Food at the Center is a Jamaican American nutrition and lifestyle company that uses food to build connections, promote health, and celebrate culture.
We are committed to making healthy living a tastier experience for you, your family, and friends. Michelle Beadle Holder, Ph.D., is a Jamaican-born food enthusiast and former health science professor. She enjoys growing, cooking, and eating delicious foods. In 2018, she founded Food at the Center, a company with the primary aim of using food as a tool to build connections, promote health and cele
03/11/2026
March brings bright, fresh produce that can bring life to simple meals. Pair these seasonal ingredients with a few fridge and pantry staples to build balanced, flavorful dishes all month long.
Save this list for your next grocery trip and try adding one seasonal ingredient to your plate this week.
Lentil Soup Mix Debut — Sold Out at Celebration Church’s Black Business Expo 🙌🏾✨
Sunday was a full-circle moment.
We sold out of our Red and Brown Lentil Soup Mix at the Black Business Expo. And it happened in a Black church.
Since my graduate school days, I’ve studied the role of Black churches in supporting the health, welfare, and economic resilience of our communities. I always understood their significance intellectually, but this week I felt it in a new way. Here I am standing with my lentil soup mix created from my own cultural flavors and my commitment to wellness. As I pause to reflect, I realize I was participating in the very legacy I once wrote about.
To debut this product in a Black church reminded me that I am part of a long lineage of agency, entrepreneurship, and social change. It affirmed that food, culture, and community care are deeply connected.
And I cannot overlook the significance of being surrounded by businesses many led by women who encouraged me, inspired me, and stood alongside me in this work.
A special thanks to my hubby who has been by my side on this journey to follow food. Your presence made the moment even more meaningful.
Thank you to everyone who supported, tasted, purchased, and poured into this new chapter. A special thanks to the pastoral team a Celebration Church, some of whom bought multiple lentil mixes! I am so grateful. Follow me on this journey. This is just the beginning. 🥣💛
Thank you to everyone who came out yesterday to support Kytu and all the incredible vendors at for Small Business Saturday. 💛✨
A special thank you to everyone who bought a cup of my Caribbean-inspired lentil soup made with salt-free spices from . The money from soup sales is being donated to in support of Hurricane Melissa relief efforts in Jamaica. 🇯🇲❤️🩹
And an extra special shoutout to Glenna from , the very first person who told me, after tasting this soup, “You need to sell this.” I didn’t act on it then… but the devastation in my birth land opened my heart. That’s when Soup for a Cause was born.
When I cook in alignment with what I value, it feels meaningful, grounding, and so full of joy. My heart is overflowing with gratitude. Thank you to everyone who bought soup, everyone who showed up, and everyone who’s cheering this mission forward. Thank you. 💛🥣
✨ Next Soup Days:
📅 December 3rd
📅 December 19th
📍
Come out, get a bowl, and help us make an impact together.
11/27/2025
Holiday celebrations are meant to bring joy, flavor, delicious food, and connection. Over the years, I’ve learned that I can experience all of that without falling into the overindulgence trap. Here are 5 tips to prevent over eating this holiday season:
1. Set an intention before you arrive.
What do you want to enjoy? What actually matters to you?
2. Don’t show up starving.
A balanced pre-event meal helps you stay grounded around abundance.
3. Slow down and savor.
Savor the colors, aromas, flavors, and connections. Presence increases pleasure and reduces overeating.
4. Choose what truly satisfies you.
Everything on the table isn’t for you. Pick what feels meaningful and skip what doesn’t.
5. Practice kindness afterward.
No guilt. No punishment. Gently reflect and give thanks for the moment.
Which of the 5 is calling your name?
11/26/2025
Our first Soup for a Cause was a success. Join us for the next one on Saturday, November 29th.
cafe columbia:
5550 Sterrett Pl #103, Columbia, MD 21044
Every bowl of our special Caribbean-inspired, Lentil Soup supports ongoing recovery efforts in Jamaica. Thank you for showing up with heart and appetite.
Today is the day! Lentils soup for a cause.
Friday, November 21st
Wednesday, December 3rd
Saturday, December 20th
Every bowl purchased helps support families with recovery relief after Hurricane Melissa.
Let’s turn nourishment into action.
✨ Stop by this week
✨ Order a bowl of Soup for a Cause
✨ Know that your meal is making a difference
Have you ever cooked with branzino? If you’re looking for something tender, light, and full of flavor, this is your next go-to fish.
Here’s how I make it using my salt-free jerk fish seasoning:
Ingredients
• 4–5 branzino fillets
• 1 tbsp Food at the Center Salt-Free Jerk Fish Seasoning
• 1 tbsp butter
• Drizzle of olive oil
• 1 tsp minced garlic (optional)
• Slices of ½ lemon
• Juice of ½ lemon
• Fresh cilantro for topping
Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
2. Place branzino fillets on a baking sheet or oven safe dish.
3. Drizzle with olive oil, add butter, and season generously with the jerk fish seasoning.
4. Add garlic (if using) and tuck in the lemon slices.
5. Bake for 15–18 minutes, or until the fish is tender and flakes easily.
6. Finish with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Light, flavorful, and heart-friendly, this is the perfect alternative when salmon is feeling a little too routine.
This pairs well with a quinoa salad.
11/19/2025
Every spoonful tells a story.
When I made this lentil soup, it wasn’t just a meal. It was a moment of grounding after Hurricane Melissa devastated my family’s community in Jamaica. Cooking became a therapeutic practice. I reached for what I had in my pantry. I was looking for something quick, simple, and nourishing. Then I added Jamaican-inspired herbs and spices to create a bowl of comfort in the midst of worry.
Food can hold us together when life feels uncertain.
If you’d like a taste and to be part of something meaningful join me for Soup for a Cause on:
📅 Friday, November 21
📅 Wednesday, December 3
📅 Saturday, December 20
Buy a cup of our special Lentil Soup at cafe columbia
* 5550 Sterrett Pl # 103, Columbia, MD 21044
Each bowl supports recovery efforts in Jamaica.
A bowl of warmth.
A moment of comfort.
A chance to help.
Nourish Yourself. Support Jamaica.
Join us for a special collaboration between Food at the Center and cafe columbia.
Enjoy a comforting bowl of Lentil Soup, crafted with mild Jamaican-inspired spices and help support Hurricane Melissa relief efforts in Jamaica.
🌿 How It Works
* Buy a cup of our special Lentil Soup at cafe columbia
* 5550 Sterrett Pl # 103, Columbia, MD 21044
* Proceeds support families rebuilding in Jamaica
* Three days only:
* Day 1: Friday, November 21st, 9 am ET
* Day 2: Wednesday, December 3rd, 11 am ET
* Day 3: Saturday, December 20th, 11 am ET
See you there!
11/14/2025
Nourish Yourself. Support Jamaica.
Join us for a special collaboration between Food at the Center and cafe columbia.
Enjoy a comforting bowl of Lentil Soup, crafted with mild Jamaican-inspired spices and help support Hurricane Melissa relief efforts in Jamaica.
🌿 How It Works
* Buy a cup of our special Lentil Soup at cafe columbia
* 5550 Sterrett Pl # 103, Columbia, MD 21044
* Proceeds support families rebuilding in Jamaica
* Three days only:
* Day 1: Friday, November 21st, 9 am ET
* Day 2: Wednesday, November 3rd, 11 am ET
* Day 3: Saturday, December 20th, 11 am ET
See you there!
11/04/2024
Do you like art? I found this gem on Jamaican history and culture. It’s about the founding of the Kingston Night Market. One day I hope to visit it.
What YOU should do in KINGSTON. JAMAICA. The most unique night attraction in Kingston, Jamaica, is the Kingston Night Market. There are many reasons why it should be a must-visit place for both tour...
10/31/2024
A friend gave us all these baby buttenut squashes. What should I make with them? Please share cooking ideas in the comment.