Maya Krampf

Culinary Specialties

My focus is easy, whole food recipes with 10 ingredients or less, and I’m passionate about keeping them free of refined sugar, white flour, or anything artificial.

As a busy mom and business owner, I want maximum flavor and minimal effort — and my recipes reflect that. I shared how I develop recipes here. I specialize in:

• Easy, healthy dinners – I’ve created hundreds of healthy dinner recipes here, and they are by far the meals I make the most. I prioritize meals that are quick, easy, and approachable, with simple, real food ingredients.
• Air fryer – I got my first air fryer in 2019 and never looked back. It’s my favorite appliance — I use it almost every day! — and I love developing air fryer recipes with it.
• International cuisine – Travel fills my heart, and every place I visit inspires me to recreate the local food I get to try. In particular, I’ve been to Mexico dozens of times and most of the largest European countries. Most of my recipes are inspired by American, Mexican, Mediterranean, Italian, French, or Eastern European influences.
• Healthy baking – I’ve been baking healthy desserts for over a decade, and for many years I created keto recipes. I’ve learned a lot about baking without sugar or gluten, and that carried over to the many more flexible recipes I have now. In fact, I developed my natural Besti sweeteners, sugar-free honey, and sugar-free maple syrup to allow me to create a cleaner version of virtually any baked treat.
• High protein – I’ve created high protein recipes for years, long before it was popular, and have hundreds. I love natural proteins like chicken, steak, eggs, and fish, but have also made sweet recipes and baked goods that are high in protein.
• Vegetables – I love my veggies, and am a firm believer that they should be at every meal. (My kids will tell you that I’ve been telling them “pick a protein and a vegetable” since they were toddlers!) My favorites are zucchini, eggplant, cauliflower, broccoli, and sweet potatoes, but honestly I cook with the seasons. I develop lots of recipes for vegetable side dishes as well as salads.

Besides the cooking itself, my other passion is helping you succeed in the kitchen. I take detailed notes to share my best tips for each recipe based on my cooking experience. I also include step-by-step photos, helpful video tutorials, and recommendations for ingredients and kitchen tools I personally use.

Fun Facts

You can read about how I started Wholesome Yum on the about page, but here are some fun facts about me:

• I live with my husband and two girls, my (very critical) taste testers. One of my kids will eat everything, but my husband and other daughter are both picky in completely opposite ways, making meals and recipe development a very special kind of challenge.
• The first thing I ever learned to cook was eggs, which are still my favorite food. The first one I baked was savory biscuits when I was 12, which were not healthy at all. My almond flour biscuits are so much better! 😉
• I moved to the U.S. as a refugee when I was 5, and my parents came with almost nothing. One of my most vivid memories when we got here is how abudant the grocery stores were.
• I created my first online content in 1999, as a teenager, and grew an email magazine to 5000 subscribers. I think I was always destined to create.
• I love to travel and build detailed itineraries to do so. My family loves everything from hiking and beaches to big cities and culture. But a big part I always spend time planning is the food, meticulously selecting authentic, highly reviewed restaurants and participating in local food experiences.
• In 2023, my husband and I packed all our stuff and moved across the country from Minnesota to Florida, chasing the sunshine. I miss my family and friends back home like crazy, but now we get dozens of visitors that come to stay with us. It’s the best — and gives me an excuse to test a lot of recipes.
• My favorite part of this job is hearing about my recipes on my readers’ holiday tables, at family dinners, and helping them feel better through clean eating. It brings me so much joy.