A Day In The Life Of: Kate Strickler

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In this episode, we sit down with Kate Strickler, the creator behind the wildly popular blog and Instagram account Naptime Kitchen, where she’s known for her down-to-earth practicality, relatable home hacks, and honest take on motherhood. Kate has been featured on Good Morning America, Southern Living, The Lazy Genius Podcast, and more, and her new book I Just Wish I Had a Bigger Kitchen debuted on both the New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists.

In our conversation, she gives us a refreshingly honest peek inside her everyday wellness habits and walks us through a realistic day in the life — one grounded in flexibility, nourishment, family, and embracing what works for her season of life.

Early Morning Me Time

5:45–6:00am: She wakes up and starts her day by mixing her morning drink: water with GoUltima electrolyte powder and creatine to hydrate and ease into the day.

Electrolyte powders aren’t a make or break in a hydration routine but can help add minerals and flavor to water, which is especially useful for those who exercise, sweat, or want an extra hydration boost. See our full post on electrolyte packets here.
Creatine is a well-studied compound that supports energy production in muscles, can aid performance during high-intensity activity and cognition. See our full post on creatine here and the products we recommend.

6:00–6:45am: Workout time. She moves her body for about 45 minutes, rotating between platforms like Peloton, Fit With CoCo, Nourish Move Love, and Madeline Moves to keep things fresh and motivating.

We love Kate’s approach to fitness. She told us: “As I age I’m like I all of a sudden I care that I have strong hips!” and how stress relief is a big reason of why she moves her body every morning. This is shown to provide superior long-term motivation for exercise. Interested in strength training? Click here for our DIY training plan.

6:45–7:00am: A short pause before the day picks up. She spends about 15 minutes reading, reflecting, or journaling. Some mornings, this is as simple as a notecard with one thing she’s grateful for and one thing she needs help with.

Kate’s wellness routine is well-rounded focusing on all aspects of health, not simply food and fitness. Mental health, spiritual and emotional wellbeing is just as important.

Morning Momentum

7:00am She heads to the kitchen as the kids start to move, making lunches and getting everyone out the door. During this time, she blends her protein shake with oat milk and Equip protein, and which she finds works best with her stomach. “Like I’ve tried some that I’m like, my gosh, I cannot button my pants.”

Protein Shake Review: We love the focus on protein after a workout to help give muscles what they need to recover nice and strong. We noticed Equip protein has a minimal ingredient list and is sweetened with stevia rather than artificial sweeteners or sugar alcohols. While everyone’s digestion is different, these factors could help explain why some people, like Kate, find it easier on the stomach compared with other protein powders. Wondering how much protein you need? Click here to view our protein needs blog post.

Post–school drop-off (~8-8:30am) Once the kids are out the door, she takes a walk with the dog and her youngest, Alberta, latte in hand. Her coffee of choice is Organo Gold instant coffee packets—not a full mushroom coffee, but with some mushroom benefits and lower caffeine, which suits her sensitivity. She adds oat milk and collagen, a supplement she’s been using for about seven years and credits with improved nail strength.

Coffee Critique: We believe Kate likely notices a difference with her coffee choice. Organo Gold blends regular coffee with reishi mushrooms, and because part of the mix is mushroom powder, the caffeine content is lower than many standard brewed coffees — about 115 mg per cup, compared with up to 200 mg in a strong brewed coffee. This can feel gentler for those who are sensitive to stimulants. Reishi mushrooms contain compounds with antioxidant and potential adaptogenic effects, which may help modulate stress and reduce the jittery feeling — though research in humans is still limited. (Click here to read our post on 7 Coffee Add-Ins Dietitians Swear By, one of which recommends collagen too!)
Collagen Claim: Kate’s claim that her nails feel stronger after taking collagen for seven years is plausible. It also suggests she’s likely getting enough protein in her overall diet — if she weren’t, her body would prioritize amino acids from collagen for more essential functions, rather than nail strength. This is good news, especially since she mentioned that hitting high protein targets used to feel like a chore. Now, she’s more focused on listening to her body rather than chasing sky-high numbers. View our full post on collagen here.
Mindful Moment: You can clearly see how Kate lights up when she says “And that is like my delight….it just feels like this moment with like my little hot coffee.” Smaller glimmers in your day like this can make a big impact on overall mood and stress levels.

Late Morning & Afternoon

~10:00am: She sits down for a solid breakfast, often egg bites or yogurt with peanut butter. Eating solid food later in the morning is easier on her stomach and fits better into her schedule.

While it might seem like she hasn’t “eaten” until this point, she’s actually been fueling her body wisely with her morning beverages. Choosing a drinkable format can be much easier to manage when you’ve got kids wandering around and a to-do list full of tasks like making lunches, allowing her to get essential nutrients in early without the stress of a traditional meal.
She also mentions that this is just what is sitting well with her body and routine right now. She used to eat right after waking up, but now that doesn’t sound appealing. “I used to like wake up and if I did not have like peanut butter toast within 20 minutes of waking, I would not feel well.” We love her flexible approach! (Looking for more recipe ideas? Click here)

Throughout the day: Hydration is a focus. She drinks plenty of water and recommends a 30-oz Simple Modern bottle (a popular Stanley alternative).

Lunch Time: “Lunch is like my special meal. I can eat something and nobody is complaining at me.” She loves Souper Cubes for batch cooking things like white chicken chili. “So lunch is kind of my like little personal happy place.“

Mid-afternoon (weather permitting): She tries to get outside for a walk, using it as a simple way to reset and get her body moving.

Evening Wind-Down

8:00–8:30pm
Phones go away as she begins winding down for the night.

Later evening
She usually takes a bath and watches something on her iPad, though this time can be interrupted by kids.

Bedtime
She ends the day with her Kindle, often falling asleep mid-read—and inevitably having to hunt for it in the sheets the next morning.

Bravo to Kate for having such a solid bedtime routine! Simple, efficient and effective!

Beyond her daily rhythm, in the episode we also dive into:

Kate’s monthly meal-planning routine (yes, she plans a month at a time!) for a family of 6 (and only makes one dinner for everyone)
her cookbook rotation strategy
her preferred approach to grocery shopping
how her routines have evolved over time
the systems that support her family life
why she stopped trying to force a high protein diet
the reason she doesn’t do HITT workouts even though she enjoys them
the mindset shifts that help her stay consistent without chasing perfection

What we cover in the extended episode:

What do you feel like helps you the most with body image?
What does “balance” with food, fitness and wellness mean to you?
Can you talk to us about when you post on IG “Kate eats a fancy lunch”? Why is this a big deal? What’s the “why” behind it?
Can you talk to us about “Take Them A Meal March”?
What are your best tips for keeping an orderly household?
Do you have any healthy hobbies for yourself or perhaps the whole family?

“When it comes to wellness, like it’s just good to keep an open hand. Like in terms of like what worked for you a month ago doesn’t have to work for you now. And you’re not failing yourself when something is like no longer serving you in the season you’re in. Like if you’re like, man, this just, I just can’t.”

If you’re looking for practical routines that feel doable, permission to make them your own, and encouragement to keep them flexible, this episode delivers exactly that!

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