We recently had the chance to connect with Udenie Wickramasinghe and have shared our conversation below.
Udenie, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
Integrity. For me, it’s everything. Intelligence and energy are important, but without integrity they lose meaning. Integrity is what keeps me grounded, it’s how I raise my kids, how I serve my clients, and how I move through the world.
I believe in showing up honestly and consistently, even when it’s hard. Energy can come and go, intelligence can be built over time, but integrity is the piece that never wavers. It’s what creates trust, and without trust, nothing else works.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Mindful Eats Table is more than just a business, it’s the heart of my work and my story as a holistic chef and Nutritional Therapy Practitioner. I created it as a space where food, healing, and creativity meet.
As a single mom, I’ve always had to be resourceful, hardworking, and deeply intentional about how I show up. Cooking became not just a way to feed my family, but a way to express love, to heal, and to connect. Over time, I saw how powerful food and lifestyle could be in transforming health, not only for myself, but for others. That’s what inspired me to turn my passion into a brand.
At Mindful Eats Table, I help people reconnect with food in a way that feels nourishing, joyful, and doable. Whether it’s through personalized nutrition support, creative meal planning, or guiding clients in the kitchen, I bring together science and soul. My brand is about authenticity, real food, real connection, and real results.
I want people to know that healing doesn’t have to feel restrictive or overwhelming. It can be creative, colorful, and even fun. That’s the spirit of Mindful Eats Table, a place where food becomes both medicine and art.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
The part of me that has served but must now be released is the version of myself that thought survival alone was enough. For so long, I lived in a space of pushing through, of proving, of carrying everything on my own shoulders. That resilience shaped me, but it also weighed me down.
I’ve grown up in every possible way, as a woman, a mother, a professional, and most importantly, as a human being learning to live from the inside out. Growth has taught me that strength is not about holding on, but about knowing when to let go.
Now, I choose to run back to love. Love is the only way forward , love for myself, love for my children and dear friends, love for the work I put into the world, and love for the community I serve. Love is no longer something I chase outside of myself; it’s the foundation I stand on.
Releasing the old patterns of struggle creates space for me to move through life with more grace, joy, and connection. What once served me doesn’t have to define me anymore. Love does.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
The defining wounds of my life have been pure heartbreaks. Loving unconditionally has always been at the core of who I am, but that same openness has left me broken more times than I can count. There were seasons when the pain was so heavy that I lived in dark nights, pouring out tears, and finding myself on my knees praying to God just to make it through another day.
Those moments of despair felt endless, but they also became the soil where my healing grew. In those nights of prayer and surrender, I learned that even when everything else falls apart, God’s love never does. Slowly, I began to piece myself back together, not by hardening, but by staying soft.
Motherhood, my work, my creativity, the foods I cook, the words I write, the music and art I immerse myself in, all became pathways of healing. Each one taught me that brokenness is not the end of the story, it’s the beginning of transformation.
I’ve come to understand that unconditional love doesn’t mean sacrificing myself; it means honoring my own heart and trusting God to guide me. My heartbreaks turned into wisdom, my tears into strength, and my prayers into purpose.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
The biggest lie in my industry is that good food is expensive and only for rich people. I couldn’t disagree more. Real, nourishing food is not a luxury, it’s our birthright. Somewhere along the way, we’ve been sold the idea that “healthy” has to mean trendy ingredients, overpriced products, and complicated diets. That’s just not true.
At its heart, good food is simple. It’s beans simmered with spices, fresh vegetables, humble grains, herbs, and flavors that come alive when you cook with love. You don’t need a trust fund to eat well, you need creativity, resourcefulness, and the willingness to strip away the noise of consumerism.
As a holistic chef and NTP, I’ve built my work around showing people how to create meals that are both deeply nourishing and affordable. I want to reclaim the truth that food is medicine, community, and joy, and it belongs to everyone, not just a privileged few.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
The story I hope people tell about me when I’m gone is that I loved fiercely and cared endlessly. That I left beauty behind in the form of meals, words, and moments that nourished not just the body, but the soul. That I wasn’t afraid to break, to cry, to rise again, and that through it all, I chose love every time.
I want people to remember that I cared so deeply it sometimes hurt, but I never stopped showing up. I hope they say I reminded them that food could heal, that words could comfort, and that presence was the greatest gift. My legacy, if nothing else, is love woven into everything I touched.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mindfuleatstable.com/mindful-eats-table
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindfuleatstable/
Image Credits
Udenie Wickramasinghe
