Confession: My husband loves meat. If you had told me 5 years ago that he’d give up his beloved BBQ brisket & ribs, I would have laughed. But life gave us a serious wake-up call. One day, a routine doctor’s visit revealed that my husband had dangerously high cholesterol. His family has had a long history of heart disease with his grandfather dying at 43 of a heart attack. This news hit us hard. I was scared for him and for our family – we have a lot of life left to live together.
Determined to help, I started by sneaking more fruits and vegetables into our meals. We tried all the “healthy” tricks we could think of, from smoothies in the morning to salads at dinner. But nothing made a real difference. Fruits and veggies were always a “side dish” and barely made up a quarter of his plate.
One day, my husband said that he wanted to run a 30 day challenge. He loves challenges, discipline, and putting his body through hell. When he told me what his challenge was, I was seriously shocked. His challenge was to eat plant-based and oil free for 30 days! Not only was he going to try not eating meat, but he was planning on cutting dairy and oil as well.
That dramatic change lit a fire in me. I knew we couldn’t go back to our old eating habits. I also knew I had to find a way to make this new lifestyle sustainable and fun — especially for my husband, who still craved his favorite foods, and for our little daughter who loved cheese more than anything. Little did I know, this challenge would soon spark an idea for what would become Credo.
From Mac & Cheese to Queso Magic
At the time, our daughter was 2.5 years old and absolutely obsessed with cheese. Like many toddlers, her go-to meal was mac and cheese – and I’ll admit, it was one of the only ways I could get her to eat anything! Since we’d cut out dairy for my husband’s health, I was determined to recreate her favorite cheesy comfort food using only plants.
I spent evenings experimenting in our kitchen, blending cashews, veggies, and nutritional yeast. I was willing to try whatever it took to create a creamy, delicious dairy-free “cheese” sauce. After a lot of trial and error, I finally perfected a recipe for a plant-based mac and cheese.
The first time I served it, I held my breath. To my amazement, our little girl gobbled it up and even asked for seconds. Seeing her enjoying a healthier version of her favorite meal made my heart swell with happiness. It felt like a small victory – proof that healthy food could still feel like a treat.
Not long after, my husband came home from work to find us in the kitchen with a pot of that dairy-free mac and cheese. Curious from the wonderful smell, he grabbed a spoon and took a bite of the sauce I’d made. His eyes widened. “Wow,” he said, “this tastes just like the queso I grew up eating back home in Laredo!”
I’ll never forget that moment. My husband was born and raised on the Texas-Mexico border, where queso is practically its own food group. For him to compare my dairy-free creation to the authentic queso of his childhood was the highest compliment I could imagine.
In that instant, something clicked. If I could make a plant-based sauce that brought back the same joy and nostalgia as his favorite queso, then maybe we were onto something bigger than just our family dinners. That was the spark that inspired me to pivot the focus of Credo.
I shifted my attention from just making vegan family meals to perfecting a cashew-based queso dip that could wow even the staunchest cheese lovers. It felt bold and a little scary to change course, but I knew in my heart it was the right direction for Credo. My husband’s simple, offhand comment had lit the path forward.
Making Healthy Food Joyful for Everyone
That journey – from a health scare to a kitchen experiment – became the foundation of Credo’s mission. I realized this wasn’t just about my husband or my daughter anymore; it was about helping so many others who want to be healthy without giving up the foods and flavors they love. No one should have to choose between taking care of their health and enjoying a delicious meal with family and friends.
I founded Credo to make healthy food joyful again. What does that mean at a deeper level? It means every recipe and product we create is crafted with a bigger purpose in mind. To change the way we eat without taking the fun and joy out of our lives.
This is the “why” behind everything we do. I want our queso (and all our future foods) to put a smile on your face and make you feel good, inside and out. For me, there’s nothing more rewarding than hearing that our dairy-free queso made someone exclaim, “I can’t believe this is dairy free!” or that a picky kid enjoyed their veggies because of our sauce. That’s how I know we’re succeeding – when healthy eating becomes a joyful experience rather than a sacrifice.
Thank you for letting me share our origin story with you. It still amazes me how my husband’s love of meat and a simple bowl of dairy free mac and cheese led us here. I’m so grateful for the health we’ve regained and the happiness we’ve found through healthier eating. I’m incredibly excited to be able to share that with your family, too.
I warmly invite you to join us on this journey. Welcome to the Credo family!
Sincerely,
Maddy
Founder and Creator of Credo