5 Healthy-ish Recipes You Seriously Need To Try

Morning guys,

So these past few months or so I have been trying out some new healthy (ish) recipes and here are the ones that I reckon are worth giving a go!

I always find Deliciously Ella's recipes to be simple, tasty and of course nutritious. A while back I whipped up a batch of Sweet Potato Brownies and was seriously impressed. I know what you're thinking - Sweet Potato's and Brownies?! Seriously though, the combo work a dream. If you're looking to cut back on indulgent desserts without compromising on satisfying your sweet tooth - this is the go to snack. Plus you can eat these on the go!

As someone who tries to avoid dairy where possible, the past year or so I have been exploring numerous alternatives. My favourite so far being Almond Milk. However it wasn't until recently I discovered that a lot of the Almond Milks available in the supermarket actually contain very little Almonds, which quite surprised me. As much as I love the likes of Alpro & Rude Health, it did spark my curiosity as to how difficult it would be to make my own Almond Milk. Again Deliciously Ella offers a great recipe that is simple to follow. Although you have to put a little bit more work into it, it is actually more satisfying knowing that you have made the Milk yourself and that you know exactly what has gone into your drink - which was the main thing for me. Since whipping up batches of my Homemade Almond Milk I've never looked back! I pretty much make my own all the time now and feel much better for it. On the odd occasion though, when I'm in a rush I will still always revert back to shop bought alternatives purely for convenience.

I'm always trying to improve my water intake and at times it can get a little monotonous drinking the same old same old, so recently I've been whipping up Detox Water. Detox Water is basically fruit/veggie/herb infused water. There are many varieties and the world is your oyster really. However my go-to combination is Lemon, Mint & Cucumber. I actually discovered this on a recent trip to Whole Foods and London. A lot of people refer to this as 'Spa Water'. It is a fun way to increase your water intake, mix things up and also get in some extra nutrients.

It's no secret that Pizza is my favourite food - I would literally eat it for every meal if I could! However we all know it's not the healthiest of foods. In search of a healthier alternative I came across a recipe from Nutrition Stripped (a fantastic & resourceful blog) for a Cauliflower Pizza Crust. Now, I will be straight up, it's not your traditional Pizza, in that it doesn't have the same texture. However it is just as satisfying and pretty much guilt free!

Last but certainly not least is the Chocolate Peanut Butter Avocado Pudding from Minimalist Baker. If you're a fan of Chocolate & Peanut Butter then you'll love this healthy alternative to your traditional Chocolate Pudding. Don't let the Avocado put you off, it just creates a dreamy texture, you can't even taste it or see it!

What are your favorite healthy recipes?

The Great Yorkshire Vegan Festival

Morning guys! So last weekend I headed up North and made my way to Leeds City Hall to attend The Great Yorkshire Vegan Festival. My friend Amy and I had planned this little day out for quite some time and I had really been looking forward to it.

We arrived in Leeds just before 10am and navigated our way from the car park to the city hall. There was a huge queue of Vegan food enthusiasts ready to explore the intricate stalls inside. Luckily we didn't have to queue for very long which I was pleased about as the weather was pretty miserable.

Once we got inside we were greeted by several volunteers who stamped us in and gave us some information on where to head next. There were so many wonderful stalls set up that we didn't even know where to start. We got the chance to sample some delicious coffee and try out a variety of baked goods. Although I'm not entirely Vegan my self, I just wished I had brought along some people who were totally against the concept of Veganism just to show them how much variety there is and how tasty Vegan food can be. At the end of the day all it's about is health and kindness and eating what's natural, that's it.

I think perhaps my favourite part of the day was of course choosing out some lovely cookies and tiffins to take home. My favourite stall had to be the bakery called 'That Old Chestnut'. The array of cakes and flavours was amazing. From there I purchased Lavender & Chocolate Cake, Peanut Butter Tiffins and Chocolate Orange Tiffins and a good old fashioned slice of Lemon Cake. I also picked up some Spiced Orange Marmalade which I was very chuffed with. I can only describe the taste of it be like that of Christmas' it was full of notes of Cinnamon and Citrus.

I would totally urge anyone - Vegan or not to have a look around one of these events. It makes for such a fun day out and is something different, it's great!

What Lara Did #1 - Juicing

Morning lovelies!

So over here on WLDN I've had all sorts of series/features on the blog that appear either once a month or once a week etc. Last year it is was 'A Week In Photo's' & 'Life Lately' and well I thought with it being a new year, it was about time I started a new series. The series' are usually pretty similar just a different take, if you like and are pretty much always lifestyle based. Seen as 'What Lara Did Next' is all about things I get up to, beauty products I fall head over heels for (or in some cases the complete opposite) and recipes that I discover, I thought it would be only appropriate to name this series to compliment my blog name. So... enter the 'What Lara Did' series. Now I'm not sure whether this will be a weekly or monthly feature yet but you will soon find out!

In the first installment of What Lara Did, I'm talking about Juicing. If you've been reading my blog for a while now you will know I'm no stranger to Smoothies & Juicing. However with it still being the start of the year and a lot of us taking on a lifestyle change through both exercise & switching up my diet , I thought I would rope in a helping hand - The Natural Juicing Company , a company that delivers raw cold-pressed juices to your door. I know I am quite capable of juicing my self but sometimes it is very time consuming and can often get forgotten about. If I'm honest as well, I needed a bit of help to get back into the swing of things and to kick start the year a healthy way. The whole ethos of The Natural Juicing company had me inspired to order a box  - I went for the 1 Day Plan where you get 5 power juices full of fruit and veg, the perfect way to clear your body of all the rubbish you ate over the festive period and after all them takeaways and nights out! Some juice subscriptions can be a little pricey but I was advised that I could go for the one day plan but freeze the juices and just have one a day, as opposed to drinking them all in one day to add an extra kick of health to each day rather than having everything all at once. For me this is all about making sure juices incorporated regularly into my lifestyle rather than just doing a one off and going back to old habits.

Before receiving my juices I began clean eating because well, what better time to start than now? Also, I thought this would make the results of the  juices more effective & worthwhile. Below I have documented a little diary on each day to explain what my thoughts were on the juice I tried that day and whether I feel the whole experience has made a difference. NOTE - I ate normally but replaced one meal a day with a Juice or had it as one of my snacks. Also I would recommend drinking your juices through a straw to avoid staining your teeth etc!

Day 1 -  The SATISFY Juice
Upon the arrival of my juices I was so impressed with the diversity in flavours that were available. This juice stood out to me the most, probably because it contained Spiralina - a super boost powder that I've always wanted to add into my Smoothies but have never had chance. I also just thought the flavours sounded really interesting. I'm obsessed with Almonds & Almond milk and Cinnamon so I thought I would give this juice a try first. Another reason I tried this juice first was because I wasn't quite ready for my Tea but I needed something to fill a gap and  I though well seen as this is called Satisfy I'll give it a whirl. Satisfy is exactly what it did, it just filled the spot. It also seemed to get rid of hunger pangs, maybe due to the spices in there. The taste of this juice is a lot milkier to the others. It tasted almost creamy with a hint of spice. To be honest it kind of reminded me of Rice Pudding sprinkled with Nutmeg - which I'm not complaining about because that's one of my favourite desserts ever. I would say this drink is acquired taste but then again, pretty much all the juices are but you do begin to enjoy the flavours once you get into the swing of things.

Day 2 - The STRENGTHEN Juice 
So picking out my choice of Juice for day 2 was pretty fun simply because I had so many to choose from. This juice really caught my eye because it contained some of my favourite fruit and veg. The Strengthen Juice contains Barleygrass, Spinach, Kale, Apple, Pineapple and Parsley. I really really enjoyed this Juice, it tasted very sharp but also had a kick of sweetness to it from the Pineapple and Apple which I really liked. With my Juicing pack I also got a Stainless Steel Metal Straw to drink my juices through and I loved sipping away at this juice super slowly through the straw. It filled me up for breakfast accompanied with a Banana and I felt ready to kickstart the day.

Day 3 - The PURIFY Juice
After two days of drinking and enjoying the taste of my juices, I'll have to admit I was pretty gutted when I tasted this juice and thought oh my goodness have I really to drink it all? It contains: Spiralina, Spinach, Romaine, Cucumber, Courgette, Apple, Ginger & Lemon. I mean don't get me wrong some people may love this juice but I just really didn't enjoy it. The taste of Cucumber was very visible and it had a very tangy taste. I think the main reason I didn't like this Juice was because I've never really had a juice that is overpowered by vegetables rather than fruit being the main ingredient. However for the good of my health I sipped it all up!

Day 4 - The GLOW Juice 
Similiarly to day 3, I really found it hard to drink this Juice - although it was a completely different colour to the Purify Juice and had a lot of different ingredients, I found that they tasted SO similiar. I didn't manage to finish this one purely just because I feel the vegetable contents overpowered the fruit and I prefer a sweeter taste in a juice. However if you're one of them who loves Carrot juice etc then GLOW & PURIFY might just be the perfect juice for you.

Day 5 - The ENERGISE Juice 
After having 2 juices on the trot that I wasn't a massive fan of. I was pretty pleased when I tried the ENERGISE Juice. It contained Acai, Beetroot, Carrot, Pear, Lemon & Cayenne Pepper. The juice was a red/pinky toned colour and was a lot more enjoyable than the previous two. However I must admit I think the one flavour I can't stand in a juice is Carrot. Its just over powering.

Day 6 - The METABOLISE Juice
I found this juice very similiar tasting to the Purify Juice however maybe a tad tastier - possibly due to the Pear & Apple bring forward a sweeter taste.

Overall, I really enjoyed my juicing experience. It has definitely opened my eyes to the combination of flavours available. There really is something for everyone and the world is your oyster when it comes to Smoothies/Juicing to be honest! It also made me realise which ingredients I'm not too fond of but to keep incorporating Smoothie & Juicing into my diet as it's a great way to cram in loads of fruit and veg to keep you glowing and energised.

Also I have a little discount code for you all so you can give it a go for yourselves.
SAVE £100 on the 5 Day Plan With Nutrition Guru by entering the code 5DAYGURU at the checkout on:  http://www.naturaljuicing.co.uk/! Happy Juicing!!!