A New Methodology

A Conversation with Julie Nguyen

By Hailey Bethke | Photography courtesy of Methodology

This Michelin-quality food delivery service doesn’t compromise health or flavor.

Out of all the areas of life that require attention and focus, our health can often be the first thing to fall by the wayside. Even though I love spending time in the kitchen, home-cooked meals can feel like just another task on my to-do list—literally adding more to my plate. Eating out at restaurants is a challenge for the health-conscious consumer looking to avoid seed oils, nasty additives, and excessive fat and sugar. And quite frankly, most meal prep services don’t satisfy the tastebuds when it comes to flavor, high-quality ingredients, and variety. Any self-proclaimed foodie looking to balance time spent behind the kitchen counter with a busy schedule understands this dilemma.

Methodology cofounder and CEO Julie Nguyen not only resonated with this pain point—she had lived it. “I am almost ten years in and still don’t feel like I’ve made it because there are always so many exciting things in the pipeline that my cofounder and I can’t wait to launch,” she expresses. “But every day, multiple times a day, I feel as though I am doing exactly the work I was born to do. I was forty pounds heavier and struggled with so many autoimmune health issues in my twenties. I will never forget how painful it was living that way every day—crying in dressing rooms, declining invitations to go wakeboarding to avoid wearing a swimsuit in public, constantly scratching eczema on my arms, having to put concealer on 80 percent of my face, and sleeping in makeup because my face was covered in acne. Optimizing my diet has transformed every aspect of my health, quality of life, and confidence, and I feel motivated every day to bring this gift of healing via food as medicine to as many people as possible.”

Methodology is an innovative meal service delivering satisfying, Michelin-quality dishes prepared without seed oils, refined sugar, gluten, or dairy. Each meal contains 25 to 50 grams of protein, and both plant-based and animal options are sustainably sourced. With a rotating menu, each week’s delivery is a true delight. Think dishes like Raspberry & Orange Dreamy Overnight Oats, Organic Hodo Soy Tofu Hibachi Immunity Bowl with Ube, and Wild Blue Crab & Prawn Cakes with Sherry Glazed Heirloom Rainbow Carrots, Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Garnet Yams, and Avocado Tartar Sauce. Through Methodology’s Signature Program, you can select a weekly meal service ranging from one to five days, which includes daily matcha sachets, apple cider vinegar shrubs, and signature protein truffles.

I tried Methodology’s Signature 5-Day Reset, and my expectations were exceeded. Each meal is packaged in reusable and recyclable boxes; the glass containers with pink lids are a Methodology signature. Every day is designed for you to receive your maximized protein and fiber intake, so I never went hungry between meals. The consistency was on par, the protein truffles were scrumptious, and every flavor combination was wonderfully executed. Not only will your fridge rival Kris Jenner’s, but you’ll also be genuinely excited about each day’s lineup of exquisite dishes. I can’t think of a better way to start the new year as your most vibrant self.

Read on for an exclusive Q&A with Julie Nguyen to learn more about the brand’s evolution, her favorite healthy habits, and insider wellness tips.

VIE: We are so inspired by the thoughtful choices you make at Methodology, from sustainable glass jars to sourcing all ingredients from local farmers in California. What role does integrity play in your business? 

Julie Nguyen: Integrity is critical at Methodology because few things impact our health more than what we eat. We set up systems and checks at all levels of Methodology to ensure each team member does what they say they’ll do and follows instructions precisely to ensure our members are not only safe (particularly related to food allergies) but achieve the health goals for which they came to us, whether it’s weight loss, recovering from a health issue, or simply optimizing their overall health. This is one of the reasons we cook all our meals in-house. The food industry is notorious for cutting corners where it can, particularly regarding ingredients. By doing our purchasing, inventory, and cooking, we can ensure we are giving our members exactly what they believe they are purchasing.

VIE: Tell us a little about your recipe formulation process. How do you decide what recipes to serve next, and how does your plant-forward, high-protein approach set you apart from other meal delivery services?

JN: Our recipes are inspired by my personal experiences, usually coming from my travels, something I enjoyed at a restaurant, or something I saw online. We take delicious recipes and Methodology-ify them by improving their macronutrient ratios to be lower calorie and higher protein, along with increasing vegetable quantity and variety while decreasing or eliminating foods that are more processed, more refined, or less nutrient dense. For example, a dish on this week’s menu is Peruvian Lomo Saltado, which I had for the first time during my 2021 visit to Peru. The traditional dish is a sirloin stir fry served with french fries and rice. It is not totally unhealthy, but in its original form, it is a bit too high-calorie and has low vegetables for our menu. We slightly altered the ratios of ingredients in the dish by adding broccolini and increasing the bell peppers, reducing the french fries and baking them rather than frying them, using grass-fed lean steak, removing the rice, cooking it in avocado oil rather than vegetable oil (and using oil sparingly), and not adding any refined sugar. We also thought it would taste better with Murasake sweet potatoes for a touch of sweetness rather than regular white potatoes. In the end, you still get all the best parts of the dish—the umami, comforting flavors of the steak stir fry in the Chinese-flavored sauce balanced with the sweetness of the potatoes, but it’s all bundled up in a dish that will help you look and feel your best.

VIE: In your eyes, who would be the ideal Methodology customer? What is the most significant resistance or barrier you encounter from people who think they don’t need a reset when they would truly benefit from the program?

JN: The ideal Methodology customer wants optimal nutrition, not just healthy nutrition. This customer wants to optimize their body composition, longevity, and all other health markers. This customer places health as one of their top three priorities in life and feels that money is no object when it comes to optimizing their health. They want only the best of the best when it comes to food, personal training, sleep, and more. Our ideal customer wants to outsource all the thinking and work required with a program that is nutrient-dense, satisfying, high-protein, high-quality, and calorie-controlled. Plus, all our food comes housed in reusable and recyclable packaging, alleviating guilt about packaging waste.

VIE: What are your greatest sources of inspiration? Have any philosophies, brands, or destinations shaped your path or challenged you to innovate?

JN: I respect the way Patagonia has had to invent solutions in its supply chain to operate more sustainably, and we’ve done the same when it comes to the two years we spent designing our custom fully reusable, recyclable, light, and leakproof bento packaging. I also appreciate how Patagonia built its business slowly and steadily over decades, never compromising its values in the name of revenue growth. We’ve done the same by always prioritizing improving our quality year-over-year over growing revenue year-over-year; for us, if the product is noticeably better this year than last year, even if revenue is flat, that’s a huge win. Our customers sometimes refer to us as “the Patagonia of food delivery,” and I beam with pride when I hear this!

VIE: What has been one of your challenges or setbacks? What did you learn from that experience?

JN: Our biggest challenge was navigating the pandemic. The onset of it felt incredibly scary because no one knew how dangerous COVID would be, and the communication of laws around it was unclear. Our demand quadrupled, but at the same time, no one wanted to come to work on the front lines, which made sense. We had to operate mostly with temp employees who were willing to come in, which was difficult because our service is complex and requires a lot of training to execute successfully. We almost went bankrupt several times. After surviving that, I now know my cofounder and I can survive anything. We came out of it stronger as a team and a business.

VIE: What is your favorite Methodology program or recipe? Do you have any seasonal or holiday favorites that we should keep an eye out for?

JN: I love doing our 4-day Signature Meat + Seafood program where I eat nothing but Methodology for four days from breakfast to lunch to dinner, and it also includes organic ceremonial matcha, a daily high-protein snack, and apple cider vinegar superfood shrubs to make a delicious probiotic, glucose spike-reducing drink to precede each meal.

The whole experience feels like being at a high-end health retreat or spa where I am completely taken care of and know I’m getting optimal calories, protein, fiber, and nutrients every day without having to think, plan, or cook.

During the holiday season, my favorite thing to indulge in is our adaptogenic pumpkin relaxation toast. It tastes better than any pumpkin muffin or pumpkin bread at any bakery because we use only the best ingredients. I dream of this recipe the rest of the year, and it’s one of our top sellers in the fall and winter.

VIE: Where do you see yourself in five years? Do you have any dream collaborations with brands, influencers, or public figures you would love to make happen?

JN: In five years, Methodology will have more nutrition programs and CPG high-protein products and supplements available in grocery stores across America. I also hope to have more lifestyle products, whether it’s baseball caps or beauty products. My dream collaborator would be Hailey Bieber; I love her style!

VIE: If you could eat three superfoods forever, what would they be and why?

JN: Three foods I eat almost every day are: (1) non-fat Greek yogurt because it’s high in protein, low in calories, and probiotic; (2) coffee (decaf and caffeine-free) because it boosts my focus and is rich in antioxidants and polyphenols, which are also great for gut health; and (3) raspberries because they’re so high in fiber they help me hit my daily fiber target.

VIE: What is one healthy habit, big or small, you do every day that has transformed your life?

JN: It’s not innovative, unique, or glamorous but I recently started logging all my food into My Fitness Pal in the past year and got down to my lowest body fat percentage ever (even lower than when I was in high school!) as a result. This has transformed every aspect of my health. Everything feels easier now that I’m carrying less weight, and it feels amazing to fit into any clothes I want to wear and have them look flattering on me. My confidence and energy are through the roof as a result. I’ve even completely stopped snoring thanks to this weight loss, which has tremendously impacted my boyfriend’s sleep quality.

VIE: What is one quality you think is undervalued in the world, and why do you think it is important to embody it fully?

JN: Patience. If we focused less on quick fixes and stopped giving up too soon, we’d achieve all our goals in life from financial to health and more. Discipline needs to be paired with patience so we give ourselves enough time to achieve our goals and then sustain our goals over time because we put the proper sustainable habits and systems in place. I got my dream physique in my forties, but it was a nine-month journey, not an eight-week journey. But because I spent so long transforming dozens of little habits rather than doing any crash diets or extremely intense or time-consuming workout programs, I know I’ll be able to sustain this physique for years, if not decades, to come.

Thank you!

xo, VIE

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To connect with Julie and the Methodology team, please visit GoMethodology.com and follow along on Instagram @methodology and @joolieshmoolie.