Ella Woodward has taken the health world by storm with her blog and first book ‘Deliciously Ella’. Now, a year on, she has released her second book: ‘Deliciously Ella Every Day’ which aims to provide more accessible healthy recipes for our busy lifestyles.
We love to encourage healthy eating here at HCX, but admittedly Ella’s diet is a little strict. After suffering from chronic illness, she decided overnight to cut out all gluten, dairy, refined sugar and meat. She recommends a plant-based diet where the focus is on counting goodness, rather than counting calories. Her simple recipes mean that even the most novice cooks can whip up something yummy, filling and healthy in the space of 30 minutes; great news for busy students!
At first, this new way of eating can seem a little daunting. After trying this diet for four months, I can promise it gets easier as you learn to plan ahead and find your staple meals; for me it was sweet potato wedges, black bean chili and pesto courgetti! Luckily, in this book Ella dedicates a large introduction to explaining the necessity of organizing your kitchen and always having a few basic kitchen essentials to turn to when the sugar or bread cravings kick in. She also includes shopping lists for the various sections, making it even easier to do a large shop once a week so you are prepared for your more busy days. So whilst cutting so many staples out is difficult and requires commitment, motivation and a bit of a learning curve, Ella makes it easy to understand, plan and follow on a daily basis.
The downside for students is that this way of eating can bite into our budget more so than eating your average pesto pasta every other day. Many of the recipes (in particular the sweet treats) require kitchen equipment such as blenders, processors and a spiralizer and some of her ‘essentials’ can be more difficult to source. Not all supermarkets sell buckwheat groats, cashew butter and hemp seeds! Organic produce is encouraged, as is filling your trolley full of green goodness and healthy grains. However, once you take into account that you’ll be skipping a Ram lunch in the forum, or cheesy chips and dominos after a night out, the costs do balance out. Plus being meat free makes it more affordable to the student budget!
So, what recipes can you expect to be cooking?
- Breakfast: Porridge is a big favourite and is one of the best things about this way of eating! Jazz it up with nut milk, berries, seeds and cacao powder for a really filling and tasty staple breakfast. Also expect recipes such as chia pudding, a healthy fry up and veggie muffins.
- Lunch: Salad makes a regular appearance in this section, including chickpea and squash, mango and avocado and pad thai to name a few. Ella also has a section dedicated to meals on the go, which includes some amazing dip recipes!
- Dinner: This is where this way of cooking becomes more creative and fun. She experiments with lots of vegetables and sauces to make simple dishes taste yummy. Her separate chapters dedicated to weekday dinners and big batch cooking is what really makes this book better than her first. Expect recipes such as warming soups, lentil and bean dishes and cauliflower pizza. Having tried the latter, I can say it’s tastier than it sounds!
For those sugar monsters out there- it’s good news- Ella loves her sweet treats! She has replicated many of our favourite desserts in a healthier way. Her sticky toffee pudding looks amazing, as does the coconut and raspberry mousse. Though be prepared to be eating lots of dates!
So, if you’re looking to improve your diet, Ella’s book is a great place to start. At the moment she is selling it half price online, or if you are really on a budget, her blog has many recipes you can access for free, take a look at http://deliciouslyella.com.