Social media star ‘The Food Nanny’ revives heirloom recipes, ancient grains and sit-down dinners

A Utah mom is helping to revive the lost rituals of American family dinners – one video at a time.

With her social media platform of nearly 500,000 Instagram followers, Lizi Heaps is spreading messages about home-cooked food, heritage ingredients and the power of sitting down together. (See the video at the top of this article.) 

Heaps is known as “The Food Nanny,” a brand originally created by her mother, Liz, to promote heirloom recipes and kitchen-table cooking.

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In an interview with Fox News Digital, Heaps said sit-down meals were an integral part of her childhood – and something she continues to prioritize for her children.

Heaps is the youngest of seven children; her oldest brother is 16 years her senior. 

“Dinner time was the way that we would bond and connect about our day.”

She called it “a dying art … just sitting and bonding with your families.”

Not only does family dinner offer nutritional benefits, Heaps said, it keeps her children “out of trouble.” 

“They know during the week that they’re coming home to a dinner,” she said. “It’s giving them a reason to come home.”

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And when they do, it’s not just about the routine – it’s about wholesome, traditional and tasty food.

One such food is Kamut flour, a variety of ancient wheat. Possibly used by ancient Egyptians, the grain was “rediscovered” and brought to America in the 20th century.

To help bring some wholesomeness to American kitchens, Heaps promotes and sells the grain, which is naturally yellow rather than bleached white.

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“The best way to describe it is, it almost has a nutty flavor,” she said. “This is so delicious.”

It’s also the focus of her cookbook, “For the Love of Kamut.”

“There’s a couple of ancient grains that are left, like einkorn and spelt, but … it’s not yummy. It’s not delicious.”

Once people get a taste of Kamut, Heaps said, they’ll instantly taste the difference. 

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“First of all, for us, it was taste,” she said. “You can significantly taste a difference in the cookies or bread.”

It’s also easier to digest, she said.

She also sells salt from Guerande, France. It’s produced only by the sun, wind and water, her website says, with the help of some Roman-era tools.

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“They use the same tools from 2,000 years ago … It’s the salt that’s so pure and natural that’s so good,” she said. 

Most of her recipes stick to basics, such as real butter and milk from her cows.

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“All the recipes that I really still show today are the ones that I was raised on,” Heaps said.

Heaps said her content helps American families realize that nutrition is worth it.

“I have a motto: ‘Keep cooking. Your family’s worth it,'” she said.

“If we don’t teach our kids how to have that healthy relationship with food, who is?”