Hi, I'm Lauren
I’m a kitchen coach passionate and dedicated to making food
education more “digestible”. I use my experience as a Food Scientist and product developer to help individuals and families build generational health. Creating relatable content centered around people growing more confident in their understanding of food is my mission.
My Story
Poppin' Pantry's founder, Lauren Jude, uses her academic background as a Food Scientist, career knowledge as a product developer, and passion for food to equip clients with the necessary information to understand what's in their food, and to make their time spent in the kitchen easier and more enjoyable. Lauren fundamentally believes that Poppin' Pantry's mission is to help clients build their own versions of generational health.
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Food has always been central to Lauren’s life. As a kid she found herself watching cooking shows on Saturday mornings instead of cartoons. Her love and enthusiasm for food have followed her throughout her life. After graduating with a Food Science degree, she began her career at General Mills as a Product Developer, working on brands such as Pillsbury, Nature Valley, Old El Paso, Fiber 1, Yoplait, and countless other brands that are recognized around the world. Her contribution to the development of the Nature Valley Protein Bar led to it being voted “Most Innovative Product” by Consumer Goods Technology in 2013, and one of the company’s best selling products in company history. Lauren also spearheaded phase one of the largest capital project in General Mills’ history.
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After the birth of her first daughter, she left her corporate career to become a full-time stay-at-home mom and pursue her passions around food and community. She started Honey Petri Dish Consulting in 2016, helping small food companies scale their businesses. Her kitchen coaching career started by helping single-mothers create healthy and simple meals that could be integrated into their busy lives. Most recently she founded Poppin’ Pantry, a platform dedicated to helping clients break down barriers and change their approach to cooking at home.
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Lauren is an avid Food Educator, volunteer, and is especially passionate about how health, community, and social justice intersect with food. She loves cooking for her own family; daughters Journey and Genesis and husband Jamil. Lauren holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Food Science from Alabama A&M University.
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Black and Brown communities are disproportionately affected by food related diseases; because of this, Lauren has made it her purpose to use her knowledge and expertise to educate those in her community.
