The veggie-turned-mostly-vegan founder of the online yoga destination Movement for Modern Life shares her food diary with us
Yoga isn’t just what happens on the mat – it’s a way of living and yoga entrepreneur Kat Farrants ’ mission is to embody yogic values in her everyday life. “This means being conscious about every decision I make, with my food choices being a large part of that,” says the former City lawyer, who re-evaluated her life after a near-fatal car crash nine years ago and now lives in the countryside from where she runs her yoga streaming business Movement for Modern Life. "Like so many other people, I'm aware of the climate emergency and the massive carbon footprint that so many of us privileged people leave. Which means I'm currently on a journey of exploration to discover ways to eat more sustainably and healthily, for both me and the planet!"
At this time of year, you’ll find her foraging for wild garlic in the woods near her house. A lifelong vegetarian , she is now mostly vegan , "I buy organic and where possible choose organic on the move as well. This is a great season to forage, so I'm doing a lot of that and I'm now growing my own salad. Though while it isn't yet ready, I'm buying organic from my local farmers' market.”
Living on her own and running a business, Kat doesn't have a lot of time for cooking. Batch cooking is her friends she says. “So part of the joy and challenge for me is to make batches of food, which means I can eat delicious, healthy and sustainable food throughout the week."
So what does a week on a plate look like for Kat? Here’s her food diary.
SATURDAY
Breakfast: "Delicious and comforting breakfast of vegan banana pancakes, which are so easy to make! You just mash over-ripe bananas and almond milk together and fry the mixture, then serve with strawberries. A real weekend treat.
Lunch: "Saturday was a workday for me but to break it up, I went to a cafe and had a delicious red pepper soup whilst I sat at my laptop.
Supper: "A friend came round to dinner and I made my signature curry. I absolutely adore cooking curries and love making the most of friends coming round to batch cook a massive vegan curry that I can then eat the rest of the week (or put in the freezer for the following week too). This curry was one of my classics, made with LOADS of delicious wild garlic, purple sprouting broccoli, tofu, and aubergine. It always goes down so well with my friends and ensures I have regular visitors to the house!"
SUNDAY
Breakfast: "I start most days with a smoothie. Sunday I had one of the most delicious smoothies, last week I was trialing Able and Cole’s Smoothie Recipe box and finding some of their smoothies really gorgeous. Today’s was spinach, date, cashew, and banana. Yummy.
Lunch: "Today I worked in the morning, writing interview questions for my latest podcast guests, so as a reward for a busy morning working I made a delicious vegan brunch with vegan sausages, sauerkraut, avocado and, my newest find, organic ‘homemade’ beans in tomato sauce.
Supper: "I went out to a local restaurant with a friend - one of my favourite restaurants called Wild Garlic (aptly for my obsession!) in Nailsworth, which has a wonderful vegan menu. I ate one of the most delicious tofu dishes for starters. It’s such a talent when chefs can make tofu so tasty. My vegan aubergine main was just delicious."
MONDAY
Breakfast: "Back to the working week with my usual smoothie after just a very swift 10 minute morning yoga practice... all I could fit in today! This smoothie is so handy, just my go-to for when I don’t have much time or want to think about it too much. Kale, oranges, seeds and almond milk. It feels great and keeps me going through the day.
Lunch: "Today was a really busy working day so I ended up just nibbling on humous and rye bread until around 5 pm when I was starving and the gorgeous vegan curry returned."
TUESDAY
Breakfast: "After an hour’s home yoga practice (yay, that felt really good!), breakfast was my usual kale and seed smoothie - today with Kiwi fruit.
Brunch: "One of my favourite eating patterns is a smoothie to take me through until around midday, then a big brunch. Today’s was spinach, vegan sausages, wild garlic, rye bread, avocado, and beans.
Dinner: "A really easy dinner. At this time of year with all the beautiful wild garlic in the woods, I’m eating loads of wild garlic pesto. My recipe is really so simple, and perfect mixed on chick-pea pasta with broccoli. Yum!"
WEDNESDAY
Breakfast: "After a brisk 20 minute energising Forrest yoga class, today’s morning smoothie included peanut butter as well as spinach, orange and banana with almond milk.
Lunch: "I had a lunchtime meeting in a cafe so I really enjoyed the treat of a cappuccino and smashed avocado on toast.
Evening: "One of my most simple evening meals is a stir fry. Today’s was a wild garlic stir fry with tofu."
THURSDAY
Breakfast: "Usual green smoothie after a very peaceful qigong class. I went for the kale, oranges, banana, and seed smoothie.
Elevensies: "I make my own golden milk with turmeric, black pepper, coconut milk and some cinnamon on top. And yes, the dogs have some too, with goats milk as a yummy treat for us all.
Lunch: "One of my favourite ways to relax and take a break during a busy working day is to go foraging in the woodland. Wild garlic soup (so very, very simple - just onions, potatoes, organic stock and loads of freshly foraged wild garlic) is such an easy way of making an absolutely gorgeous lunch.
Supper: "I defrosted a curry made last week - this one was cauliflower and aubergine, with some delicious leaves on the side."
FRIDAY
Breakfast: "The day started with a lovely meditation practice and short yoga practice. Then my go-to smoothie of kale, kiwi, banana, and seeds.
Lunch: "A delicious lunch was my first effort at tofu scramble and I really think I succeeded. It was just gorgeous. Tofu in squares with a sauce of smoked paprika and cumin and loads of courgettes with wild garlic of course. And some cheeky oven-roasted potatoes.
Dinner: "Leaves with seeds, nutritional yeast, avocado (yes, wild garlic!) and baked sweet potato with hummus."
Find out more about Movement for Modern Life here and follow Kat and the brand on Instagram @katfarrants and Twitter @katfarrants