It’s such a relatable issue. The family calendar is jam-packed with events, yet come mealtime, the famished troops crave
something yummy, healthy and fast. In 2019 Michelle Dudash, a registered dietitian, wife, and mother to two daughters aged 9 and 14, came up with a solution to this age-old meal problem by creating Spicekick, gluten-free seasoning mix packets with no added sugar or fillers. Made exclusively with real-food ingredients like dried herbs, spices, fruits and vegetables, Spicekick comes in nine flavors including Taco, Sloppy Joe, Lettuce Wraps, Curry, Chili, Tuna Salad, Tikka Masala, Ramen, and Marinara. The Taco blend, filled with real ground chiles, minced onions and crumbled oregano, out-flavors typical taco seasonings.
“People tell me that once they try Spicekick Taco, they can’t go back to the other brands,” Dudash says.
Sloppy Joe contains diced whole dates that melt into the meat, giving the sandwiches a naturally sweet flavor. Her Tuna Salad seasoning mix, containing chives, lemon, celery and dill, is her bestseller.
“You just need tuna, mayo and the entire spice packet to make a batch of tuna salad that lasts all week,” she says. “It’s great with chicken salad too.”
Dudash, a cookbook author and regular kitchen guest on WISH-TV’s “Life.Style.Live!” program, says she has three groups of customers who use Spicekick. The first are those who don’t know how to cook or put flavors together.
“They say Spicekick helps them make an amazing meal,” Dudash says. “They’re surprised they could actually make a dish that tastes so good.”
Another group loves the convenience of grabbing a packet, adding a protein and a vegetable, and – boom – dinner’s made.
“It’s a built-in meal planner and major time saver, giving you 30-minute meals with a restaurant taste,” Dudash says.
The third group includes people who follow a gluten-free diet, require foods with no added sugar, need low-sodium meals, avoid MSG, are dairy free, or have another type of food sensitivity.
“Now they, too, get to enjoy the convenience and flavor of a spice packet,” she says.
Dudash, whose company is based in Carmel, was recently awarded a $10,000 national women-owned business grant to expand her seasoning mix line, as she expands into retail stores across Indiana and the Midwest. Currently, Spicekick is available nearby at Joe’s Butcher Shop, Needler’s Fresh Market in Carmel, Zing! Cafe, Broccoli Bill’s, and the Carmel Farmers Market.
“My goal is to help as many households as possible get nutritious family meals on their tables,” Dudash says. “It’s humbling to know how many thousands of Spicekick spice packets have been sent across the country, from Hawaii to New York, landing on dinner tables everywhere.”
To order Spicekick meal spice kits online, visit spicekick.com.
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