I’ve noticed that I have a food pattern. I decide to make a change and eat more healthily. So I find a load of recipes, eat well, feel good, exercise more, lose weight and generally feel pretty good. Then, for some reason, it all falls apart. I stop exercising, eat junk, feel crap, put all the weight back on, eat more junk and so the downward spiral goes. I’ve pretty much been doing this since I started living on my own in my early 20’s. Part of it is because I don’t enjoy cooking, and cooking from scratch is quite a complicated process, which involves planning, time & effort. Ordering from Dominos is much easier, and I don’t even need to speak to anyone to buy their amazing pizzas. *drools*

However, I’m sick of this pattern. I’m sick of ‘almost’ fitting into half the clothes in my wardrobe. I’m sick of feeling crappy because I’m eating crap. I’m sick of my body being in pain because I’m not taking care of it. I’m sick of repeating the same ol’ shit. Enough is enough. So back in August, I decided that if this was going to work, I need quick, easy, veg based meals. If a meal is too complicated and take ages, then it’s not going to work, because I know myself. I’ll just get takeaway. So I headed to Pinterest and had a good look around. My Veggie Food board is my recipe book. I can search for things that take my fancy, define by ‘vegetarian’, ‘vegan’ and ‘gluten-free’ depending on what else I’m going to be eating that week, fill in my menu planner and do the online shop. Here are some our favourites:

Roasted Ratatouille Pasta // Spicy Red Lentil Soup // Zesty Pea & Parsley Fritters // Veggie Chow Mein // Chickpeas, Black Beans and Spinach with Poached Eggs // One Pan Mexican Quinoa // Super Simple Slow Cooker Channa Masala //
{All images found on Pinterest, via their respective sources. Original images can be found by clicking on the links above.}

I have learnt that tofu is super quick and easy to cook and once you’ve bought the rice wine, red pepper flakes etc, you can pretty much make any meal using it. I’ve also learnt that if an evening meal needs roast veg, I can just double up and have enough for lunch the next day with couscous & a can of chickpeas. Another thing I’ve learnt is that I do actually like black beans and that a slow cooker is one of the best inventions ever!

Another thing I’ve also made sure we have are treats, but instead of having something every day, we have one treat a week and one treat meal a week. We can still have pizza, just not every day. I’ve lost the taste for regular chocolate and don’t really like raw chocolate so that’s out, but I do love ‘healthy’ cakes. If a cake can be made with vegetables, be a healthy option and still taste decadent, then I’m all on board with that! With GBBO, we always have cake to eat while watching it. We’re very lucky to have Modern Baker nearby, who make the most delicious healthy cakes, meaning we can enjoy our treats, knowing that they’re the best choice of treat we can have.

Eating clean. Healthy eating. Getting enough veg. Whatever you want to call it. I know I feel better when I eat well, exercise regularly and generally take care of myself. It might sound obvious, but it’s not always easy, day to day. Having said that, I’m not interested in having courgette spaghetti or a cauliflower pizza base. I’d rather eat carbs occasionally than faff about with all that. It has to be easy to eat healthily and I’m learning that more often than not, it’s easier than I think.

If you’ve got any great recipes, then please let me know! I’m always after new recipes to try. What’s your secret to eating well? Or do you have your local Chinese takeaway on speed dial?