Born out of personal transformation and deep reverence for ancient wisdom, Cookma is more than a food brand, it’s a mission in motion. Founder Lisa Chatham created Cookma after the birth of her daughter and a powerful postpartum journey grounded in Ayurvedic nourishment. What began as a personal care plan has since grown into a line of healing, accessible, one-pot meals designed to support anyone in need of mothering foods.
In this intimate Q&A, we talk with Cookma’s founder about the wisdom that fuels her approach to food, how nature shapes her daily life, and why she believes true nourishment is both sacred and practical.
A Q&A WITH Lisa Chatham
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what inspired you to start Cookma?
My journey with Cookma began with the birth of my daughter, Juna Moon. On the road to conception (which wasn't coming easily for me), I immersed myself in Ayurveda with a one-month panchakarma in Kerala, India. I got pregnant as soon as I returned home! Being that the power of Ayurveda had such a profound impact on my fertility journey, I began to research how Ayurveda could support my postpartum window. I created a care program for myself with a very specific meal plan. When my daughter was born, my own mother came and cooked my meal plan for me, and it was truly incredible. It was also the hardest time of my life. I became a single mother when my daughter was 6 weeks old. I feel I got the opportunity to truly test the efficacy of these foods, and when I look back, I can see how that food rooted and protected me. My baby girl wasn't the only thing born at that time; a mission was also born in me.
I originally started Cookma as a meal delivery service but quickly realized the inherent limitations of a fresh delivery service: primarily the limited geography but also the economic limitations. I want to provide healing food for all people, not just wealthy Bay Area families. So I pulled back and figured out how to take the recipes that I found to be the most efficacious and delicious and turn them into products.
I originally envisioned Cookma would be postpartum-specific, but over the early years of the company, I kept finding use cases where Cookma provides support. I've come to realize that while Cookma is excellent for postpartum care, it's actually for anytime we need mothering foods.
How does the natural world support and shape your modern life?
We live on 30 acres in Sebastopol, CA with four other families. The natural world is part of our daily life. I sit with the sunrise every morning (before my daughter wakes up) and take time to be still, quiet, and to listen to all the life around me. The sacred morning time is an anchor for me; a buffer to ground me for all that lies ahead as a single mother and entrepreneur. When I'm traveling or if I get off track with my morning sunrise time, I can feel it. I can get a little lost or overwhelmed. Making time to feel my presence with the presence of the web of life all around us supports me in a profound way.
With so many beautiful ingredients out there, how do you decide which ones to include in your food?
Primarily, I look to traditional recipes. Our modern food system (and chronic illness) is a recent development. It's only been in the past hundred years that we've had the mainstream ideology around nutrition. Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine are 5,000 to 9,000 year old wellness systems. The recipes that Cookma products are based on are ancient recipes, and so the ingredients are traditional.
What factors or stories do you consider essential when determining which meals to offer?
When developing products for Cookma, I want to achieve four primary purposes. Products need to be effective, easy, delicious and accessible. They are designed to make having a nourishing, delicious meal easy and affordable.
The other thing that I’m passionate about is supporting the cooking process. Many people look at our products and assume that they are “just add hot water” single serving containers. They are not. They require a cooking process, but offer a hand-hold to make it ridiculously easy. While they’re cooking, they fill your house with the smells of home-cooked food. It smells like you did something, but you really just boiled water!
Okay, one more thing that really matters to me is trash! Our food system makes so much trash, especially meal kits that have individually wrapped components. While these options might make having whole food meals easier, they leave so much waste behind. Cookma one-pot meal kits make 4 hearty servings from one compostable container.
Are there any particular foods or botanicals that play a key role in your personal self-care practice?
Two that come to mind are ghee and honey. Ghee is my go-to fat for food in my home. From an Ayurvedic perspective, ghee builds ojas, divine luster and vitality - and it's delicious! One of my favorite snacks is a medjool date filled with ghee with a sprinkle of crunchy sea salt. Honey is my favorite face cleanser. I only cleanse my face at night and I use honey for that. I love having a relatively affordable single ingredient option wherever possible in self-care. I feel like honey brightens and tones in a beautiful way.
What are some of your favorite brands currently on Baile?
I am a HUGE fan of Zach Bush’s work and I love his ION Gut Support.
What inspires your approach to creating food, and how do you stay true to the heart and philosophy of Cookma?
My mission is to be in service to Life through food. I spend a lot of time researching the current state of our collective health, traditional wisdom, and what's happening in the food system. I feel into how I can use my skill set to create products that I hope will help get us back on track.
My daily prayer is that Cookma will find her way to those who need her healing foods.
Lisa's Favorites
Whether you’re in a season of healing, nourishment, or simply seeking more presence in your daily rhythms, Cookma offers a reminder that food can be both medicine and ritual. Shop Cookma