A Full Day of Healthy Eating (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

A few of you have asked me to shoot a ‘what I eat in a day’ style video and I really liked that idea. So I decided to film a full day of healthy recipes – breakfast, lunch and dinner and finish it off with some snack/dessert suggestions. 

I really enjoy watching these kind of videos as they give me new ideas and inspire me to try something different. I wanted to share recipes that are quick and easy to make and are also healthy and delicious. This way you can enjoy nourishing food without feeling like you’re missing out or feeling like you’re on a ‘diet’. As soon as you think you’re on a diet you instantly and subconsciously feel deprived and that you’re missing out. This is the reason why dieting doesn’t work and is not sustainable long-term.

When I first moved to the UK I put on a lot of weight and very quickly because of the way I was eating. I wasn’t used to having an abundance of junk food and treats around me and I just wanted to try everything! A few months later I noticed I was pilling on the weight and all of a sudden I was obsessed with the idea of losing weight, dieting and low fat, low calories foods. Since then, I always seemed to be on some sort of diet. I didn’t necessarily follow any particular type of diet most of the time, although I did try an Atkins style diet (high protein and fat and very low carbs) once and absolutely hated it! My whole day was then consumed by thinking of what I can and can’t eat coupled with feeling lethargic and tired. I couldn’t keep that up for longer than a week.

Most of my diets however focused on eating low calories, low fat kind of diet. I used to avoid bananas because I had read that it had too much sugar and too many carbs and would rather eat a low-calorie, low-fat breakfast bar because that way I could keep track of exactly how many calories I ate. I never used to make homemade meals because they were too difficult to calculate and I wanted to know exactly how many calories I was consuming. Plus, cooking took longer than the 2 minutes it took to cook a microwavable meal. And I always used to pick the ones that had the word ‘healthy’ or ‘low fat’ on the packaging so of course I believed them to be healthy. 

I was so naive for so many years and had such a negative relationship with food. I actually didn’t realise until a year or so ago that I no longer have a problem with food anymore. Only when I started looking into nutrition and truly understood the benefits of cooking from scratch and eating as natural as possible that I started to enjoy food and not worry about my weight. I no longer count calories or restrict how much I eat and I’ve been able to maintain my weight for the last 5 years or so now. I’m not a size zero and I don’t have a perfectly toned stomach or legs, but I’m content with where I am right now. I exercise regularly – 4 to 6 times a week depending on how I’m feeling and I’m really enjoying it because I don’t do it to lose weight or to get the perfect body. I’m doing it because it makes me feel happy and helps with my chronic fatigue. 

So here’s my first full day of healthy recipes. I’m hoping to make one of these videos once a week, depending on how well it’s received. If you do find the video helpful leave a comment below or on the YouTube video above letting me know what you thought of it and if you would like to see videos like this on a regular basis. 

BREAKFAST

Chia Pudding with Chocolate Banana NiceCream

2 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 cup (120ml) milk of choice
1 ripe frozen banana
1 tbsp cocoa/cacao powder
1 scoop rice vanilla protein powder

Method:

In a small bowl, mix together the chia seeds and milk. Cover and refrigerate overnight
In the morning, blend the banana, cocoa and protein powder with a splash of milk
layer the chia pudding and nicecream in a jar and top with berries.

LUNCH

Speedy Mexican Bean Pizza

3 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp oregano
Pinch of salt
A splash of water
1/2 can mixed beans
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2-1 tsp paprika
1 small garlic clove
Salt & pepper to taste
1 gluten-free wrap
Vegan cheese, shredded

Method:

Mix the tomato puree in a small bowl with the oregano, salt and a splash of water
In another bowl mix together the beans, lemon, chilli, cumin, paprika, garlic and season with salt & pepper to taste.
Spread the tomato sauce on the warp and top with the beans. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top and grill for 5-8 minutes until the cheese melts. 

DINNER

Lentil Coconut Curry

1 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 tsp coriander
1-2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp garam masala
2-3 garlic cloves
1 cup red lentils
1 can light coconut milk
Salt & pepper to taste

Method:

Heat the coconut oil on a medium head then add the onions and cook for 5 minutes. 
Add the spices with a splash of water to create a paste. Add the garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute. 
Add the lentils and season with salt & pepper. Pour in the coconut milk, bring to a boil, cover then lower the heat and leave to simmer for about 20 minutes. Add water if needed while cooking. 
Serve with brown rice and salad.