Posted on January 12, 2016 by Kate Halsall

Here is a little insight to my kitchen! The best way to cook healthy is to be organised. So for me, Sundays are food prep days. My Sunday prep involves planning out menus and buying the food which will cover what we are going to be eating for the week ahead (and buy something for a plan B if one of us can’t be bothered to cook “properly” i.e. stir fry stuff). This picture may not look like a lot but trust me, there are 5 days worth of lunches and evening meals there. I already have porridge oats in the cupboard and eggs in the fridge so that’s breakfast covered; and I always have frozen peas in the freezer! Here’s what you can see:

• Chickpeas, butterbeans & red lentils – as a vegan these are great protein sources.
• Avocados and Aubergine – two of my most favourite veg!
• Cauliflower, broccoli, chilli and garlic – are you getting hungry yet?
• Cumin and mustard seeds – I love cooking healthy curries and these are essential ingredients
• Mushrooms and tomatoes (there’s a couple of packs of these but they must be at the back hiding)
• Underneath this pile are mange tout, baby corn and sprouting broccoli – my fall back on stir fry packs
• There’s also basmati rice, mixed nuts, sultanas and bananas – not necessarily for the same meal!

And here’s some of what I’m going to make:

• 2 curries – red lentil curry and a chickpea and cauliflower curry
• Avocado and tomato salads for lunch
• Oven roasted “ratatouille” – aubergine, tomatoes, mushrooms, chilli, garlic and served with steamed broccoli
• Home made baked beans using the butter beans and tomatoes
• Mushroom and pea risotto – you don’t need risotto rice!
• Snacks are fruit and nuts

Left overs = more lunch OR BREAKFAST (crazy I know) choices.

I like the Ready Steady Cook element of having a pile of food in front of me and making something with it – but I found without a list I really would just buy random veg and then waste half of it because I couldn’t be bothered to cook it. I hate waste and like to make things easy. Make a list, make a menu and stick to it. Boom, sticking to healthy eating is so much healthier this way!