Mikayla Matthews Shares How She Snacks to Satisfy ‘Cravings’ Amid Her ‘Long Health Journey’ With Chronic Illness (Exclusive)

Chiara KimThu, June 18, 2026 at 12:06 AM UTC

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Mikayla Matthews shares how she snacks amid chronic health issuesCredit: Mikayla Matthews/Instagram; Snackish -

Mikayla Matthews shared how she balances motherhood, chronic illness, and entrepreneurship while discussing her partnership with potato chip brand Snackish

Matthews discussed how her health journey has made her seek alternative snack options that satisfy cravings

She also opened up about using her platform to support others with chronic health issues and navigating online criticism

Mikayla Matthews is on a health journey.

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star and influencer tells PEOPLE about her journey with snacking and entrepreneurship amid chronic health issues while discussing her partnership with potato chip brand Snackish, which launched at Target on June 17.

Matthews, one of several influencers who have equity and creative input in the brand, was drawn to Snackish for its ingredients, she says.

"I've been on a long health journey for the last almost five years now," she tells PEOPLE, adding that it has been challenging being a "big foodie" on this journey.

"I love to snack, I love to eat, and unfortunately, I had to make a lot of those healthier and better alternative swaps," she says. "With a lot of brands, it comes with not tasting as good, or you don't crave it as much."

As a self-proclaimed snacker and "big chip person," Matthews says she loves Snackish potato chips, which were created by SmartSweets founder Tara Bosch, because they meet both of her needs.

"I find myself craving them and reaching for them all the time, and you don't have to make those sacrifices," she tells PEOPLE.

Matthews struggles with chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS), which is provoked by "innate immune dysregulation" and leads to symptoms affecting multiple organ systems, per the National Library of Medicine.

Matthews shared how her chronic illness has impacted her snacking habitsCredit: Monica Schipper/Getty

She has previously shared how the syndrome has caused dry skin patches, rashes and redness, as well as opening up about the negative impact it has had on her quality of life.

Matthews tells PEOPLE the experience of sharing her condition online has largely been a positive one. However, it can be overwhelming to receive so many opinions at once, so her goal is to validate others.

"I like to use my platform and my experience going through chronic health to help other people going through it because it can be very isolating," she says.

TheSecret Lives of Mormon Wives opened her eyes to what women are capable of and showed her how you can open doors for yourself, Matthews explains, adding that she was similarly inspired by Bosch's women-led business model and mission of inspiring other women.

Even still, Matthews shared that balancing her work, along with her kids and chronic illness, can be difficult.

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"Genuinely, I have not balanced it," she explains. "I think it really is just taking it day by day."

"I work hard so that I can give my kids an amazing life and also just do the things that I'm passionate about," she adds.

She says that when she deals with mom guilt, she reminds herself how "incredible" it is that she is able to help her kids have experiences like going to Walt Disney World.

"I wouldn't have been able to do this if it wasn't for the position that I put myself in and the work that I put into my business," she tells PEOPLE. "I just have to remind myself, like give myself a little bit of credit."

"I feel like as women, we're so hard on ourselves in every aspect of our life," she adds. "I just have to tell myself I'm doing enough and my kids are grateful, I'm grateful, my husband's grateful."

Matthews' kids and husband love Snackish too, with her kids being her "pickiest eaters" and therefore most valuable testers — their approval is pivotal, she says.

Matthews says that she has loved working with the other mom content creators on Snackish, including Kat Stickler and Aspyn Ovard, a fellow Utahn who has been selected as a cast member for the Orange County spin-off of Secret Lives.

Matthews thinks the new spin-off is "amazing."

"I hate the backlash that it's getting, but also I have to remind them that we got that same backlash," she says, adding that she recommends that they don't listen to the hate.

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Matthews says that when it comes to backlash online, it "depends on the day" whether or not she engages. She doesn't let things get to her but will "fight" for herself if people critique her as a mom.

"I'm not perfect, I still obviously engage. It's hard not to when there's so much at one time," she says. "I don't think anyone's meant to consume as much social media as we do now, but I mean, I do think there's so many great things that can come from social media, so I also like to focus on that and my reason behind why I'm on social media."

The Secret Wives of Mormon Wives' first four seasons are now streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+. The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County is set to premiere later this year on the same platforms.

on People

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”