Recovering from surgery is hard enough — but what you eat during that window can make the difference between a slow, frustrating recovery and one that actually sticks. Steve Clifford, founder of Emerald City Fresh, shares what he’s learned firsthand from his own post-surgical recovery about the foods that heal, rebuild, and restore. Because your body deserves the right fuel when it needs it most.

Emerald City Fresh founder Steve Clifford is currently recovering from a lateral meniscus bucket handle tear — and the experience has been one of the most clarifying of his life. Writing from his couch with his leg propped up, Steve shares what stillness, vulnerability, and an inability to cook for himself has taught him about why this business exists, and what it means to truly need the service you’ve built.