I Spent a Week Eating on a ‘Yellowstone’ Style Ranch—Here’s What Happened to My Body
If you’ve been daydreaming about outdoor adventures and luxury ranch life, you’re certainly not alone. Taylor Sheridan’s The Madison, Marshals, and upcoming series Dutton Ranch has inspired wanderlust in us all. We’re yearning to live out our wildest Yellowstone-esque fantasies—waking up in a stunning secluded ranch nestled in the mountains and savoring sunny afternoons fly fishing, horseback riding, and digging into hearty western meals.
The good news? Fans can make that dream a reality. Pack your cowboy boots and hats and come with me on one of my favorite journeys to Brush Creek Ranch, situated in the true serenity of Saratoga, Wyoming. Burrata and mozzarella making, wine river floating, llama picnic hikes, goat yoga, barrel thieving, hot springs, and much more await.
With just one week spent at the ranch, I quickly learned the power of consuming farm-to-table meals—sourced right at the ranch—and the impact this healthy way of eating has on my overall well-being. Brush Creek wasn’t just an incredible escape for my mental health—it was also a total reset for my gut health.
Life at The Ranch
One of my absolute favorite trips ever experienced has been to the Ranch—and the Yellowstone-obsessed in me is longing to escape to the natural beauty of the American West again. Every morning felt like pure bliss waking up on 30,000 acres of private Wyoming wilderness, surrounded by rolling hills, towering mountain peaks, and lush forests.
After getting ready and stepping out of my cozy accommodations—Brush Creek follows the “cowboy policy,” meaning there are no locks on the room doors—I headed upstairs for breakfast.
If you know anything about me, I’ve always been a major foodie. I love trying new cuisines, checking out trendy restaurants, and experimenting with fun recipes at home. That said, my stomach is sensitive to so many foods. (I blame preservatives and those pesky “healthy/natural” ingredients that are anything but.) When at the Ranch, however, everything I ate was farm-to-table—sourced straight from the great outdoors I spent my days exploring!
Breakfasts were incredibly healthy yet truly indulgent. The menu featured a variety of nutritious, protein-packed offerings to kickstart the day, including house pressed juices and fresh fruit smoothies. (One of my go-to orders was the Ginger Sunrise with fresh carrot, orange, golden beet, ginger, and turmeric.) When it came to mains, the Warm Grain Bowl was a usual suspect on my breakfast spread, made with quinoa, lentils, sumac, garden tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, and fried egg, along with the Akaushi Hash, prepared with braised Akaushi wagyu, fingerling potatoes, carrots, herb pistou, and fried egg. After all, fueling up to experience a day full of activities was necessary!
Lunch and dinners embodied the same philosophy—delightfully innovative meals prepared with only the freshest ingredients from the Ranch’s sustainable seed-to-table farm and natural landscape. The culinary team incorporates fruits and veggies taken straight off the vine in the Ranch’s 20,000-square-foot greenhouse and utilizes ranch-raised American Wagyu beef in many dishes (something I was eager to indulge in as often as possible while there).
Brush Creek’s Farm is behind every single one of the all-inclusive dining experiences available to guests—whether enjoying marbled, ranch-raised 100% American Wagyu or Medicine Bow Creamery cheeses made from the property’s own goat herd and aged in Brush Creek Distillery barrels.
My Gut Health Drastically Improved by Eating Fresh Farm-To-Table Meals
During my stay, I was pleasantly surprised to see noticeable improvements in my gut health. My bloating decreased, and I felt less sluggish overall, something I don’t usually experience in my daily routine at home. The only other time I felt my gut health drastically improve was when I studied abroad in Florence, Italy, and shopped for fresh groceries every few days.
My time at the Ranch served as a major wake-up call and confirmed the age-old saying, “You are what you eat.” Although being a mindful label reader at the grocery store—and making nutritious choices when dining out—can feel like a full-time job, it’s essential for my overall well-being. This trip inspired me to start growing vegetables at home, shop at the local farmers market when in-season, and nix ultra-processed foods. (I’m looking at you, bakery aisle cinnamon rolls!) I’ve become even more mindful of food labels and try to prepare most of my weekly meals at home, whenever possible. That’s one solid piece of Ranch life I brought home with me—and now live every day by.