about
hey there!
I’m Katelin, a 30-year old living in Denver sharing my passion for food with the community.
HEALTH & FOOD JOURNEY
I started cooking in middle school when I discovered the food network and realized I didn’t have to eat tacos from a box and Ragu on rotation for the rest of my life (sorry mom).
Fast forward to college and I found myself uncomfortable in my own skin. I had very little interest or motivation to exercise on my own after leaving my competitive swimming career behind to pursue music. I was eating mostly empty carbs, emotionally bingeing and fluctuating weight like crazy thanks to quick fixes and fad diets. In short, I wasn’t taking care of myself and needed a lasting change.
enter paleo!
I did my first (and admittedly only) Whole30 the summer before my senior year. It completely changed my relationship with food and kicked off a journey to really understand what foods made me feel good and bad. I discovered CrossFit around the same time (I know, I’m a complete cliche) and before I knew it I was back in the best shape of my life and feeling more energetic than I had in years. But as I know many people have experienced, I took the “healthy” lifestyle a bit too far. What started out as a great healthy lifestyle turned into over-restriction, over-exercising, and generally putting too much stress on my body and mind.
After a few years and a lot of mental work, I’ve settled into a balanced lifestyle where I try to eliminate “diets” and restrictions and focus on eating food that makes me feel good. This lifestyle is the basis for the food I make for Bowls by KO.
how bowls by ko was born
Food has always been my passion and opening a restaurant has been a dream of mine since I was a little kid growing up in my dad’s ice cream shops. I went to college in Boston for Business and after graduating got a job in Corporate Finance. The “plan” was to make a lot of money as quickly as possible, retire early, and fund my own restaurant as my later-in-life passion project.
Well, after three years in the corporate world I burned out. I moved to Denver without a real plan other than seeking a fresh start. I got another 9-5 job and started a food blog and the Bowls by KO Instagram in my free time. I was recipe testing on my friends whenever I could, and they quickly started asking me for recipes and meal plans. After a few months I realized that I wouldn’t be truly happy in a job unless I could find a way to turn my passion for cooking into a career.
So, I took a leap of faith! I quit my full-time job, picked up a few side hustles and started marketing my meals. It was the best decision I’ve ever made.
I’m thrilled to be here cooking for you!
