Simply Cook

Back in August I received an email from Simply Cook tempting me back to them with a half price box.  I had ordered myself a cook box back in April, however by the time it had arrived I had already received my results from my food intolerance test.  Each and every single recipe that was sent to me contained either garlic, chilli, ginger or meat stock – none of which I was able to use!  I gifted the box to a friend, and had accepted the fact that it just wasn’t meant to be.  Now that I’ve started introducing garlic and chilli back into my diet (I tried yeast, and it’s definitely a no go) I am now able to try out all of the lovely recipes that I had been sent out previously. 

Simply cook send you out a variety of different recipes, flavourings and spices every week, fortnight or monthly depending on your preference.  Each box costs just £8.95, which makes each meal pack just £2.23 (excluding anything you might need to pick up at the shop like veggies, chicken or pasta).  They normally do special offers on their boxes from time to time, however they offer a friend scheme for customers who are already signed up.  You can get your first box for £1 by using my name – lauren mcghee – in the promo code box, or clicking the link here https://simplycook.mention-me.com/m/ol/avm-lauren-mcghee-2

In my box I was sent a spicy vegetable stew, a Thai green curry, a spicy rice dish and a chorizo pasta dish.  Seeing as I’m vegetarian, I gifted the chorizo pasta dish to my dad, who cooked up a storm with it and told me it was amazing!  So good in fact, that mum decided to follow the same recipe guide – however adapted it completely to make it vegan.  She even made her own home made pepperoni for it!

So far I’ve made the spicy vegetable stew and the Thai green curry – both of which have been amazing!  The recipe cards come with a short and sweet shopping list for the extra bits that you’ll need to buy for each dish, you simply tear it off and take it with you to the supermarket, it’s really easy.  I made the Thai green curry dish for me and my boyfriend, and so had to prepare and cook them separately as he eats meat.  Despite this, the prep and cooking time was not hindered in the slightest, all it meant was two pans and splitting the flavourings.  Even though both dishes had half the spices it should have done, they were so strong and powerful that everything tasted simply delicious – it was really, really good!  The  whole meal only took about 30 minutes to prepare and cook, which was really surprising to me seeing as I don’t normally cook from scratch and following recipes normally means that I have to add an extra 20 minutes if not longer. 

I’m so super impressed the simplicity, easiness and taste of the simply cook dishes that I will definitely be ordering again!  The one thing I will tell you to look out for is the ingredients list, unfortunately you can only filter out the fish dishes and not all the meat ones, so if there is a dish you really like the look of double check that it is one you can actually eat.

What's your favourite dish to cook from scratch?

 Until the next one, 

The Vegan Kind Box August

I treated myself to a Vegan Kind box in August after my mum received her one in the post – the items inside were so brill that I couldn’t help myself!  It was a massive bargain too, as everything in the box totally up over £20, and I got mine for just £8.50 with a money off voucher!  Although it wasn’t much of a surprise when it came as I knew what to expect, I was still super excited to pop open the box and tuck in.

Hippeas

These chickpea puffs were one of the items from the box that my mum raved about, so I was quite excited to try these out as I’ve seen them in the likes of Holland and Barrett and Boots in town.  They were really thick and crunchy, and although it doesn’t look like you get a lot in the bag, because they are so big it is actually a really good sized portion.  Very herby in taste, this particular flavour was not really up my street.  They were nice and really packed with flavour, but not amazing.  I’ll definitely pick up the other flavours to see what one does take my fancy, as I really liked the texture of the snacks!

Squirrel Sisters

The packaging for this snack bar was really cute, I loved the colour and the little squirrels were funky!  I wasn’t really feeling this bar, it was oddly a little sour – I think this was the fruits used to flavour.  It reminded me of a flapjack/nakd bar, kind of a mix of both.  I really liked the coconut flakes that they had mixed through, you could really taste these with every bite!  I’d maybe try out the other flavours of these bars, if I ever come across them in the shops!

Candy Kittens

By far my favourite snack from the bunch, these sweeties excited both me and my mum when she opened up her box, as she’s been filling me in on the new vegan flavour for ages!  We both loved Percy Pigs when she was veggie, however now that she’s gone completely vegan – she can no longer have them due to beeswax.  The Candy Kittens sweeties remind me of these, the texture is amazing and the taste is really nice too – not too sweet yet not so artificial.  They’ve really created a fab vegan sweetie – and I only hope that they decide to expand their vegan range further, as beef gelatine is gross and we don’t need that stuff in sweeties!  Since receiving my box I have repurchased Candy Kittens from my not so local Sainsburys, and plan to do so for the foreseeable future.

Landgarten Crunchy Choco Snack

I’ve seen these bad boys online advertised as the vegan alternative of Maltesers – as seeing as these were a favourite of mine before my diet change, I was really quite excited by this particular snack!  Although very small in size, these little crunchy choco balls hit the sweet spot perfectly without being too sickly or bitter with the dark chocolate.  I myself personally wouldn’t compare them to Maltesers, as they’re substantially crunchier and completely different in taste altogether, however I can see why they’ve been compared.  I absolutely would pick these up again as they were a really nice wee treat – I juts hope I come across them in town sometime soon!

Vegan Egg

This is one of the items I was most excited to try out, as finding something that I can make an omelette style meal or scrambled egg is what I’ve been looking into for a while now.  I recently tried out scrambled tofu which I loved, and had hoped that this would be the as good if not better than that.  Unfortunately, I just really could not stomach the texture of this, it was super slimy and just not my cup of tea at all. I had cooked it like an omelette, and then scrambled it when I realised how floppy it was.  I flavoured this with black salt and pepper, and it did taste pretty good, however the texture was just too much.  I reckon this would be better trying it in some baking good, however that’s just my opinion and I’m sure people love this just the way I cooked it!  

This box was well worth the money, and I can promise you that I will be making a repurchase again from The Vegan Kind.  I treated my mum to the September box too this month which was pretty amazing - I just can't decide if I can stretch my budget that far this month yet to get one for myself too!  Watch this space...

Until the next one,

Taylors of Harrogate Tea

After seeing an advert on Facebook a few weeks back which was offering free samples of Taylors fruit teas, I decided to chance my luck and fill out the form.  I love a good fruit tea, and the ones that the Taylors website had shown looked awesome.  To my surprise, I received the cutest little package from them just a week and a bit later.  Inside contained a sample of the Sour Cherry tea, Green Tea with Sweet Mint and Sweet Rhubarb. 

I tried out the sweet rhubarb first with a tea spoon of agave nectar.  I know that fruit teas should be sweet enough already, but to me they taste just ever so slightly bitter.  I always add a little just because that’s the way I like it.  I enjoyed this cuppa right before bed – and found it very nice!  Although ever so slightly bitter as you take a sip, it soon turns sweet and tasty – and unlike some teas it doesn’t turn really bitter as you make your way down the mug. 

The sour cherry tea was by far the one I was most keen to try, so you can imagine my excitement when I found one in my little package!  My excitement was not let down either, this was by far my favourite tea of them all.  It tasted just like real black cherries, and turned ever so slightly sour as you sipped, which was a really nice and different twist to the tea!  I will definitely purchase a box of sour cherry again when I can source a local supplier – it makes the perfect alternative to my normal night time cuppa, it was super tasty and a real good price at £3 a box!

Last but not least I tried out my Green Tea and Sweet Mint tea bag, which I wasn’t really sure that I would enjoy as green tea is not really my thing.  This one however was actually really nice (with a little sugar I should add) and actually left me feeling really refreshed!  The sweet mint really helped to get over the normally bitter taste I find with green tea, so much so that I would actually serisouly consider purchasing this over peppermint tea in the future! 

My favourite thing about these teas is the colours, I don’t know if it’s done deliberately or not – but the packaging is the exact colour of each tea as it is brewed!  They were all super pretty colours too, which made the whole thing even better in my eyes.

Have you tried out any of the Taylors tea range?  What’s your favourite?

Until the next one,

Bakedin Gluten Free Brownie Mug

At the end of July I came across a fab brand called Bakedin – they create the perfect mixes for all sorts of baked goodies and send them out to you in the post for you to make at home.  I added them to my August lust list after discovering that they had gluten free mixes that can easily adapted to be made dairy free too.  I was just about to place my order on their website, when I received my Vegan Tuck Box (post to come soon) which featured one of these brownie mug mixes!  As you can imagine I was pretty excited, so I decided to leave my actual order until I had tried this one out.

Now mug mixes are easy, they don’t take much time or effort and they usually turn out pretty good.  Bakedin mug cakes are AMAZING – they take legit two minutes in total to put together and cook, and they taste FANTASTIC!  It really is so super easy, you simply melt the butter for 10 seconds, throw in the powdered mix and the splash of milk (I used plant based alternatives for both) mix together and put it in the microwave for one minute.  That’s it!  Leave to cool for a few minutes and tada – you’ve got yourself a pretty damn good dessert ready to tuck in to.

No big messes needed with Bakediin like one!

The mix turns into a delicious sponge – it’s so good that you couldn’t even tell that it was diary or gluten free.  There are no clumpy bits throughout like there normally tends to be in your regular mug cakes – just tasty spongey goodness.  The mix creates the perfect sized cake, just enough to satisfy your sweet tooth but not enough to make you feel sick afterwards or feel the need to leave any.  Every mouthful is as yum as the last one, and you find little chocolate chunks throughout the sponge which adds to the indulgence of the cake.  It’s honestly so good that it’s hard to believe that this was a quick mix fix.

I am absolutely delighted that I got to try this in my Vegan Tuck box this month, I am so in love with the gluten free brownie mug cake – and can’t wait till pay day to place my order for a pack!   I think I’m going to treat myself to one of the gluten free brownie mixes too, just because I’ve got the feeling that it’s going to be equally as good.

Have you tried out any of the Bakedin mug cakes yet?

Until the next one,

Summer Berries at Tesco

This month The Orchard at Tesco invited me to be a part of their Summer Berries programme, which I was super pleased about because its strawberry season!  They kindly sent me a £3 voucher to pick myself up a punnet of berries of my choosing, and in return would like to know my honest thoughts about the product I chose.  I grabbed myself the largest and nicest looking punnet of strawberries from my local Tesco, with a dessert in mind that I found from my nutritionists website here.  I’ve been dying to try out coconut cream for a while now, so thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to give it a go!

The strawberries are the most gorgeous shade of red ever – they look really healthy and fresh in the punnet, as if I have just picked them off a farm myself there and then!  As I washed them under the tap, the sweet aroma of the strawberries filled the kitchen, which is one of my all-time favourite smells ever.  There is nothing quite like the smell of fresh strawberries.  I picked myself a decent sized portion from the punnet, and cut them into halves to enjoy with my coconut cream.  The smell grew stronger as I did this, and the juices spilled onto the chopping board – proving that I had a really delicious and fresh bunch too! 

To make your coconut cream, you simply need to purchase yourself a tin of full fat coconut milk.  Pop in the fridge overnight, and the next day your milk will have turned into a really thick cream – which is absolutely delightful with strawberries, might I add!   I added a tiny amount of agave nectar to my bowl for a little extra sweetness, however this really was not necessary because the strawberries tasted as good as they smelt!  Sometimes when I buy strawberries, I find them to look really appealing but taste rather bland or simply like water as I make my way through the punnet.  Tesco did not disappoint with these ones though, every strawberry tastes as good as the last one – and unfortunately for me, my family seem to think so too!  I went to bed with a near half full punnet last night, only to discover this morning that I’ll be needing to make another purchase sooner rather than later! 

I’m really, really pleased with these strawberries from Tesco, and super chuffed that I got to try them for free, thanks to The Orchard programme!

What’s your favourite summer berry?

Until the next one,

August Lust List

So July was a pretty busy and rather expensive month.  Hulk needed a vet check that ended up costing a small fortune, it was brought to my attention that I was driving around with an illegal tyre – goodbye fitty dollars – and then I had three birthdays to fund.  That being said, I decided that my vegan subscription box could wait till this month (I can’t wait for it to come now though!) and decided to skip the Nakd delivery too.  It’s hard to believe that we are now in August – where had this year gone?” – and now that most of the birthdays are done for the year (there is still two to go for me) it’s time to start thinking about Christmas as I’ve lots of people to get for.  This month I have a few bits that I’ve had my eyes on for a while now, which I’ll hopefully be able to pick up throughout the month.

Beauty Box

I’ve been fancying treating myself to a beauty box for quite some time now, however over these last few months I’ve noticed lot a beauty bloggers posting about how they’ve not been overly impressed by some of the more popular boxes.  After doing my own research, I discovered You Beauty and Love Me Beauty – both reasonably priced boxed with a difference – if you’re quick enough, you get to choose what items you receive in your boxes.  Since going cruelty free though, it’s been a tough one trying to find a month when the boxes contain a good selection of suitable brands.  August looks like it could be the one though for both – so now I’ve just the decision to decide on what one I want.  Watch this space…

Multipurpose Balm

You’ve heard me whine and whine again about my dry lips and sore skin around my mouth – so this month I’m determined to find something that is going to solve the problem once and for all!  It popped up on my Facebook ads that Dr Pawpaw were on special offer in Superdrug, so naturally this is one I’m considering as I’ve heard great things about this cruelty free balm.  It’s also been suggested to me several times that I give the Lush Ultrbalm a go, as again they say it works wonders on dry skin, sore lips and simply just tired skin.  This is another strong contender as let’s face it, I do enjoy a Lush trip.  The final one I’ve seen throughout this last month was actually one featured in the Love Me Beauty Box, is the Dr Lipp balm.  Although I’ve not heard so much about this particular one, the website suggests that it does exactly what I’m looking for.  Stay tuned, as I’m going to make sure that this is the month that my lips stop hurting once and for all!

Bakedin

After one of my favourite bloggers posted online several weeks back that they had received a lovely selection of mug cakes from a company called Bakedin, I was very much interested to see what it was all about.  I thought it would make a lovely and quirky present for a couple of people, but didn’t have much hope in finding anything that would be gluten and dairy free.  I was pleasantly surprised though when I came across a gluten free brownie cake mix and mug cakes!  After an email questioning if the recipes could be adapted to dairy free alternatives – they got back to me very promptly confirming that it should work with no real problems.  I think I’m going to try out the mug cakes first, so fingers crossed everything turns out fabulously!

What are you treating yourself too this month?

Until the next one,

A Nutritional Update

Some of you might remember that back in April I went to see a nutritionist in regards to my eczema.  My skin was particularly bad at the time, however certainly not as bad as it was here.  As we are approaching August, and I’m now onto my fourth month of my new diet, I thought I’d share with you my progress and how I’ve been getting on!

Yeast, gluten, dairy, chilli, ginger and garlic were all eliminated from my diet for a minimum of six weeks – you can read more about it here – in order to give my skin and body a chance to detox from the bacteria’s causing my problems.  I won’t lie, it was really tough for the first week, I ate around 30 eggs over breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks!  After that though, I found a lot of new things to try, and got myself into a pretty consistent routine.  Breakfast was a nutrigrain style Weetabix with plant based milk or a gluten free granola with Alpro yoghurt.  Lunch was either an omelette/hard boiled eggs with baked beans or a bowl of gluten free pasta.  Then for tea it tended to vary from an omelette, pasta or a tortilla pizza!  Hard boiled eggs were often a snack of choice as they are super easy and quick to prepare, as well as being rather filling and healthy! 

For a while I found it really hard to find things to snack on between meals, as I used to be the type of person who would reach for a bag of crisps or a bar of chocolate – no matter what time of day it was.  Now however I know I can go for foods that are not only tasty, but pretty heathy and filling too.  Nakd bars, Pulsin brownies and Kettle Chips have been my snacks of choice as of late due to their convenience and special offers!  I felt really restricted when I first started my diet, as I went from being able to eat whatever I wanted whenever to being very much limited on a day to day basis.  I now know that there is just as much that I can eat and enjoy as there is that I cannot! 

Since having switched up my diet, I have seen a huge improvement in my overall health, not just my skin.  My eczema has improved tremendously, and although it has flared up a little on my hands right now – this normally happens when the weather goes from one extreme to another.  When my diet was mostly rubbish based, I would often take a nap during the day as I would get quite tired around 3pm.  I can now function like a normal person from 6am – 11pm without a nap, which is a massive improvement as I can actually do things after work and with my evenings!

I no longer need a nap before my evening walk with Hulk!

Finally, the results that I have been most pleased with is my stomach.  I no longer feel bloated on a day to day basis.  I no longer need to eat and eat and eat to feel full, and I’ve lost around about a stone – solely from switch around my diet, which no extra exercise, which is amazing!

Of course this is all still a work in progress, however I’m absolutely delighted with all of my results.  I feel a whole lot healthy on the inside and out - and would very much recommend a visit to a nutritionist if you feel that your diet could be improved, but you don’t know how to go about it.  If you stay in or around Aberdeenshire, I would highly recommend using Nourishing Insights, as Beverly has been great helping not only me but also my brother and boyfriend too!  You can read all about the work they do here.

What’s the best thing you’ve done for yourself that has changed your life completely?

Until the next one,

Little Indulgences

Over the last couple of months I’ve been discovering a lot of tasty goodies in my local supermarkets that I wish I had known about my whole life! From potential healthy snacks to just general treats –these have since become my favourite go to goodies during my trips to the supermarket. 

Free From Fellows

Spied in Home Bargains, these fantastic little jelly sweets were sold to me from the moment I first set my eyes on them.   What drew me in was the name of course, after having changed up my diet back in April.  Free from what though, exactly?  Dairy, gluten, sugar and gelatine – as well as avoiding any product that comes from animals.  Not only are these bad boys suitable for vegetarians, they are also vegan too – meaning that myself, my brother and my mum can all enjoy them!  Best of all though, they actually taste really good.  The cola bottles taste just like actual cola bottles, the gummy bears are super fruity and delicious, and the berries are super chewy and yum – just the way gummy sweets should be!  Before becoming a vegetarian, Haribo used to be my favourite sweeties ever – so it makes me really happy when I can find the perfect alternatives to my old favourites.  Since discovering them, my local store has stopped taking them in!  This makes me super sad, however I will hopefully be reunited with these lovely treats once again.

Pulsin Brownie Bars

Holy mother of mackerel… have you ever tasted something so, so good that is relatively healthy and makes you question all of the bad stuff you’ve put into your body eating the alternative versions?!  Because that is exactly what eating this brownie makes me do every time.  Created out of mainly cashews, dates, raw cacao, raisins and almonds these delicious bars create the most perfect brownies – other than my mothers real ones, ya feel me?!  Super softy, chewy and delicious, these bars really do hit the spot for when you fancy something indulgent but don’t feel like being naughty.  I first discovered them back in April when Aldi did their gluten free week.  Gluten, Dairy, Soya free and suitable for vegans, these really are great for people in general, no matter what diet preference you follow! 

Fruit YoYos

Being a sucker for a fruity treat on occasion, I have been struggling to find goodies that are suitable for my diet (and waistline!)  I love jelly tots but I know they’re full of sugars so I’ve been trying to keep them as an occasional treat.

My dad bought these several months back for my little brothers packed lunches, and when they sat for weeks on end because no one was interested, I decided to give them a go! 

Made from 100% fruit and contributing to one of your five a day per pack, these tasty yo yos have sorted out my sweet tooth on more than one occasion as of late.  My favourite flavours being the Apple, Strawberry and Mango ones, I usually pick up one of each from my local supermarket when they’re on a 3 for £1.20 deal or similar. Yum, yum, yum!

What’s your favourite thing to snack on when you’re feeling indulgent?

Until the next one,

July Lust List

Just like last month, I’ve put together a few bits and pieces that I would like to treat myself to.  I’m keeping it short and sweet this time round though, as I have three birthdays in July to fund – as well as another three during the first two days in August… YIKES!

Vegan Subscription Box

My six weeks on my gluten/dairy/yeast free diet have been and gone, and I’ve decided to carry on with it until I’m given a reason not to (bar the occasional treat mind you!)  My mum is a vegan, and she has come across the perfect wee snack box for me.  It’s 100% vegan and totally gluten free too, and it only costs £9.50!  They send you out a box a month, which will contain five to eight vegan snacks that are guaranteed to cost more than the value of the box you are paying for.  I’m excited to try this one out and report back to you guys at a later date!

Nakd Treats

I’ve found that buying Nakd bars from my local supermarkets has become a little bit repetitive.  They only stock certain flavours now – and although I do still really enjoy them – I like to have variety.  You can now purchase a variety box online from Nakd for just £7.99 – they send you 9 bars in the post, some of which I’ve yet to try!  I can’t wait to place an order, I’ve been dying to try the Café Mocha for ages now… so here is hoping it’s a good one!

Lip Care

If you follow me on Twitter, you will have probably noticed that I’ve been complaining about my lips and awful lot this last few weeks.  I don’t know what happened, I basically woke up one morning and my lips were dry and red and sore and just really not nice looking!  It’s really quite painful at times, so I’m hoping that I’ll be able to find something that will fix the problem sooner rather than later. I’ve been having a look at a few vegan and cruelty free lip balms and moisturisers since my problem occurred, so watch this space.  I’ll fill you in if I find that miracle product any time soon!

I think that’s it really!  I’ve a few trips coming up in the next couple of months that require hotels and train fares – as well as all these birthdays (and my boyfriends and I three year anniversary) that all need funding too.  I don’t need to crazy splurge on myself every month – but I do like a wee treat here and there!

What’s everyone else got their eyes on this month?

Until the next one,

Nakd Treats

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Nakd bars and nibbles have been my go to treats these last few weeks ever since I got my results.  I have a major sweet tooth, like a major one.  I feel like I need something sweet after every meal, which I know probably isn’t very healthy but I just can’t seem to shift the habit.  Nakd have really helped me out with this problem any time I’ve ever tried to diet or give myself a health kick.  More so now though, that I can’t sit back with a bar of chocolate or just any regular slice of cake.  They’ve been my saviour for my cravings, and a really healthy one at that!

Nakd treats are made with 100% pure and natural fruits and nuts, making them perfect for a quick snack or pick me up throughout the day. All bars and nibbles are gluten/dairy/wheat free, as well as being suitable for vegans too.  The majority of Nakd snacks have a total of 3-7 ingredients in them – and better yet, you can actually pronounce and would probably recognise them all if they were laid out in front of you to see!   Nakd have such a wide array of flavours that are available now, with anything from pecan pie to chocolate orange to ginger bread.  With so many flavours to choose from, and trust me… there have been many occasions that these bars have helped me out – I’ve been able to select the chosen few that makes me sad to run out of at any time.

Cherry Bakewell has been a favourite treat of mine for many years now, I love the sweet taste of the marzipan and the cherry with the icing – and I’ve been lucky enough to find a gluten and dairy free alternative of the real deal too.  When I spied that Nakd had created a healthy bar of one of my favourite treats – I grabbed it and can say with 100% honesty that it is the exact replica of the pretty calorific tea time tart!  From the smell, to the taste and even the texture, Nakd have managed to whip together the most perfect healthy alternative that there possibly could be.  Bakewell Tart is my absolute favourite out of all of the bars, and I try to always pick them up whenever they are available to buy.

The Fruit Salad Nakd Nibbles have been my go too snack for whenever I fancy a sweetie style snack.  Depending on what I have just had for my tea, I either like to have something chocolatey or fruity – so the Fruit Salad and Mint Humbugs have been my favourites for these occasions. They are perfect for munching straight out of the bag, or mixing in with a yoghurt or even in some cereal throughout the day.  Surprisingly enough too, they are actually pretty filling on their own, so they are great for munching in-between lunch and tea time to keep you going. 

My all-time favourite chocolate snack is always anything chocolate orange flavoured.  Coffee, body scrub and the real deal itself, if its chocolate orange – I’ll probably love it.  So the fact that Nakd have managed to create another one of my all time favourite treats was absolutely fantastic news for me.  Although slightly more chocolatey than orangey, it really is a yummy snack to munch on whenever I’m feeling the need to satisfy my cravings.  Not quite as good as the real deal, but hey – they can’t all be perfect!

If you’ve not tried out any of the Nakd nibbles or treats yet, then I highly recommend that you do.  They are the perfect little sweet treat to munch on, and are pretty much guilt free too!  I'm keeping my eyes peeled for the mint chocolate bars right now, but I can't seem to find them anywhere!

What is your favourite Nakd treat?

Until the next one,

Food Intolerance Test – Foods I Can Eat

I’m now starting my fourth week on my yeast/dairy/gluten/garlic/chilli/ginger free diet – what a mouthful, huh?  It was really daunting and difficult to start off with, but I can actually say that I’m almost enjoying it now.  I’ve seen a great improvement to my overall health this last month; I’m not bloated every day, my skin feels and even looks healthy, I’ve lost weight and I’ve felt that I’ve had a lot more energy overall.  I don’t tend to take many naps anymore either, which was something I used to do near every single day!  So yeah, I’m really happy that with another two weeks to go, there is still potential to see even more good come from my diet change. 

Mum made me some blueberries muffins!

At the end of the six weeks, I’m looking forward to introducing garlic and chilli back into my diet… slowly.  I’m pretty content now with my gluten/yeast/dairy freeways, but I’m really excited to get some flavour back into my life!  I’m just really hoping that these are not the foods that are contributing to my eczema, as the one thing I miss the most from this whole experience is garlic! 

When we discovered that chilli and garlic is in almost every single jar of pasta sauce, we improvised and made our own!

There are a number of foods that I have come across this last month that are surprisingly gluten/dairy/yeast free – which have pretty much been my go too snacks and dinners:

-baked beans         

-almond butter                 

-quorn roast chicken peices

-pombears             

-kettle chips                     

-quorn peppered steak

-ruffles bars           

 -seabrook lattice crisps     

-linda mcarthney red onion sausages

-skinny popcorn      

-propercorn                      

-quorn bacon

-nakd bars              

-eggs                               

-fruit yoyos

-rice cakes              

-rice                                 

-fruit winders

-plant based milks  

-violife cheese                   

-free from salad cream

-free from pasta     

-free from chocolate          

-fruit and veg (low sugar preferably)

-frys peppermint creams                                  

-tellytots                         

-alpro yoghurt        

-lizis granola                     

-seabrook ready salted crisps                       

-coconut oil            

-nutribix                           

-tofu 

-ninebars  

There really isn’t that many things that are suitable, but at the same time I’m still really surprised by the amount of choice there is for the people who simply cannot eat gluten or dairy alone.  I thought that these two would be the most difficult for me to stick too – but it turns out that finding foods without garlic, ginger and chill has been just as equally awkward!

Overall, I’m pleasantly surprised by how much I have actually enjoyed watching what eat, I feel really good about my overall health at the moment and I hope that I have the will power to keep going in the long run!  I’m hoping to be able to cut back on the flavoured water that I drink daily too, because I’ve recently become more aware of the artificial sweeteners and how they can affect the body.  One thing at a time though kids!

Do you know anyone adjusting their diet right now too? 

Until the next one,