Saya Woman Series #9 | Luka Mccabe

In this installment of our Saya Woman Series, we delve into the inspiring journey of Luka McCabe, the creative force behind Boob to Food. As a mother of three, registered nurse, and midwife turned entrepreneur, Luka's dedication to family nutrition and holistic wellness has made her a guiding light for parents navigating the journey from breastfeeding to introducing solid foods.

Can you share a bit about yourself and what inspired you to create Boob to Food?

I’m Luka, I am a mum of 3 young children who are 8, 6 and 2, and I live in Newcastle, Australia with my husband Jesse. I am a registered nurse and midwife and worked in that space for 10 years until my passion project Boob to Food became so busy I had to put all my focus there. It's now been about 3 years of solely working on Boob to Food, and we are now a proud team of 11 women. Boob to Food started with me sharing my second child Florence’s food journey on instagram, as a way of just sharing what she was eating and why I was feeding her certain foods that might seem ‘unconventional’ but so nutritious - such as bone broth, liver, sardines etc! I’ve always had an interest in nutrition and also studied to be a Nutrition Consultant and just wanted to share what I had learnt - and people seemed to enjoy it and it grew from there!!

As a mother of three and a multi-disciplinary expert in nutrition and parenting, how do you balance your personal and professional life?

The only way I can is with the support of my husband. As my business grows, he has slowly taken a step back from his role (he is a builder) to be able to care for our children whilst my work picks up. Our 2 older children are now in school, our daughter started school just this year, and our youngest son isn’t in any form of care so at the moment it's a bit of a juggle. But him being flexible with his work allows me to do mine, as some weeks are so busy and some are quieter so we just sort of take turns being the primary carer.

Apart from that, for my personal life, I try to do things every day that fill my cup. For me that is exercise - I need to exercise most mornings for my mental health - usually that is f45 or I do boxing, and on weekends I like to do a walk at the beach. I also need to see friends every day if I can, which is usually with all our children, but we also love to prioritise time without the kids and organise lots of mum dinners! We also love to go camping as a family and this is a big part of my life and a reason I am so thankful my work is now so flexible to allow me to work from anywhere - a stark difference from being a midwife!

Boob to Food is committed to offering comprehensive yet easily understandable guidance on family and baby nutrition. What drove you to fill this gap in the market?

When I first started Boob to Food, there really weren't any accounts out there like it. Instagram was still a fairly new space for businesses at the time (it's a lot more saturated now!). Honestly, I never thought it would become a business - the thought didn’t even cross my mind. I have always just wanted to help and inspire and educate other mums and families - even as a midwife my passion was in education and I used to run the birth and parenting classes as that's what I think I'm good at -  breaking down information that could be scary and overwhelming and making it easy to understand! 

What challenges did you face when starting Boob to Food, and how did you overcome them?

I didn't really experience any challenges because as I said, it was a natural and organic transition to becoming a business, so I was never really ‘hustling’ as such. The biggest hurdles for me have been consistently showing up and providing information for over 5 years now, even in postpartum when I just wanted some time off I pushed through to keep showing up, being authentic and sharing my journey. Now that we are a business and I have staff members, there's an added pressure to make sure we are bringing in revenue which does add a level of stress!

What advice would you offer to parents who are navigating the transition from breastfeeding to introducing solid foods?

Well, I have a whole book of advice in our book Milk to Meals, but a few takeaways I would say are:

How do you balance self-care and maintain a consistent skincare routine while juggling the responsibilities of motherhood and entrepreneurship as a woman?

I could be a lot better at this! I do believe healthy skin comes from within, so nourishing myself through eating wholefoods, minimal preservatives, reducing sugar and alcohol etc. and drinking enough water is really vital! However, I do love it when I get the time/prioritise the time to do self care / skin care and wash my hair. I always feel like a new woman!! I have an infrared sauna at home which I love to use a couple of times a week when the kids are in bed which always makes me feel great. I try to do a face mask once a week and I always wear sunscreen every day. I also can’t stand having dry skin, so I love night-time moisturisers overnight! 

How do you celebrate Mother's Day, and what does this day mean to you personally as both a mother and an entrepreneur?

Honestly most years I am waiting for something elaborate to happen that doesn’t happen and then getting annoyed that my husband didn’t read my mind! So now I take it into my own hands and usually organise my own Mothers Day - I usually start with a early walk at the beach and coffee (sometimes with a friend if they want to come too) and then go out for breakfast with the kids and my husband, then see my mum in the afternoon and usually try to do something fun all together like a big picnic in the woods or 4WD on the beach. 

What's next for Boob to Food? Any exciting projects or initiatives on the horizon?

Our new book is coming out in about a month - a book for toddlers and all about family mealtimes and bringing the family together! We also hope to do more LIVE events this year around the launch!

Self Care Recipe 'Lemony Brothy Beans' | Boob To Food x Saya Skin

We've teamed up with the beautiful team at Boob To Food to provide you with the ultimate self-care, comforting Winter recipe. In Luka's words,

"This is one of my favourite self-care recipes - it's nourishing, full of bone broth, quick to make and tastes like a hug in a bowl. 

Last year, on our annual girl's trip in Byron Bay we visited a cafe called Highlife (it was amazing) and we had these delicious brothy beans – and I have been trying to recreate it ever since. This came pretty close and is now a weekly staple in our house when I need a quick and easy meal and don’t have much fresh produce in the house. It's incredibly economical to make, and I love that it uses pantry staples.
You can also add a protein of your choice to further enhance this dish. It is really yummy with sausage, chorizo, bacon or chicken. I serve ours with some buttered sourdough and parmesan cheese!" 

For the full recipe, click here. As a token of our appreciation for the remarkable mothers in our communities, enjoy a special 20% discount on our Motherhood Collection with the code BOOBTOFOOD, valid 15th - 22 May.

- Saya Skin x