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My Week in Food: Natural Kitchen Adventures
Natural chef, food writer and creator of Natural Kitchen Adventures , Ceri Jones not only teaches others how to cook up healthy dishes but also shares her own kitchen creations on her blog. Her style is fad-free and focused on feeling good, with a diet that’s rich in vegetables and lower in sugar, dairy and meat. Here she explains her general food philosophy before sharing her food diary with us…
"There is no typical week for me as I find myself mixing up cooking on yoga retreats, teaching cooking classes and developing and shooting recipes in my home test kitchen. I kept a food diary from the 1st January while working on a yoga retreat then heading into a new year, when I tried my best to be on the more virtuous side of eating. I typically have 3 meals a day, plus if I need it a mid afternoon snack (which is often some dark chocolate). I have one black coffee after breakfast and then herbal tea or water throughout the day."
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Sunday
Today was day 3 of 4 catering for a yoga retreat.
Breakfast: An early bowl of leftover bircher muesli from the previous day’s breakfast to power a morning of preparing for the rest of the day’s meals.
Brunch / lunch: Vegan and gluten free sweetcorn waffles with smokey mushrooms and scrambled eggs, green leaves.
Snack: 2 x squares of dark chocolate
Dinner: Cauliflower and pea pakora with coriander chutney, beetroot dahl with cauliflower steak, topped with hibiscus raita and crispy onions.
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Monday
Last day on the yoga retreat, thankfully there were some leftovers to eat for dinner when I got home early evening rather exhausted!
Breakfast: Chia pudding with berries.
Brunch / lunch: Homemade baked beans with wholegrain gluten free toast and scrambled eggs.
Snacks: 2 x squares of dark chocolate.
Dinner: Twice baked sweet potatoes.
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Tuesday
I always take the day or two after a retreat off, and often find I am eating up leftovers or visiting one of my favourite local cafés for nourishment – my kitchen is closed!
Breakfast: Homemade granola leftover from retreat with almond milk.
Lunch: Avocado on sourdough toast with bacon at a local coffee shop.
Snacks. Dark chocolate and a herbal tea whilst reading a book in a café.
Dinner: Prawn Pad Thai with rice noodles from my local Thai takeaway.
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Wednesday
Breakfast: Homemade granola leftover from retreat with almond milk (I really need to go shopping for some fruit!).
Lunch: Veggie sourdough sandwich filled with beetroot, roasted onions and cheese, fennel squash and cannellini bean salad from another local café.
Dinner: Roasted cauliflower with pan-fried leeks and chicory in balsamic vinegar, tinned mackerel. Warm almond milk with vanilla before bed.
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Thursday
Back to do some work today, writing my blog, ploughing through emails and even managed a food shop to stock up on store cupboard essentials and fruit.
Breakfast: Banana peanut oaty breakfast bake with berries and coconut yoghurt.
Lunch: Roasted cauliflower with pan-fried leeks, tuna, olive tapenade and parsley.
Snack: Coconut yoghurt with cacao nibs.
Dinner: Tapas with a friend. Padron peppers, crashed eggs with potato (which I was inspired to recreate myself at the weekend), jamon wrapped cheese, garlic prawns, catalan spinach. Decaf cappuccino instead of having dessert!
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Friday
On Friday I pick up my veg bag (I am a member of a local scheme), and am always excited to see what I get. I try my best to use the whole vegetable if I can. I’m loving using the broccoli leaves at the moment.
Breakfast: Homemade granola with almond milk and chopped banana.
Lunch: Roasted cauliflower and parsnip in rose chermoula (rescued from my freezer) with butterbeans, massaged kale and preserved lemon garnish.
Snack: Medjool date stuffed with peanut butter and sprinkled with cacao nibs.
Dinner: Edamame and mung bean pasta with a sardine, caper and tomato sauce, with broccoli and parmesan.