There’s no doubt that my Nan makes the best spaghetti bolognaise, I don’t know how she does it but it always is way better than mine!

There’s something so great about it!! The whole family agrees. So here’s the recipe that she so kindly gave me, it feeds 5 people.

Ingredients:

½ a red onion

1 large carrot

450g mince beef

1 tbsp tomato puree

tin of tomatoes

1 beef oxo cube

a drop of Worcester sauce

oregano

basil

salt and pepper

Method:

Cut up the onion and carrot by giving it a blitz in the food processor and then fry it in a little oil. Add the meat and stir it into the vegetables and fry it off, making sure it is all brown. Add in the tinned tomatoes and tomato puree. Put in all of the herbs and seasoning. Simmer it for half an hour, if you have a pressure cooker then put it in there for 10 minutes. If not cover the saucepan and simmer it all.

There's always a surprise at the bottom of the pasta bowls, they're all different!

This is the best spaghetti bolognaise you’ll ever have!

The Sad Reality

I’m not sure if many of you know but over the summer I’ve been working in a local convenience shop (which I cant name or I’ll be in trouble!). So while I’ve been working there, I’ve really noticed the eating habits of some of our customers.

Now I will just add in here that I know it is quite hypocritical what I am saying and that I shouldn’t be so judgemental when I know that I have also been out and spent £5 or even more at a time on junk food. However, saying that the whole point of my blog is that I am on a journey to a better life, and by the time I have children I will have figured out a good balanced diet for them! I certainly don’t want them having sweets every night…

I mostly work evenings, which obviously doesn’t always paint a very good picture as the customers are normally there for the chocolate or alcohol.

But this is honestly not the most shocking part. The amount of sweets that parents buy for their children is incredible, incredibly awful that is. We often have our regular customers come in on a daily basis and since I work 4 or 5 days a week I do pick up on what they buy quite a lot.

Cringey I know but with obesity in the news headlines more and more frequently, it’s interesting to observe families to see what they’re like! And who doesn’t love a good bit of people watching.

Anyway there’s one particular family that comes to mind as I’m writing this. As far as I’m aware I have only met the two sisters and their mum.

The sisters argue like crazy, even in the shop, I even get embarrassed serving them – it’s that bad!

Every day that I work, they come in a buy so much junk food, it makes me feel sick even thinking about it. Obviously the shop has a small chilled section and we have steak slices or chicken and bacon or chicken tikka, you name it! The girls also buy these because they are normally on offer…they have got to be the most awful looking things ever!  Plus the thought of all the calories, fat, carbs and processed meat that goes in them makes me feel quite nauseous!

I’m going a little bit off topic here. So out of the two sisters, one must be about 14 who is a pretty average size (surprisingly because of what she eats) and the other is about 15 but she is without a doubt overweight, obviously at no surprise to any of us. I think its really sad that this has happened to her but whenever they come in with their mum, it’s not like she does anything about it and still lets them buy it.

No their mum is a different case, the complete opposite to myself, where she doesn’t eat enough…and it’s pretty obvious.

I think its pretty bad that we live in a society where eating disorders are so common nowadays. Yes, the NHS say that they are addressing it but they clearly aren’t or obesity cases wouldn’t be rising so rapidly and unfortunately it’s something I see everyday. I’m only one person out of thousands who are obese but I am slowly getting there and one day I hope to be able to influence and help people on their own journey to a better life.

Also, if you actually read this, please let me know! I have no idea who really reads it so it would be nice to actually thank whoever you are. (sorry family, you don’t count because I give you no choice but to read it!)

"Courgetti"

It feels like it's been ages since I've written a blog post, but it really hasn't, work seems to have just taken over this week and getting back into a routine after being on holiday has to be one of the worst things...

Anyway, let me introduce you to "courgetti". Yes, it is a real thing, 100% credit given to my mum for the name because it simply is courgette spaghetti.
Yet again, I was apprehensive about trying something new but I had a good feeling about this one and just writing about it now makes me want it (though it doesn't help that I've barely had time to eat today).

It is probably the most basic recipe ever and it takes simply minutes to make.
All you need is a courgette, some butter and a clove of garlic.

First of all, you need to get the courgette like spaghetti. At home we have a special peeler that cuts it into fine strands when you peel it. But if you don't have one of these (I suggest investing in one!) then use your standard vegetable peeler to get slices of the courgette then use a knife to thinly slice them.

So you've got your courgette all ready, put a bit of butter in a saucepan with some garlic. Let the butter melt and the garlic soften a bit, just so your breath doesn't smell really bad once you've eaten it...

Once the butter has all melted, add in your courgette and toss it around in the garlic and butter and let it soften a bit, I reckon about 4 minutes should do the trick.

"Mum wait I need to take pictures!" 

Obviously drain away some of the juice or you'll end up with puddles of it.

I may have cheated with the sauce I put with it, I was tired and too hungry to want to make something! These are handy little pouches though and taste great. I heated it up then mixed it in with my courgetti and added some leftover chicken for a bit of protein. 

And the final dish! It tastes a lot better than it looks, and is way more filling than you would think. Plus there's no carbs, I mean how much better can it get than that?

You know it's true!

Metabolism Boosters

It's taken me a whole to come up with this list. A lot of the time there are all kinds of weird and random foods that come up when searching for foods that boost your metabolism but finally I came up with this list of everyday foods that will be readily available to you. 

I'm going to try to get one of these into every meal to get my metabolism going. 

1. Hot peppers (jalapeños, cayenne, chilli etc.)

I personally would add some form of chilli to my meal if it worked. It's the one ingredient I swear by and I always have it in the cupboard. Not only does it boost your metabolism but it reduces any cravings you may have (probably because it just sets your mouth on fire and you can't taste anything). It boosts your metabolism  y up to 25% and when it peaks! that spike can last for up to 3 hours. Sounds pretty great huh?

2. Whole grains: oatmeal and brown rice

Honestly, I'm really surprised by this. Carbs get such a bad image now and if you're on a diet it's basically a no-go. So here I am to deliver the good news to you! These whole grains are a metabolism booster! They stabilise your insulin levels and are also slow release carbs, keeping you going for a bit longer.

3. Broccoli

I personally really like broccoli! We always have it at home because it's one of the only vegetables my brother will eat. It's really high in calcium and packed full of vitamins C, K and A. It would be better off steamed though so that it retains it's nutrients which can often be lost in water then you aren't getting as much goodness from them.

4. Soups

Another surprising one but they are included in so many diet plans so there must be a reason for that! They reduce the intake of excess foods, so you won't need to grab a snack so quickly after eating this.

5. Green Tea

I won't say anymore (and also because you're probably bored of me going on about it)! There's a whole blog post on it here.

6. Apples and Pears

Make sure you eat the skin though! They contain a lot of vitamin C but be careful as they also contain a fair amount of sugar.

7. Spices

From all the research I've done, what I can gather is that basically any will do but please do correct me if I'm wrong! So get seasoning your food like crazy with anything you can find at the back of your cupboards.

8. Citrus Fruits

This is similar to apples and pears, very high in vitamin C. Try adding lemon to water and letting it infuse for a bit, it tastes great and makes water more interesting.

I just had to add this in because it looks so pretty, someone give me this for my birthday cake next year please?

9. Foods high in Calcium

At first I found this quite strange, but once I did a bit of research about it, it actually makes a lot of sense! It helps because it is involved in so many metabolic processes which binds to fat cells and doesn't allow them to be absorbed by the body! I'll be downing pints of milk at this rate!

10. Foods high in omega 3's

Now you do hear quite a lot about how you need your omega's. It reduces production of a hormone called leptin, a natural chemical that lowers your metabolism. Get rid of that leptin!

I made this salmon before, the recipe for it is here, and it is so yummy!

11. Water

Okay, okay, I know this isn't really a food but it's just too important not to include. Water is a natural appetite suppressant and detoxifier. I've been making a real effort to drink water when I feel a bit hungry to distinguish the feeling between thirst and hunger.

Anyone who knows my family will know that my brother is super skinny! Yes, he does an unbelievable amount of exercise but he does eat his fair share of bad food... However, he does eat a lot from this list so it does make you wonder if it could make a huge difference. What do you think?

Egg Fried Cauliflower Rice with Vegetables

I've never been a big fan cauliflower but today I fell in love with this recipe, it's delicious. Honestly, if you're going to try something, try this recipe!! I was really hesitant to try this one, what if i didn't like it?, was it really all what it was made out to be? and yes, yes it was.

100% credit needs to be given to Caitlin and Susie for recommending this.

Recipe:

Ingredients:
½ a cauliflower
½ a chilli, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
½ red pepper, diced
2 asparagus, chopped
1 egg
2 tbsp soy sauce

Method:
First either grate the cauliflower, or more easily, blitz it in a food processor.

Then put it all on some kitchen roll to absorb some of the moisture. With the chilli and olive oil, put the cauliflower in a wok and cook on a medium to high heat for roughly 4 minutes to allow for it all to cook through. 

Add the soy sauce, pepper and asparagus to the mixture and allow to cook for a couple more minutes. 

Make a well in the mixture and add the egg to the well, allowing it to cook through slightly. Mix in the egg through the rice and vegetables and cook for a couple of minutes. 

Serve and enjoy!

Tomorrow I'll be trying cauliflower pizza, which I'm looking forward to now!

Cheap Clean Eating

As far as I'm aware, a lot of my readers are students or now graduates and obviously we aren't the richest of people! therefore, this ones for you...some ways to reduce your food bill and still eat clean.

It has been found that it is definitely more expensive to eat healthily and junk food is considerately cheaper. If you don't mind going for products that isn't the highest quality then you should go for the everyday value or basic products. I've always bought these where i can but I have definitely seen an improvement in the quality of these products and they aren't as bad as you think.

Obviously you wouldn't go out and buy all organic products as this would instantly double your food bill, even if you go for own brands and not as low as value products then you will still be reducing your food bill to a more affordable price.

When you are planning your meals to ensure that you eat a clean diet you don't need to have meat with every meal which will bring down the cost of your meals. Some good alternatives that are just as appetising are vegetable stir fry (easy on the sauce!) and obviously salads.

If you can't live without meat then just find different cuts that are cheaper or go to a local butcher who will know which are the cheaper ones and can give you advice on how to cook them properly as well.

Also take a trip to your local market to pick up some bargains there, you can typically get large bowls of fruit and vegetables for only a pound or two. It may not last as long as those that you buy from the supermarkets but if you are going to eat it all or most of it then you are definitely getting your moneys worth.

Often if you buy in bulk you would get more for your money so if you cook in bulk as well then you have those clean meals already made in the freezer. If you have a family then obviously this would be a bit more difficult as you will need to make a lot more food to put some aside in the freezer so it would be much easier to just make it as and when you need the meals.

Finding a cheaper supermarket to the one you already shop in is also an option. If you use supermarket.com, select the supermarket you wish to order from and fill up your basket then you can see which supermarket is cheapest and you could end up saving loads of money. Also if you order from Tesco or Asda then you can get your food delivered for as cheap as £1. By ordering your shopping online you won't be tempted by the junk food you may normally go for and only get 'clean' food.

Buying food is undeniably a high expense but unfortunately we can't live without it so if you can do little things to reduce your food bill then hopefully in the long term you will see the difference both financially and in yourself.