the cookbook, the sweet potato is “a delicacy of Mississippi fit for any occasion,” and the vegetable is a great source of magnesium and fiber for regulating blood sugar and reducing insulin resistance.

“The sweet potato basically replaced the African yam,” Meeks explained. “Enslaved Africans didn’t have access to yams in the United States, but the sweet potato was here. And so that’s how it began to be so ingrained in Black food culture.”

This recipe serves 4 to 6 people and has a cook time of approximately 25 minutes.

Ingredients:
2 cups sweet potatoes
4 tablespoons olive oil or browned butter
1/4 cup almond milk
3 sprigs of rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
Optional: 1 tablespoon date sugar

Instructions:
■ Scrub the sweet potatoes with a vegetable brush under running water.
■ Peel the potatoes and cut them into even chunks to ensure they cook uniformly.
■ Place the chunks in a large pot and cover with cold water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a gentle boil for 15 to 20 minutes until tender.
■ While the potatoes cook, simmer the almond milk and two rosemary sprigs in a small saucepan over very low heat for about 5 minutes.
■ Drain the potatoes and place them in a large mixing bowl. Combine the oil (or butter), infused milk, cinnamon and orange zest.
■ Pour the mixture over the potatoes and mash until smooth.
■ Finely chop the remaining sprig of rosemary. Top the mashed potatoes with the chopped rosemary and pecans.

Chef’s note on browned butter: To brown butter, melt it in a pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once it develops a nutty aroma and turns light brown (about 5 minutes), remove it from the heat immediately to prevent burning.