healthy food – #ThisGirlEats

RECIPE: Rainbow Salad | #ThisGirlEats

Serves: 2
How much does it cost? This rainbow salad recipe cost me less than £1.50 per person.
What are the benefits? This dish is loaded with veggies and easily gives you three of your five a day, not to mention it’s a great low-carb meal and vegan option.

I think I’ve probably said before that I’m not really a “salad person”. I’ll be honest – I don’t trust them. I know that sounds a bit weird, but hey, whatever. I just don’t trust salads. I don’t believe a salad will set my tastebuds alight and I’m very suspicious of a salad’s ability to actually fill me up. They’re just not a meal you can rely on, in my opinion.

However, I know that’s mostly nonsense made up in my head and that salads can actually be very tasty filling – if you do them right!

This rainbow salad is something I came up with on Pancake Day, mainly because I knew we’d be eating a mountain of batter loaded with chocolate spread, honey, fruit and basically all the sugar in the world later for dessert and needed something light and nutritious for dinner to offset the upcoming pancake rush.

The best thing about this salad is you can literally swap out any part of it to suit your needs. I made my plate out of veggies I love and ingredients that are easily accessible for me; that might not be the same for you. You want cucumber instead of tomatoes? Cool! Celery instead of sweetcorn? Go for it! Chicken breast instead of sweet potato? Okay, fine! Whatever changes you want to make, you can.

It’s a bright, vibrant plate of food with loads of different flavours and textures and plenty of variety to keep you full and tick plenty of boxes. Love yourself AND what you’re eating without missing out on a thing!

INGREDIENTS
2 Sweet Potatoes
1 Onion, Sliced
1 Bell Pepper, Sliced
1/2 Red Onion, Sliced
1 Avocado, Sliced
1/2 Cup of Sweetcorn (frozen or fresh)
4 Cherry Tomatoes
1 Bag of Prepared Salad

SEASONING
With the onions and peppers, throw in a small pinch of garlic (dried or fresh), paprika, chilli flakes, salt and pepper to give a little flavour to the dish. But that’s about it!

HOW TO MAKE RAINBOW SALAD

1. Heat the oven to 200°C, wash and prick the sweet potatoes and bake them in the oven for around an hour, until soft all the way through. If, after the hour, they’re still a little hard, blast in the microwave for a couple of minutes to finish them off.

2. Meanwhile, in a pan with a very small drop of oil or cooking spray, fry the onions and peppers with seasoning on a low heat for 10 minutes or so.

3. In a saucepan of salted boiling water, chuck in the sweetcorn and simmer for 5 minutes.

4. The last step is really just to bring everything together on the plate. Arrange the salad leaves, avocado slices, red onion and tomatoes on the plate. Pile up the cooked onions and peppers, drain the sweetcorn, and top everything with the sweet potato.

*Rainbow salad with buttered sweet potato, salad leaves, tomatoes, avocado, sweetcorn, peppers and onion*

Ignoring Diet Culture and Finding What Really Works for ME! | #ThisGirlEats

I’ve always struggled with the idea that being fat is the “ABSOLUTE WORST THING A HUMAN BEING COULD EVER BE!!!” and, as such, have often fallen prey to the tricks that diet culture plays to reinforce this.

I’m not quite so wrapped up in that anymore, thank goodness. I still have difficulty shaking the idea that fat = bad (for myself, I hasten to add) but I’m well aware that carrying a few extra pounds isn’t the be all and end all of a person. But, as a young, impressionable teenager invested in diet culture, I’d buy all the quick-fix workout DVDs and miracle diet cookbooks in an effort to lose weight.

One fad I fell for time and time again, for example, is the teatox. These cure-all teabags that magically make you thin in a matter of weeks, with a lengthy list of natural ingredients that sound super healthy and apparently work wonders. All for a hefty price tag, of course.

These days, I understand that these quick fixes don’t work. They just are not a way of life. Eating well and exercising is the best way forward for your body, and finding exactly what works for you. As an alternative, I found a genuinely natural tea that really does help me – not for weight loss, but just as an everyday booster which is good for my body.

Green tea is brilliant for me. It’s an acquired taste – I wasn’t sold at my first sip I’ll be honest – but now I love it. I drink a cup of green tea every morning, and I really do feel the benefits. It wakes me up using less caffeine, it helps my digestion stay on track, it bulks up my breakfast so I feel fuller for longer and it tastes very refreshing.

It’s pretty affordable too. From my local supermarket you can get 400 green teabags – so at least a year’s supply – for £5.92. That works out to just over 49p per month, just over 11p per week or just over a penny per day. People think healthy, nutritious, beneficial food and drink has to cost the earth, but they don’t!

I suppose what I’m saying is stop throwing money away on short-term diet culture miracles and find low-cost, basic ingredients that can work into your everyday life and help look after you and your body in a well-rounded way. It’s difficult when gorgeous reality stars are instagramming these quick fixes, especially when you’re feeling vulnerable, but you’ve got to remember that it’s all about money for them and you are worth more than that.

It might not be green tea for you, but trust me, there’s something real out there for everyone!

Tough Love: No Meat, No Junk, No Booze November! | #ThisGirlEats

Looking after yourself is important, right? Sometimes that means eating well and exercising, sometimes that means staying in with a bowl of ice cream and not moving for hours until you feel better about things. Each to their own.

I like the idea that there are lots of different ways to be healthy and, sometimes, being good to yourself means eating the “bad” food. Starving ourselves instead of listening to what our body actually craves, obsessing over each and every mouthful, that’s not healthy. But, of course, neither is filling our bodies with too much salt, sugar and fat, missing out on the nutrients that help us perform at our best.

*Mozzarella and tomato crisp bake with herby new potatoes and side salad*

I try my hardest to be good to my body, but it’s no secret that I often fail. This month, however, I’m determined to make a very strict, very sudden change out of my comfort zone because, sometimes, tough love is necessary to achieve your goals.

The reason I’m treating November as a go-hard-or-go-home month is because I’ve got some things coming up that I really want to look my best for and, thanks to my pretty lax attitude this year, I’m not in the shape I hoped to be.

I’ve now decided, for this one month only, I’m going against everything I usually believe when it comes to diets and restricting yourself. No meat, no takeaways, no alcohol, no large portions, not until the occasion I’m doing this all for comes around towards the end of this month. That’s just over three weeks of being super strict with myself, something I’m not good at.

While I’m doing this, I’m also determined to prove that healthier food, going meat-free and eating smaller portion sizes doesn’t mean you’re stuck with a plate of salad night after night. You can still eat delicious, satisfying food that tastes incredible without feeling like you’re missing out.

*Lentil and spinach daal with brown rice and mini naan breads*

If you want to see what I mean, head over to my Instagram (@hashtagthisgirleats) where I’ll be posting a photo of what I’m eating every night this month just to prove cutting down doesn’t mean losing out! There are a few sneak previews in this blog post…

Don’t worry, once this month is up I’ll be back to advocating eating what you want, when you want, and trying to find a healthy balance. But sometimes you’ve got to buckle down and focus to achieve your goals, even if it means being a little strict with yourself.

RECIPE: Cheese “Steak” Subs & Sweet Potato Fries | #ThisGirlEats

Serves: 2
How much does it cost? This recipe cost me less than £1.25 per person.
What are the benefits? This recipe is low fat compared to an original cheese steak, helps you out with at least two of your five a day and, best of all, is great substitute for vegetarians!

First off, I’m super excited to share this totally delicious recipe with you! What’s even more awesome about it is that the trial run was actually carried out by my boyfriend, who is somewhat clueless in the kitchen but managed to cook this all by himself (following my very detailed instructions, of course). But more on that coming soon…

Cheese sauce is cheese sauce, I’m not gonna pretend it’s a health food. But #ThisGirlEats is all about giving food we know and love a healthier twist.

Removing red meat for aubergine rich in fibre, potassium and magnesium? That’s a big tick! Not to mention wholemeal rolls instead of sugary subs, low fat cheese sauce and a side of veggies – that’s right, sweet potato fries are vegetables!

This recipe is full of benefits and is honestly so tasty, I’d really recommend giving it a go.

INGREDIENTS
2 Sweet Potatoes, Sliced Into Chips
1 Onion, Sliced
1 Green Pepper, Sliced
3 Mushrooms, Chopped
8 Slices of Aubergine
2 tsp of Plain Flour
1/2 Mug of Milk or Milk Alternative
Handful of Low Fat Cheddar Cheese
Handful of Spicy Grated Cheese
1/2 tsp of American Mustard
4 Wholemeal Hot Dog Rolls
The pickle on top is optional!

SEASONING
When the sweet potato chips go into the oven, make sure they’re seasoned with plenty of salt and pepper, as well as a sprinkling of dried thyme and dried garlic. You’ll need the garlic, salt and pepper again to season the veggies, and the slices of aubergine will need a pinch of salt and pepper too.

So, this is how I did it…

1. Heat the oven to 200°C, lightly coat a baking tray with cooking spray or a dash of oil and spread the chips across it. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic and thyme and cook for 45 minutes, turning halfway through.

2. Add cooking spray (or oil), onions and garlic to a pan and fry on a medium heat for a couple of minutes. Add the peppers and seasoning, and cook for a further 5 minutes.

3. Lower the heat, add the mushrooms and cook for a final 5 minutes. If the vegetables start to stick, add a splash of water to the pan 💦

4. With a touch of cooking spray, grill the aubergine slices for around 5 minutes on each side.

5. To make the cheese sauce, add the flour to a saucepan, very slowly pour in the milk and whisk gently with a fork over a low heat. When the mixture has been simmering for a minute or so, remove from the heat and add the cheese and mustard, stirring until melted and combined.

6. Either serve the sauce immediately or, if you’re not quite ready, return the pan to the hob but on a really, really low heat. Keep stirring too! If the sauce is allowed to cool, it’ll go thick and gloopy.

7. Serve the aubergine, toppings and cheese sauce in the rolls and plate up with the fries 🍆

RECIPE: Pizza Stuffed Bell Peppers | #ThisGirlEats

Serves: 2
How much does it cost? This recipe cost me less than £1 per person
What are the benefits? This is a great low carb recipe, a creative takeaway alternative, and provides you with one of your five a day.

I’m forever on a quest to find a way to eat pizza and be healthy. The two don’t exactly go hand in hand, but I feel like it’s my kryptonite. Pizza is just one habit I can’t kick and, being completely honest, I’m not entirely sure I want to… 🍕

My latest attempt at getting that saucy, cheesy satisfaction without all the, y’unno, grease, is to take classic pizza toppings and load them into a fresh vegetable rather than on top of a thick, doughy crust. I won’t lie to you – no, it’s not the same. You can’t swap a deep dish for a red pepper and expect not to know the difference. BUT, it still tastes delicious.

It gave me the same yummy flavour I was after but also oozing nutritional value, unlike pretty much any pizza ever! Not only that, but I managed to get hold of everything I needed for this recipe for just 80p per person.

INGREDIENTS
2 Bell Peppers, Halved and Deseeded
1 Ball of Light Mozzarella Cheese
4 Large Slices of Pepperoni
1/2 Carton of Passata
Sprinkling of Parmesan or “Hard Cheese”

SEASONING
Mix a good dose of garlic flakes, dried basil, dried oregano, salt and pepper into the passata so the pizza sauce has strong flavour. With the peppers, they shouldn’t need much tweaking – just a touch of salt and pepper on the outside.

So, this is how I did it…

1. First off, add a very small dash of cooking spray or a teeny drop of oil to a baking tray, use a tissue to spread it across the tray and place the bell peppers, skin side up. Don’t let it get too oily, otherwise the peppers will go almost soggy, which is great for a succulent roast pepper but not great for holding their structure when stuffed. Season and cook for 20 – 25 minutes on 200°C.

2. Pour the passata into a bowl and stir in a hefty helping of herbs, garlic and seasoning.

3. Remove peppers from the oven and fill with the pizza stuffing – one layer of passata, torn chunks of mozzarella (drained as much as possible before using!) and the pepperoni, chopped or torn into small pieces.

4. Place back into the oven, stuffed side up, for another 20 minutes or so.

5. Switch on the grill and leave the peppers underneath for a couple of minutes, just until the tops crisp up and the parmesan cheese browns. Delish!

RECIPE: Sweet Potato Skins with Bacon & Cheese | #ThisGirlEats

Serves: 1
How much does it cost? This cost me less than 75p per person.
What are the benefits? It counts towards one of your five a day, is high in fibre and high in antioxidants.

I’m not exaggerating when I say that stuffed potato skins are one of the greatest things to come out of America.

Whether they’re served as a wicked restaurant appetiser or a “Mum’s-gone-to-Iceland” picky tea, potato skins are always a winner 👌

The idea behind this one is to elevate these little pockets of heaven to a more nutritious place where your body can reap the benefits as much as your tastebuds. My sweet potato twist with low fat cheese is still totally satisfying, I guarantee you, but it also helps count towards your five a day too.

Honestly, these are SO tasty and well worth a try. Cheese and bacon is a pretty tried-and-tested flavour combo – believe me, it works! – but the bacon can easily be swapped for onion, chives or black beans for a veggie alternative. Also, give it a try with some chilli flakes or fresh jalapeños for a feisty kick.

These sweet, crispy skins are packed with salty bacon and strong cheddar cheese to bring out the fantastic flavours of the USA 🇺🇸

INGREDIENTS
1 Sweet Potato
1 Slice of Unsmoked Bacon
Handful of Low Fat Grated Cheese (approx 30g)
2 tbsp BBQ Sauce
1 tbsp American Mustard

SEASONING
Before the potato goes into the oven, rub a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper over the skin. When your combining the flesh with bacon and cheese, make sure to add a squeeze of BBQ sauce and American mustard to the mix, as well as some more salt and pepper to season. These are simple flavours, but they all work really well together.

So, this is how I did it…

1. Sweet potatoes can be a bit gritty, so wash and prick them properly. Then rub a teeny drop of oil, salt and pepper on the skins, wrap very loosely in foil and pop into the oven at 220°C. I had an absolute BEAST of a potato so it took ages in my rickety old oven, but usually they take between 45 – 60 minutes to cook.

2. For the last 20 minutes of cooking, add a slice of bacon to the tray and oven cook this as well, flipping over halfway until it goes all crispy 🥓

3. Remove the potato and bacon from the oven. Cut the bacon into small pieces and add to a bowl, then scoop the potato flesh from the skins and chuck it in there too. While you’re combining this all together, stick the skins back in the oven for 5-10 minutes.

4. Mix together the bacon, sweet potato, almost all of the cheese (leave a little!) as well as a squeeze of BBQ sauce, American mustard and salt and pepper for seasoning. Remove the skins from the oven and scoop the mixture back into them.

5. Switch on the grill, sprinkle what’s left of the cheese on top of the skins and stick them under the grill for a few minutes, until the cheese bubbles and the skins are crispy 🍠