I love baked beans, but I've recently been put off by the sugar content. With nearly 10g of sugar in just half a tin, that's almost half my RDA, and I've also been trying to eat only natural sugars. I also love a large variety of beans so I get nutrients from all kinds of beans and pulses as well as a rainbow of colours and textures. So I created these healthy 10-bean baked beans, with only natural sugars but double the flavour! I enjoyed them with baked sweet potato and kale, (also vegan cashew cheese, but this experiment didn't taste as good as I hoped so I scraped it off!). It took quite a while to make them, but next time I will make a large batch, to store some in the freezer for a quick go-to snack.

Ingredients
4 handfuls of dried mixed beans (I use Waitrose 10 bean mix)
1 tin of chopped tomatoes (check it's 100% tomatoes and water, no added sugar)
1tsp maple syrup
1 whole clove of garlic, crushed
2 tbsp tomato puree
Salt and Pepper to taste

Before soaking

After soaking

The dried beans need soaking overnight, so put the beans in a bowl and cover with plenty of cold water, and leave in the fridge to soak. If you don't want to wait, buy a tin of beans already in water and skip this step.


After soaking, rinse with cold water and top up with fresh water in a pan and put on to boil, once boiled allow it to simmer for 1 hour. Pour away the water and rinse the beans with freshly boiled water, then add all the ingredients to a pan and heat until it boils (keep the garlic as a whole crushed clove, and pick it out before you serve). Leave to simmer for 30 minutes to let the beans soak up the sauce. Keep in the fridge and heat up in a pan for a few minutes when you're ready to eat it. It will keep in the fridge for about a week, or keep in the freezer.

Porridge is one of my new favourite things, there's so much opportunity for experimentation! I used to think porridge was bland and I could never finish a bowlful, but that's because I didn't know what to do with it. Here's a recipe for my newest porridge combination, it's absolutely divine! Think lemon curd flapjack but totally healthy!

Ingredients
30g porridge oats
15g chia seeds
Juice of half a lemon
Grated zest of half the lemon
A handful of mixed raisins and sultanas
Enough coconut milk to cover the oats in your bowl (use any nut milk)
A drizzle of local honey
1 tbsp of almond butter

Choose an oven proof bowl and add in the oats, chia seeds, and raisins. Pour over coconut milk until it just covers all the ingredients. Now add the lemon juice and zest, honey and almond butter and stir through. Leave to soak for at least 10 minutes (or prepare the night before for a quick breakfast), and add more milk when the levels go down.
Preheat the oven to 180c and oven bake the porridge for 10 minutes.

Optional: serve in a pretty bowl and top with flaked coconut, enjoy with a nice cup of white tea or homemade smoothie! ;)

On my path to changing to a whole-food vegan diet, I'm discovering new ingredients that I've never heard of or used before. Taking meat and dairy out of my diet is hard, but with the excitement of trying new ingredients and recipes, I don't feel at all deprived, but incredibly excited for every meal.

Why did I decide to change my diet, you might ask? I'm currently reading a rather gripping scientific book called 'The China Study' which explains the vast amount of research and strikingly solid evidence linking diet to health. In virtually all studies, animal protein (meat, fish, eggs and dairy) has been found to promote the occurrence of cancers, heart disease, obesity, diabetes and many more Western diseases. You really should read it, it's incredibly interesting and the evidence provided is actually quite scary! (Buy the book here)

I also discovered the food blogger 'Deliciously Ella', I bought her recipe book and I'm now absolutely obsessed! It's thanks to her that I'm discovering so many tasty recipes and vegan ingredients which are, as of buying her cookbook, a daily staple in my diet. Her vegan, gluten-free, whole-food and refined-sugar free diet is inspiring and SO delicious!

New foods I tried this week:

Almond butter - I've always loved almonds but I can't believe how much I ADORE this, it's packed full of healthy Omega-3 fats which fight against heart disease, as well as having a high amount of calcium. It's high calorie but because it's so nutritious it's completely guilt free!
How I ate it: I loved this eaten with chopped banana and also stirred into porridge

Chia seeds - You may have heard of these before, and let me tell you, it's for good reason! When they soak in nut milk they swell up to create a really unusual but amazing jelly-like seed. They're super seeds when it comes to their magnesium content (83% of your RDA per 100g!) which is essential for many biochemical reactions in the body, and can help relieve symptoms of PMS. They're also high in calcium and protein.
How I ate it: I made my porridge with chia seeds mixed in. As they need soaking overnight, I mixed 20g of oats with 20g seeds and covered with plenty of almond milk the night before, then I just needed to pop it in the oven (180c) in the morning for 10 minutes and it was all ready to eat! It was a nice alternative to my regular porridge. I also stirred in home-made vegan nutella, ground ginger and orange zest. 

My Favourite recipe of the week: Ella's Butternut Squash risotto


*Images are not my own, I found these on Google

This smoothie combination is one of my favourites at the moment as it's so refreshing and makes me feel cool and summery. It's also packed with goodness that makes my skin glow.

Ingredients

- 75g Frozen blackberries
- Half a very ripe banana
- Handful spinach
- 3cm slice cucumber
- Chunk of fresh ginger, peeled (about 8g)
- 5 mint leaves
- 200ml almond milk

Method

Place all the ingredients into a blender (or jug, using a hand held blender) and blend until smooth.

Top tip: Using frozen ingredients means the smoothie is extra cold and refreshing. I like to freeze sliced banana when it's just ripe then it stays perfect for as long as I want it and it won't go off, and it also means I can use just as much as I want without wasting any. Although it defrosts a bit mushy so it's best for things like smoothies or ingredients in baking, rather than to eat alone.

Pancakes seem like an indulgent, high calorie treat that must be avoided if you want to stay healthy. But in fact, with my healthy version of the recipe, not only do they taste delicious and fill me up until lunch, they're packed with nutrients from the banana, almonds and the sides of blueberries! And their low calorie total barely makes an impact on the day. (Oh and not to mention they're even sugar free!) So basically these are Super-Pancakes.

202 Calories (still only 307 with yogurt and fruit!)
Makes 3 pancakes
From prep to plate: Under 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 heaped tbsp Plain Flour
• 1 egg
• 100ml almond milk
• 1/2 banana
• A sprinkle of Flaked Almonds

Sides

• 1 Alpro soya flavoured yogurt or greek yogurt
• 10-20 blueberries, or fruit of your choice

How to make:

Using a blender or electric whisk combine the flour, egg and milk until smooth and lump free, then blend in banana.

Heat a small frying pan with a little sunflower oil, then pour in 1/3 of the mixture, tilting the pan to make the mixture spread into a circle, it should be about 1/2cm thick. Scatter some flaked almonds over the pancake to allow them to sink into the mixture. When the top side starts to look set, ease a spatula under the pancake, and if it seems like it will hold, gently flip it over. Sprinkle some more flaked almonds onto this side, and leave to cook for another 1-2 minutes. Continue to flip every 30 seconds-1 minute until both sides look slightly browned, then serve.

I like to serve my pancakes with yogurt and fruit, my favourite combination being greek yogurt and passionfruit but in this recipe I used blackberry soya yogurt and blueberries. If you have hay fever, try adding a drizzle of local honey on your pancake or yogurt, as the pollen in the honey will help immunise you to the local flowers.

I make and serve each pancake 1 at a time so each one is nice and hot. 

I hope you enjoy them, I certainly do!

First of all can I sincerely apologise for my lack of posts recently, I've probably missed this more than you! (I've been very busy with exam prep lately) - As of June 18th I will be returning to full time blogging, yay!

Around a month ago I treated myself to multiple products I had wanted for quite a while, and now I've have chance to give them a thorough testing, I shall give you my verdict!

Chanel's 'Rouge Coco ultra hydrating lip colour' in 416 coco

Chanel's newest lipstick was covered in many magazines, with articles about it, bloggers testing it, 

and of course editorial ad campaigns running up to it's big release in March. I have to say, when I read about it's hydrating formula I was VERY excited to try it out. When I finally managed to get my hands on one in store, early April, I was spoilt for choice from their wide range of colours, and I loved the feel of it when the assistant tried it on me. But upon wearing it after purchasing, I found it came off pretty easily. Something I find important in lipsticks is staying power, and this is something this lipstick lacks. It feels nice on initially, but the hydrating properties fade fast, along with the colour. It's very high maintenance, even when applied properly with the Chanel lipliner, and I find I have to touch it up constantly to avoid the embarrassment of having a patchy colour. I admit though I do adore the colour, in the shade 'coco' it is a sheer cool orange-red, a very on-trend colour, and it's sheerness making it easier to apply such a bright colour. But for a hefty £26 along with £17.50 for the liner (which makes it easier to apply the colour but certainly doesn't improve it's wear) I will not be buying this lipstick again. I'm afraid to say, unlike face of Rouge coco Keira Knightley, I do NOT love coco. I still haven't found another lipstick as good as Dior Rouge, see my review here

Chanel le Crayon lèvres precision lip definer

This all-in-one lipliner is perfect for on-the-go lips, with a soft, hydrating and sheer colour when applied all over, and a nifty brush on the other end to apply lipstick and blend, it makes lipstick application super easy. It also comes with a nice little pencil sharpener to keep the pencil perfectly defined. But the downside to this handy but expensive (£17.50) liner is that it doesn't make lipstick last any longer. I judge staying power by how much I can eat or drink before it budges, good being a whole meal and bad being half a drink. Let's just say this is on the bad end of the scale, and I feel inclined to avoid drinking as much.

No7 Instant Radiance Highlighter

When I first applied this my reaction was 'oh no what have I done', I didn't quite expect it to completely rub my foundation off. After a few practice attempts (this was my first highlighter), I discovered that dabbing the stick on my face rather than dragging it was the best approach. When carefully dabbed on over foundation, it gives a natural dewy but matte glow (if that's possible). I love this on my cheekbones, above my lip, and in the corner of my eyes. It is the same colour and application as the well advertised £19 Clinique chubby stick highlighter, but for £9.95! This is definitely money well spent.

Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium Perfume

I was quiet shocked when I first discovered this as a sample in a magazine; despite it's heavy, sensual, night-time wear appearance, this perfume is very light with a soft feminine floral smell that's perfect for everyday wear. I love it. This is definitely an example of 'don't judge a perfume by it's bottle' or in this case it's editorial advertisement as well. Bad branding here YSL, this is not a heavy, strong and bitter, occasion-wear perfume, but a light, floral, almost vanilla scent. Have a smell next time you see it in store, it's lovely.

YSL Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils

When I purchased my perfume, I got a free mini sample of this YSL black mascara. I don't normally wear black, I prefer the natural look of brown, but with this I feel I can wear it and still feel like I have naturally long looking lashes. It is completely lump-free and makes my lashes look full and long without looking fake. When this mini sample runs out I'm definitely buying the full sized version, of all the many mascaras I have tried over the years I think this is possibly the best.

For a while now I have been recognised for my healthy eating habits. A year ago I was eating fried food, piles of cheese and sugary drinks without a care in a world, but I had dull, acne prone skin and a lack of energy to show for it. I thought that's just what everyone looked and felt like, I thought I felt good. But when countless skincare products and vitamin supplements failed to make a difference to my skin and my energy levels, I knew something had to change.

Since then I've packed my diet with as many nutrients I can, started drinking 2-3 litres of water a day, I eat more than 5-a-day and avoid too much meat, and greasy, fatty foods or overloading myself with cheese, milk or sugary snacks. I've become a keen reader of Women's Health magazine, a fitness enthusiast (who would have guessed the P.E. skiver would turn into a fitness lover??) and a lover of all things deliciously healthy (healthy food really does have much more taste and all-round yumminess than junk foods like burgers!)

And that change is the best decision I've ever made. You really don't know what good feels like until you've actually felt good. My acne prone skin, lack of energy and low moods were my body's way of crying out to be nourished. Now I wake up ready with energy to face the world (well, most of the time), my skin is nearly spotless and is glowing and smooth, and I generally feel happy all the time. Trust me, changing your diet really will make a HUGE difference!

So here's a week in my diet, what and when I eat it. I would't say I'm the healthiest person in the world, I allow myself some indulgences ("food for the body, food for the soul" and all that), but it's enough to make a huge difference.

 Monday

Breakfast - Matcha powder shot. White tea, a nectarine. Then orange juice + soya yogurt and nutty granola.

Morning snack - 2 shortbread biscuits

Lunch - Chicken and avocado salad

Afternoon snack - Carrot and home-made hummus

Dinner - Clam and fresh tomato linguini

Evening - Chocolate brownie, soya ice cream, blueberries

Tuesday

Breakfast - Matcha powder shot. 1/2 multigrain bagel, smoked salmon, poached egg + orange juice.

Lunch - Prosciutto, avocado and chicken salad (at Prezzo)

Dinner - Home-made chicken and carrot pie (with soya cream) with garden vegetables

Evening - Coconut milk, banana and blueberry smoothie. 1 small florentine.

Wednesday

Breakfast - Matcha powder shot. Porridge made with coconut milk, topped with passion fruit and blueberries

Lunch - Oven baked sweet potato chips with hummus and a poached egg. Then a nectarine.

Snack - White tea, vanilla pumpkin seeds.

Dinner - Salmon and vegetable stir fry with brown rice and quinoa.

Evening - Home-made fruit cake

Thursday

Breakfast - Match powder shot. Almond milk, banana and berry smoothie with a croissant.

Snack - White tea and a kiwi.

Lunch - Wholemeal pitta topped with avocado, tomatoes, olive tapenade and rocket.

Snack - Caramel latte made with almond milk.

Dinner - Moroccan bean and vegetable tagine with couscous.

Evening - Home-made fruit cake.

Friday

Breakfast - Matcha powder shot. Greek Yogurt and granola with berries. Kiwi, mango, passionfruit and coconut milk smoothie.

Lunch - Vegetable soup with spelt bread

Snack - Carrot and home-made hummus

Dinner - Quorn and bean chilli con carne with guacamole and fresh tomatoes

Evening - A small piece of dark chocolate

Saturday

Breakfast - Matcha powder shot. Poached eggs and ham on an english muffin with orange juice.

Snack - Home-made stem ginger biscuit

Lunch - Home-made courgette, mushroom and sun-dried tomato quiche, with salad.

Dinner - Mackerel with sweet potato and fresh vegetables.

Evening - Avocado and tomato on bruschetta.

Sunday

Breakfast - Matcha powder shot. Orange juice and a kiwi. Then apple and blueberry porridge made with hazelnut milk.

Snack - Coconut milk, carrot, cucumber, banana and ginger smoothie.

Lunch - Salad with poached egg, sweet potato, quinoa, green beans, walnuts and sun dried tomatoes (see main picture)

Snack - White tea and a stem ginger biscuit.

Dinner - Crab, lemon and olive oil pasta.

Evening - A chocolate truffle.

So there you go! Think what you like of it, but this is what I eat to stay both satisfied with what I'm eating as well as happy and healthy. You may have noticed some things that pop up a lot, like avocados, nut milks ect. I'm going to briefly list these things that I eat very regularly below along with their health benefits, so you can see how eating these a lot can benefit you, like they do for me.

Avocado - packed with healthy fats to help with heart and brain function, fight against cancer, have anti-inflammatory compounds and make you feel fuller for longer.

Nut milks - nut milks include the now readily available almond, hazelnut, and coconut. I'm also classing my soya products in this category. These are all far lower calorie than cows milk but when incorporated into things like smoothies and porridge like I do you can't tell the difference. Almonds keep your energy levels up and reduce the risk of heart disease. Coconut milk can help protect the body from infections and viruses.

Matcha Powder - Matcha is a form of concentrated green tea, powdered. Because you drink all of the leaf, rather than tiny bits that seep through a tea bag, you ingest all of the anti-oxidising nutrients (Up to 15x more than a regular cup of green tea). It also provides the body with energy for up to 6 hours, which keeps you alert and focused, and boosts the metabolism (giving weight loss benefits).

Orange Juice - The vitamin C in orange juice promotes a healthy production of collagen, which is a structural component for bones, ligaments and tendons. Orange juice also gives skin radiance, helps clean out pores, and reduces inflammation. 

White tea - It is less processed than green tea, so delivers the same health benefits but in greater quantity. It's packed with antioxidants and it boosts cardiovascular health, encourages a healthy immune system, has skin benefits and anti-viral properties.

Eggs -  The yolks contain a very high concentration of omega-3 which is vital to maintain good cholesterol, and fights against diseases of the brain such as ADHD, dementia and depression. They are also high in lean protein, perfect if you're wanting to tone up and not put on weight.

and finally..

Sweet potato - One of the best forms of beta-carotene, an important antioxidant for eye and digestive health. And while white potatoes are known for their negative impact on blood sugar regulation, sweet potatoes actually improve it, even in people with diabetes. I always use these instead of normal potatoes.