Lifestyle – Page 3 – #ThisGirlEats

Healthy Snacks to Get You Through a Day at the Office, All for £1 or Less! | #ThisGirlEats

It’s hard to get through the day without snacking, especially when work is a bit boring or you’re feeling kind of fed up, and it’s even harder not to turn to crisps, sweets and biscuits as the easy option.

Picking at these foods all day can really mount up. It doesn’t help when you search for healthy snacks online and find things like ‘Cauliflower & Squash Fritters with Mint & Feta Dip‘ and ‘Wild Salmon & Avocado Triangles‘ – I mean, they sound great, but are they practical? Are they easy? Are they cheap? Do they satisfy that snack craving?

For me, personally, they just don’t hit the spot.

These snacks that feel a little more comforting to me, perhaps more familiar so I can just grab ‘n’ go, or at least put very little effort into making them. I’d say most, if not all, are low budget – everything on this list can be purchased from a nationwide supermarket for £1 (or less). The prices I’ve noted here are the cheapest options from ASDA, as that’s where I do my regular shop.

Happy snacking!

Peanuts
Peanuts are a great snack; they’re full of protein and healthy fats, and they help give you plenty of energy to last until the next meal so you’re not craving naughty treats. I like flavoured peanuts, but the thought of eating plain nuts doesn’t appeal to me; instead of buying peanuts already coated in way too much salt or sugary honey roasted seasoning, buy a pack of plain peanuts and sprinkle a light helping of salt from your cupboard into the bag. Shake it up and you’ve got your own savoury salted peanut snack.
200g bag of peanuts: 90p

Thins or crispbreads
Yes, they can be boring, but crispbreads are a great way to get that satisfying crunch into your snacking habits without tucking into a packet of crisps. You can spread something on top to make them a little palatable if you’re really not feeling it, like perhaps some light Philadelphia spread or drizzle with sweet chilli sauce.
125g box of crispbreads: 60p

Bean dip
I’m all for making these snacks as simple as possible but, sometimes, to get both a cheap and healthy fix you’ve got to roll up your sleeves. You can make a great chunky bean dip at home which is high in fibre, high in protein and counts as one of your five a day. The creamy texture makes them feel indulgent and totally satisfying! Just take a tin of black beans and a few spoonfuls of Greek yoghurt, blitz them in a food processor for a few seconds with some seasoning such as salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, chilli flakes, garlic and lime (any or all will do) and you’ve got a delicious, substantial homemade dip. It’d go great with your crispbreads!
400g tin of black beans: 50p
200g pot of fat free Greek yoghurt: 50p

Popcorn
A brilliant replacement for both sweet and savoury snacks is popcorn. It’s easy to pick at like crisps, but can come with enough sugar to satisfy any sweet tooth! If you’re being especially health conscious you might want to watch the salt or sugar content of whatever flavour you go for, but they’re still much lighter than crisps and aren’t fried either, so have a lot less saturated fat. Plus, popcorn feels like a treat anyway, even when it’s not, because we associate it so strongly with movie nights and cinema snacks. Yum!
100g microwaveable popcorn: 60p
80g sharing pack of pre-popped popcorn: 79p

Bagel thins
As a student, my favourite lunch was an onion and chive bagel, toasted to perfection and smothered in butter – I had it nearly every day and the flavour combo was delicious enough to take me all the way to dinner. That’d be a bit much for a midday snack, but you can get a mini version in the way of bagel thins that are just as great but with less carbs. Still pop them in the toaster and top with a light spread, if you ask me – but hey, each to their own!
4 bagel thins: £1

Tortilla sticks
This is another “do it yourself” trick, but it’s honestly not that hard. Melt some butter or spread, garlic and herbs in the microwave for 30 seconds, brush over a wholemeal tortilla, bake in the oven for 8 – 10 minutes and cut into sticks. Then you’ve got yourself some crispy, garlicky, buttery tortilla sticks that you can crunch away on! It’s like a lower carb, lower salt and lower fat version of garlic bread and, let’s be honest, we’re never going to turn our noses up at being one step closer to garlic bread!
8 wholemeal tortilla wraps: 95p

Jelly
Probably last eaten it at a kids’ birthday party alongside some ice cream and sprinkles, jelly is great for a nostalgia trip but doesn’t necessarily spring to mind as a healthy, adult snack. But don’t be so quick to dismiss jelly – most stores do their own low calorie, low sugar versions. They’re also in these cute, super handy pots, so you can have an on-the-go bite of the sweet stuff without feeling guilty.
175g jelly pot: 47p

Dark chocolate
I used to despise dark chocolate and the bitter taste it left in my mouth, but as I’ve got older I’ve realised that a little nibble of dark chocolate isn’t as bad as I once thought. A couple of chunks here and there give me a hint of chocolate, which is basically my favourite thing in the world, but with nowhere near as much fat, dairy or sugar. The best thing about it, however, is that it’s still got a little tang of bitterness that stops me eating the whole lot! Bonus, right? You could just unwrap and eat like any normal chocolate bar or, for something a little different, you could melt the chocolate with a little butter and throw in a few chilli flakes to make a chilli chocolate dip for your crispbreads!
100g bar of dark chocolate: 30p

15 Ways to Help Live a Healthy Lifestyle That Don’t Involve Food or Exercise | #ThisGirlEats

Of course eating well and exercising is important, but being healthy isn’t always about what you eat and how often you get off your butt and do some squats. There are many, many ways to look after yourself and all the aspects of your life. What about healthy relationships? What about a healthy mind? What about keeping your body healthy, in more ways than one?

It’s really difficult to keep life “well-rounded” – as soon as you think you’ve got one thing under control, something else goes off the rails! But these are just a few ways that I think could help me to keep every part of my life ticking over, and I hope they help you do the same!

1. Call your parents.

2. FaceTime your best friend.

3. Plan a date night.

4. Make an effort to talk to your work colleagues about their lives outside of the workplace.

5. Message a friend you haven’t spoken to in a little while, not because you want or need something – just to catch up.

6. Spend some quality cuddle time with your pets. Unconditional pet love is a wonderful thing.

7. Spend a day watching movies that make you feel good, no matter how cheesy they may be.

8. Try to switch off social media. For a day, an hour, whatever you can.

9. Write a list of all the positive things that happened to you today. Or a list of the things you love about yourself. Or get your partner or friend to write down all the things they love about you.

10. Switch off for a day. Don’t do housework, chores, homework, odd jobs.

11. Spend some time outside. Go for a walk, hang in the garden, sit on the grass.

12. Have a day completely make up free.

13. Take a long bath with bath bombs, music, a book – and don’t let ANYONE interrupt!

14. Cook one of your favourite meals from scratch and savour the feeling of satisfaction. Or ask your partner or housemate to cook dinner for you.

15. Keep a journal or a diary and find ten minutes every day to just sit and write. Get all your emotions out on the page.

Since When Did Festival Food Become So Fancy?! | #ThisGirlEats

Festival food used to be questionable, at best. Smelly, grubby food trucks selling your bog standard burgers, chips and, if you’re lucky, a bacon roll in the mornings – more often than not, food poisoning was just a chance you’d have to take if you wanted to eat. Salmonella and chips, as Del Boy would say.

It was all about convenience; if it soaked up the beer, it did the job. But now, that’s all changed. Festival food is all part of the experience – everything has got to look the part, picture perfect and ready for online exposure. You can’t upload greasy food in a floppy polystyrene carton to the ‘gram. It’s this social media demand, I think, that has led to the new crazy-good quality of festival food.

yorky — *King of the Yorky: all the best bits of your Sunday roast served in a giant Yorkshire pudding bowl.*

For a start, the sheer variety has come on leaps and bounds. Gone are the days of chips, chips and more chips – at a decent sized festival, you can chow down on just about anything. From ostrich burgers to vegan buddha bowls, oven-baked mac ‘n’ cheese to Mexican burritos, we really are spoilt for choice.

Even your most basic options have upped their game and evolved from their classic foodie forefathers. A quarter pounder becomes a double beefburger dipped in gooey cheese sauce and topped with onion rings. Hot dogs become gourmet German sausages smothered with anything from fried onions to chilli con carne. A plain ol’ portion of chips becomes a plate of crispy sweet potato fries. We’re not in Kansas anymore, folks.

39183666_2104636739797130_7144974582783410176_n — *Shaken Udder Milkshakes: choose your favourite chocolate bar or biscuit and turn it into a delicious milkshake*

The downside of this is, of course, the price. The more pretentious – sorry, I mean delicious -, the more expensive. We all know these things are overpriced, we know we’ll pay a fiver for a warm pint and have sadly made our peace with that. But when it starts creeping up to near a tenner every meal, that’s a serious chunk of your hard-earned cash. We’ll be at Reading Festival in a couple of weeks for four days, so we’re spending at least £40 a day on food (!!!) with just one meal a day, and I’m not a ‘one meal a day’ kinda gal. So it better be bloody good!

Price tag aside, I think it’s awesome that festivals have integrated food to become such an integral part of the event. We want a whole experience from a festival, especially when we’re forking out so much for weekend tickets. It’s not just about watching a few bands anymore, it’s about everything in between – and these days, you can’t have a bangin’ festival without some bangin’ food.

*All About the Sausage: over ten flavours of foot long sausages and endless topping combos.*

Thin Privilege is DEFINITELY a Thing | #ThisGirlEats

When this term first found its way to me online I thought to myself, “Thin privilege? Surely that’s not a thing? I’ll just have a quick read…” Turns out, it’s a thing. It’s very real, it’s very obvious and it’s very dangerous.

Maybe it’s not the BIGGEST ISSUE EVER – yes, the world has lots of problems right now and it’d be awesome to fix them all but life doesn’t work that way. This is the one I’ve chosen to talk about because I get it. And yes, plenty of overweight people are so because of their own choices. And no, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with a slim figure. So now we’ve cleared all that up, let’s acknowledge that how we perceive people often depends on nothing more than their clothes size and, to me, that is not okay.

Being “privileged” because you’re “thin” doesn’t mean you’ve had it easy. It’s not an all-encompassing phrase. What it means is gaining certain benefits from being thinner, and being relieved of societal pressures that affect overweight people.

For example, those of a smaller figure are more likely to get jobs they interview for; more likely to be the object of affection from potential partners; more likely to be popular among their peers. Fat people, on the other hand, are perceived as too lazy to advance in the workplace; portrayed openly in film and TV as unattractive; often picked on at school. If you think none of this damages someone’s emotional well-being and self-worth, you must be dreaming!

The inclusion of plus-sized and promotion of body positivity has definitely improved, but common beauty standards still essentially say that thinner is better. And because of that, we end up being literally worth our weight. Who says someone bigger isn’t the perfect person for that job? Or great company on a date? Or the best friend you could ever have? It’s all in our heads.

Thinner DOESN’T mean better. It doesn’t mean anything! Size shouldn’t matter this much. What makes up a person is so, so much more than that. I can’t believe we’re still in a position where weight really is so important when there’s honestly so much more to every single one of us.

tumblr_mved1iKomo1qlvwnco1_r1_400 — *wifflegif.com*

Read more… (the internet is literally full of this stuff, these are just a few)

Only 15% of hiring managers would consider hiring an overweight woman

Portrayals of Overweight and Obese Individuals on Commercial Television

How Obesity and Bullying Are Connected

How Moving Out Impacted on EVERY Aspect of My Life | #ThisGirlEats

Last year, I achieved my biggest goal and moved out. Pretty cool, right? People warned me it’d be difficult, but I just got so excited about the idea of me and my partner having our own place that I didn’t really realise how much moving would change my life.

It’s not just the obvious “adulting” stuff, it’s more the ripple effect that comes with it all. Everything drastically alters, sometimes for better and sometimes for worse, and you don’t even see most of it coming. I’m so pleased we did it, it was totally the best thing for us, but there are definitely some unforeseen pros and cons and I’d urge people to really think about E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G when it comes to moving out!

PROS

Independence. I’ve always been an independent girl, maybe that comes from growing up as an only child but I’ve always felt I could go it alone. Don’t get me wrong, I’d be nowhere without my family, but I also knew I couldn’t grow as an individual living under my parents’ roof. I like to do things my own way, I know my own mind and I like my own space. I love the freedom of moving out and the sense of independence was a real boost. It’s the best bit, for me.

Introvert. I’m an introvert by nature (although I’m sometimes convinced there’s an extrovert lurking inside just dying to burst out) and am more than happy to just sit quietly by myself. I’m not UNsociable, but I don’t crave social interaction either. Living alone (well, sort of) means if I don’t feel like talking about my day, I don’t have to. We all have days where we’d rather just shut ourselves off and that can be impossible when you’re living under someone else’s roof, especially if it’s a hectic household. Peace and quiet is really nice.

Creativity. Since living in our little flat, while I’m still somewhat clueless about my career, I’ve realised that my dream job definitely involves sitting at my desk with my cat all day, every day. Working from home would be a dream; again, it comes back to having time to myself. I could quite happily spend eight hours writing and not engage with another soul all day, just focus on the work I love. My creativity has flowed and developed so much since moving out.

Our relationship. Living together really helped take our relationship to another level. People aren’t kidding when they say that living with someone is a real test of how well you know them, but THANK GOD it just seemed to bring us closer together. We spent most nights at each other’s houses anyway so it wasn’t a massive shift, but living alone still made our relationship stronger; it’s been almost a year and a half now and he’s still my favourite person to spend time with so that’s gotta be a good sign, right?!

CONS

Money. I can’t emphasise this enough. We’re finally starting to see light at the end of the tunnel now, but it’s been 16 months since we moved out and we’re only just getting a grip on our finances.Moving out costs a lot of money, and I wasn’t exactly ignorant of this when we took the plunge – I knew the costs, I knew my earnings, I knew it’d be hard. But I don’t think I realised just how hard, or how long it’d be hard for. We’ve taken out loans and credit cards, lived in our overdraft, worked overtime and sold our stuff just to earn a few extra quid. It’s the little things you really miss, like the impossibility of spontaneous days out, saying goodbye to date night, stripping extravagant “luxuries” like orange juice from the shopping list until we’re left with the bare bones of necessity… It’s tough. Really tough.

Isolation. I live around 30 minutes to an hour away from most of my loved ones, hardly the other side of the world! But it can be tricky when you’re further afield – it takes too long to just pop into town for a drink, everything needs planning (how you’re getting home and who gets stuck as designated driver!) and things you might’ve done on a whim at home, like a cuppa with nan on the way home from Tesco or having a mate over just to watch a couple of episodes of Friends and then go home again, just aren’t doable anymore. Eventually, people plan things without you because they’re sick of you being unable to make it and before you know it, you’re out of the loop. I still see my friends and family, but it’s become a lot harder.

Our relationship. Yep, this one makes it onto both lists! As a unit, we are stronger and happier living together, but the strain of it all definitely takes its toll. Moving leaves you skint (the vast majority of us, anyway) and money becomes super stressful, and it has more of an impact than you ever imagined. Every conversation becomes about money (or lack of) and saying no to everything you used to do together – cinema dates, restaurants, spontaneous day trips, holidays, concert tickets, etc. – really sucks. It makes you grumpier, less affectionate, more exhausted… Like I said, we’re just starting to get ourselves back on track and feel normal again, but it really shook up our relationship for a while.

What Makes Me Feel Like “Me”? | #ThisGirlEats

I don’t know what it is but, lately, I just haven’t felt like myself. I don’t know if anyone else ever feels this way – you can’t quite put your finger on it, nothing particularly noticeable, there’s no real reason for it, but you just feel… different. Something isn’t quite right, not quite “you”. While mooching around at home feeling confused and lethargic of course has been super fun, I’m trying to pull myself out of this funk.

I’ve been thinking about how to do that. I’ve spent time recalling things that really make me feel like myself, things that really draw my most familiar self to the surface. They’re usually little things, no grand gestures but just small, seemingly insignificant habits that make me feel like myself. And this little list is what I came up with!

Wearing a full face of make up 💄
Maybe it’s vein, but how you look and, more importantly, how you feel when you look in the mirror can really play with your emotions. I used to wear make up everyday but, since working in an office, I don’t paint my face at all in the week. Although I’m quite comfortable with that most of the time, when the weekend rolls around and I do my make up properly it’s like looking at someone I truly recognise, and that feels great.

Listening to my favourite music – mostly pop-punk
I know everyone says, “Ooh, I like all kinds of music!” (You like all kinds of music do you Susan? How about some early ‘00s trap music? Or have you ever heard of Babymetal..?) but I really do like a good variety, from nu-metal to showtunes. But my absolute favourite, even after all these years, is pop-punk. I’ve loved it since I was 13 and, yeah, maybe I should’ve grown out of it by now, but it reminds me of who I am, and who I’ve always been, and nothing makes me feel surer of myself.

Laughing REALLY loud
Laughter is the best medicine, that’s what they say. I’m not sure if laughter really can cure everything, I think it’s invaluable when it comes to boosting our mood. We never really know the benefits of a good laugh until we’re there, doubled over, guffawing big belly laughs, tears streaming down our faces. Is there anything better? 😂😂😂

Going to a gig and losing my mind
Even though I barely have the 1) time, 2) money or 3) energy to go to many gigs these days (my uni schedule was honestly such a gift…) it’s still my favourite thing in the world to do. I can’t think of anything better than going to see a band I really love, yelling out every word, throwing myself around to every beat, and just having fun. It’s probably the most “me” place I could be.

Watching The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Not only is this one of my favourite films, but it’s also a fabulous, high-heeled riot all about liberation, freedom and being thoroughly yourself. Whenever I watch it, I feel most in tune with who I am and what I love. It gives me a sense of inspiration unlike anything else.

I Have a Love-Hate Relationship with Summer | #ThisGirlEats

If you asked me ten years ago what my favourite time of year was, I definitely would’ve said summer.

That probably had something to do with still being in school and getting six weeks off for summer hols, but also because summer has always been my go-to fave ☀️ I hate the cold weather, the rain and the snow, but I bloody love the sunshine, the feeling of warmth on your skin, the light evenings. But since my precious summer holidays have been taken away and I’ve had to face up to the harsh realities of summer as an adult (seriously, who do I speak to about getting mandatory seasonal breaks for grown-ups?) I’m starting to find myself developing more of a love-hate relationship with summer.

The dark, gloomy winter months suck. They do. But there’s something lovely about cosying up in your biggest, snuggliest jumper, walking through town under their (slightly shit) Christmas lights and curling up with a blanket eating comfort food and watching telly. Yes, I’m aware I sound about 80 right now but it’s just nice, isn’t it?

As I’ve got older, I’m leaning more towards these winter nights than the summer days I once adored. Gone are endless beach days and lazing about for hours turning gradually lobster red; now most of my summer is spent in a stuffy office with the WORST air con in the world, never being able to decide what to wear because getting my legs out gives me heart palpitations and I always forget to paint my toenails, and sitting upstairs in the flat complaining that we don’t have a garden.

This year more than ever, I’ve put on a little weight (I guess that’s what happens when you go from running about in retail all day to sitting your butt on an office chair, only getting up for lunch breaks and to pee) and the summer has become a struggle.

I have endless love for curvy, plus size women who absolutely rock their summer dresses and bikinis with an awesome confidence – these babes look beautiful! 😍 They’re definite proof that just because you’ve got a little extra meat on your bones doesn’t mean you can’t flash the flesh in the summer, but I’m just not there yet. I don’t have the self-confidence, especially as revisiting my mostly-too-small summer wardrobe made me feel even worse about myself! I’m surrounded by girls wearing short skirts, cute sandals, pretty dresses, but it’s just not me. Not right now, anyway.

One good thing has come out of this summer – it’s given me fresh new motivation to get fit and lose the weight I’ve gained, because I cannot go through this again. It’s just too depressing! This time next year I want to be able to pluck out my favourite summer clothes and fit into them with ease. Not too much to ask, right? I’ve needed something to kick me into action because my “get-up-and-go” has been virtually non-existent lately and has resulted in many, many ill-advised takeaways…

So yes, this year I’m loving the sunshine but hating the fact that I have to choose between showing off my body or melting in the heat and am kinda looking forward to covering up in jeans and jumpers again. But hopefully next summer you’ll see me back to rocking my grunger shorts, blink-182 vests and Hell Bunny dresses with a smile on my face.

Stop Letting Clothes Size Labels Take Over Your Life | #ThisGirlEats

Ask a woman her clothes size and you’ll NEVER get a straight answer.

If you were expecting a simple, “Oh, I’m a size 10,” then boy, are you in for a treat! You’re more likely to hear something along the lines of, “Well my top half is a size 14, but my bottom half is more like a size 16 and even then some jeans don’t fit over my bum, although in one shop I can get into a size 12, but in this other shop I always buy a size bigger…” It can go on. And on. And on.

It’s not our fault! Shops have to take responsibility here for doing some serious damage to our self-image. We all know we shouldn’t let a label dictate our self-confidence but if we’re all trying to push the body positive movement then the high street should help us along the way, right?

mean girls gif dress sears — *giphy.com*

There’s never going to be a ‘one size fits all’; I don’t expect every single store to be completely coherent. Some bras will always fit a bit better, some jeans will always pinch our tummies a little less (and yes, I’m gonna keep coming back to jeans because they are the WORST!). But let’s be honest, it sucks when you feel confident enough in your clothes size to buy from a new online store, try it all on at home and find that NONE of it fits. Why? This is your size, right? All your other clothes are this size and fit just fine.

Unless… have they just stretched to fit you? Have you put on weight without even noticing? Uh oh…

It’s even worse when you’re already unhappy with your size. When I gain weight the hands-down worst part is shifting up a clothes size. It’s a physical reminder that YOU’VE GOT FAT. Ugh. When you shop somewhere and fit into your dream size, it’s awesome 🎉 but when you go elsewhere and have to go up three sizes just to fit your calves into their skinny jeans, it feels rubbish. It leaves us very confused about our bodies, but it shouldn’t!

Who cares about numbers on a label? We just throw them away anyway! We know that sizes mean NOTHING because you can be a size 12 in one shop and a size 18 in another, but either way you’re still YOU, whether you’re wearing a size 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22… you get the idea. The important thing is that you feel comfortable in your clothes, and your skin; wear things that look good, that make you feel good. No-one needs to know what size you’re wearing, and no-one cares – all they see is a gorgeous gal in a bangin’ outfit! Find clothes that look great and forget about those stupid labels – I’m pretty sure they make up those numbers anyway!

Feeling Demotivated? These Songs Always Help Me Get Back Into My Groove | #ThisGirlEats

Lately, I’ve hit another slump. It’s difficult, trying to keep up this whole blogging thing, one minute you’re buzzing full of creativity and the next you can barely muster up the energy to open your laptop. The blogging bug comes and goes it has definitely, for the time being, packed up its bags and left me. Probably for someone hotter with more money and a nicer car…

A whole load of things that can lift that dark cloud. Sometimes it’s getting a little positive boost out of nowhere, sometimes the ideas just hit you. For me, these tunes definitely help! I’m not saying they’re going to turn your world upside down, but they always perk me up and get me back into the swing of things, even if only for an hour or two.

I’ve got a “FEEL-GOOD!” playlist on Spotify and I’d really advise doing something similar. Throwing together a bunch of positive, upbeat, fun songs that make you feel better and having it to hand whenever you need a pick-me-up is one of the many benefits of living in the modern age!

Hakuna Matata – The Lion King
Who doesn’t feel better after hearing this awesome song from the BEST DISNEY FILM EVER?! Don’t even try arguing with me.

Rose-Colored Boy – Paramore
Paramore are masters of creating songs about feeling kinda rubbish but with a cute, upbeat melody that always makes you feel good.

You Need Me, I Don’t Need You – Ed Sheeran
Whenever I feel like I’m not quite where I want to be, this song reminds me that I’m awesome and have plenty to bring to the table.

Pork and Beans – Weezer
‘Pork and Beans’ always reminds me, when I’m having a bit of a self-confidence wobble, that I’m totally fine just the way I am, and should never worry about just being myself.

Born This Way – Lady Gaga
The ultimate positive anthem, you can’t help but feel better with this song and its life-affirming message!

Happy As F**k – MOD SUN
Just a small nudge to appreciate life, and all the little things we should be grateful for.

Hard Times – Paramore
Put on ‘Hard Times’ and I’ll relate. BIG TIME. But I’ll also start dancing, it’s inevitable.

Give Me One Good Reason – blink-182
This is a great one for telling yourself that you don’t need to change or compromise for others, that you don’t need to be just like everyone else. You do you!

Weirdo – VUKOVI
There is NOTHING wrong with being weird! All the best people are…

Unstoppable – Sia
Want to feel empowered? Strong? Totally capable of absolutely anything? This song is the one!

Survivor – Destiny’s Child
Need I say more?!

This Is Why I Don’t Have Fancy Photos on My Blog | #ThisGirlEats

If you’ve read my blog, you’ll see that my visual content could definitely use some work – I’ll be the first to admit it! My recipes usually have photos (if I remember before I start stuffing my face!) but they’re in NO WAY pro shots. And as for my other posts, most of them are bulked out by GIFs (always credited).

Compared to most other bloggers, with their beautiful Instagram pics outside fancy London houses and plates of food served on slates to the backdrop of a tropical beach landscape, mine is shoddy work.

So, why don’t I have fancy “blogger” photos on #ThisGirlEats?

Don’t get me wrong, I like them. I love looking at them. I’m downright jealous of them most of the time! If I could have them for every post I publish, I would.

But, first and foremost, I’m too damn busy! I work full-time (not blogging, unfortunately) and somehow manage to also whip up three posts a week. Between working and writing, where would I find the time to get professional shots for three posts every single week?! I can’t keep up! I simply don’t have time.

Another reason is because I feel so hideously uncomfortable in front of the camera. Silly, candid shots, fun family photos and couples selfies (as you can see!), they’re all fine. But standing propped up against a wall, choosing the perfect hair, make-up and outfit, and posing – oh god, the posing – just makes me cringe. And I just know I’d spend hours afterwards picking faults with myself, no matter how nice the photos look. I can’t imagine ever enjoying that experience. 📸

And, finally, my blog is all about REAL FOOD. When I create a recipe, it’s food I actually eat. I cook it in my tiny kitchen with wonky cupboards and peeling pots and pans. I use ingredients that are messy, I spill tinned tomatoes on the side, drop slices of onion on the floor. It’s not “pretty”, it’s not restaurant food. It’s food I make out of what’s in my cupboards, food bought on a budget, food to sustain me, food served up for me and my boyfriend to eat on the sofa watching Netflix after a long day at work. My photos look a little rough around the edges because my food is a little rough around the edges – heck, life is a little rough around the edges!

I try to make it look appealing, of course. Believe it or not, the photo above is one of my better ones! But the truth is, I just come home from work, cook something up and grab a snap on my phone before plonking myself down to eat it. The food I cook and the things I write are real, so it might not look Instagram-worthy but, hey, that’s life.