Is It REALLY Difficult To Get Kids To Eat Healthy, Plant-Based Food?

Apple from Flickr via Wylio — © 2012 Tea, Flickr | CC-BY | via Wylio

OK, so I have to start by saying I don’t have kids.

But I know a tonne of kids; was an au pair for four years, and regularly look after kids now (this obviously includes feeding them!).

AND, for the longest time I’ve been an avid reader of vegan/plant-based family blogs where the children have either been brought up vegan from birth, or where the parents went plant-based after their kids were born, and subsequently endeavoured to improve their kids diets,

One thing I’ve observed and learned is this – parents have a lot more power than they think in this respect.

I KNOW there are a shedload of bad influences out there, all vying to push dairy products, chicken nuggets, sugar and processed junk on children, not to mention the added nightmare of peer pressure. But every kid faces the same societal forces, yet not every kid cares about them.

I’ve SEEN kids choose kale; I’ve SEEN kids choose the healthy option; and the common denominator behind all these kids were parents that were informed on nutrition and prioritised it for their kids, and shared this information with them (as much as they could, simplifying when necessary).

If you are a parent who is new to whole, plant foods; this is AWESOME – your kids can learn with you!

You can share the experience of learning, cooking and trying new foods as a family. If kids are as involved in this process as the parents, it may even be more effective this way.

Some kids are naturally adventurous and will go along with anything and try any food put in front of them. If you have one of these, congratulations – you win life!

If you don’t have one of these amazing creatures (and I’m very well aware you can have one of these AND a picky kid in the same family!), and you’re concerned your child won’t take to a healthier diet and will starve themselves rather than eat anything green; don’t give up hope. By nature of them being young, kids are malleable and flexible. They change their minds often, and now is the time to influence them positively around their food habits.

What CAN parents who are new to a plant-based diet do to get their kids to eat healthy?

In my opinion, these 7 things:

1. Greens are an absolutely VITAL part of a healthy diet, they are the sun in food form, and we need all the vitamins and minerals they provide.

Any science-loving kid will engage with the explanation of HOW the sun makes the leaves green and fills them with nutrients for us. If they understand WHY we need them, they may be more enthusiastic about eating them. Here is the science if you need to gen up (I did!).

One thing I’ve often heard that drives me crazy is a parent saying to another parent or friend ‘oh, (insert kids name here) doesn’t do greens’ IN FRONT OF THE KID!! Please NEVER say this! They’ll internalise it, it will become part of their identity around food, and it gives them a get-out to NEVER eat greens again!

Always talk in a positive, encouraging way when talking about greens and other veg. Talk about how great they are and how good they make you feel. Eat all veg joyfully in front of them!

I absolutely realise that sometimes this may take a while to have effect. If kids leave veg on the plate or say negative things about it, just ignore this and do the same thing the next day.

Changing any habit is a process, but if kids feel YOU have nothing but good energy around greens and healthy food, this cannot help but influence them eventually.

2. If kids have helped make a meal, they are more invested in eating it.

This may be more time consuming, but is a great way of getting them on board with eating healthier, and once they’ve made and eaten a certain food item, you don’t necessarily have to get them to help make it again – they’ll remember the fun they had helping make it the first time and will vibe off of that and want to eat it again.

Little ones can help breaking off the broccoli or cauliflower florets and popping them in the steamer for example, or they can create their own oats/dried fruit/berry concoction for breakfasts. Slightly older kids can weigh ingredients or help with cup measurements. I have a set of cups and spoons that are brightly coloured and kids naturally gravitate towards them ‘cos they look like fun.

harvest: enormous cucumber from Flickr via Wylio — © 2009 woodleywonderworks, Flickr | CC-BY | via Wylio

3. Go shopping with the kids and give THEM the shopping list, and let them go seek everything out in the supermarket.

The more investment they have in the whole process, from procuring the food to preparing it, the more likely they are to eat it.

4. Kids, especially young ones, tend to GET that it’s not cool to have animals killed for us to eat. I wrote about that here.

When easing meat and dairy out of a kids diet, explain (again, in an age appropriate way), about your reasons for this, whether it’s for health, the animals, the planet, or all three. Just as for adults, understanding something can be the key to kids wanting to change.

5. If you have kids that have been used to burgers and sausages, I’ve found that if you give them tasty plant-based versions, they are not really any the wiser if you don’t tell them.

And if you DO tell them, and they understand that these burgers/sausages are great because no animal was killed for them, AND the burger is delicious – they will eat and enjoy it JUST THE SAME as if it was meat. It’s probably the ketchup they care more about anyway (which is full of sugar, but sometimes you have to pick your battles!)

Yes, these foods are not always optimally healthy, but you only need to use them while transitioning and getting kids used to not eating animals (It can really help kids at first if the new food they are eating RESEMBLES the food they were previously eating). And don’t forget – veggie burgers and sausages are STILL healthier than their animal flesh counterparts, as they contain zero cholesterol, oodles less saturated fat, zero antibiotics and zero hormones.

6. It’s all about taste, texture and fun.

Seek out recipes for healthy food that is attractive to kids. Here’s some (Dreena Burton is fab!). Here’s more.

7. Patience, patience and more patience are required

(I’m a fine one to talk about patience – I have zero. It’s probably a good thing I have zero kids!).

It will take more time to prep meals with kids helping. It will take time communicating the value of certain foods and why you no longer eat others. Depending on your previous eating habits, you may need more time in the kitchen than before. And yes, your kid may well tell you to stuff that broccoli up your bottom, and you may end up throwing away uneaten food at first.

Your efforts will pay off though, I promise. Excitement and energy around delicious, healthy food is contagious – your kids will catch it eventually!

As I mentioned right at the beginning, I am writing this based on my experience of being with, talking to and looking after lots of kids, and reading about the experiences of a whole bunch of vegan families.

However, it can always be thrown back in my face that I’m not a parent.

I guess I get this.

So, if you are a parent facing the challenge of getting your kids to eat healthier, I would LOVE to hear your experiences, and if you have any other (or better!) ideas, feel free share them with us in the comments.

My Go-To Meals, Part 1 – Sumac Baked Potato Salad

This recipe is originally from a Nigella Lawson cookbook, ‘Forever Summer’ I think, and it’s remarkably healthy, considering her penchant for adding huge dollops of butter and cream to, er, every damn thing.

She calls it ‘Baked Potato Salad,’ but it doesn’t really feel like a salad to me. Maybe because I never have the patience to let it fully cool before devouring it. You can eat it cold, or if impatient like me, warm.

How easy is it to throw jacket potatoes in the oven? And the rest takes about 10 minutes tops.

It’s great for kids because it’s tasty, but not too refined or acquired a taste for them to pull a face.

It’s also a great casual supper to share with friends, lots of whom might not have heard of sumac before (I certainly hadn’t till I discovered this recipe!) so you have a great ice breaker/talking point right there to start the evening off.

In case you haven’t come across it before, sumac (pronounced soo-mack) is a red berry that is ground into a powder, and used in Middle Eastern cooking. It tastes lemony, but it’s not as tart as lemon; it’s slightly sweeter and has a fuller, rounder flavour. You know what? You just gotta taste it. It goes darn well with baked potatoes, that’s for sure.

What you need:

2 baked potatoes
4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
juice of half a lemon
1 teaspoon of sumac (or enough to lightly sprinkle the surface of your dish)
1 teaspoon of cumin (or enough to lightly sprinkle the surface of your dish)
2 spring onions, sliced
sea salt
chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Add an extra potato per person, but don’t worry if this isn’t exact – you’ll probably want to serve it with something else anyway, so there’ll be plenty.

What you do:

When the baked potatoes are cool enough to work with, roughly mush and chop them up, and spread them out in your serving dish. Please don’t be neat. This is a very rustic kind of a meal – no airs and graces here. Nigella actually says to scoop out the potato flesh and not to mind if a little bit of skin comes with it. However, I just chop it all up, skins and all – are you kidding me? The skins are an amazing source of iron, calcium, fibre, B vitamins and potassium – and they’re yummy and add great texture!

When you’ve done this, drizzle your olive oil all over potatoes.

Then the same with the lemon juice.

Salt evenly all over, to taste.

Sprinkle sumac and cumin evenly all over.

Sprinkle chopped spring onions (and parsley, if using) all over.

Leave a few minutes for the flavours to sink in.

Consume with gusto.

Q. What can you eat sumac baked potatoes with?

A. Anything.

Some suggestions:

-veggie sausages

-steamed kale

-Ful Madammas (I’ll have to post my recipe for this soon)

-corn on the cob

-steamed asparagus

-a Mediterranean (or really, any) salad

Killer Sides, Part 1 – Easy Sweet Potato Fries

These are just one of my favourite foods EVER. So simple and so, so tasty, and if baked (yes, pedants, I know they’re called fries, but in my book it’s the fry size that makes them fries, not the cooking method) then they’re not that blinking bad for you either.

I discovered them on one of our trips to the US a few years ago, and my first thought on trying them was ‘why would anyone ever make a fry out of potato when you can make them out of sweet potato and they taste like THIS?’

They were unheard of in the UK a few years ago, but word is slowly but surely crossing that big pond, and they are now becoming more and more widely available on restaurant/cafe menus here.

There are lots of different ways to make them. One thing’s for damn sure, I’ve never had a bad one.

They are great deep fried, but they are honestly just as delicious this way. The most time-consuming thing is chopping and slicing the sweet potatoes, but once you’ve done that, you’ve nearly done. I’d say overall prep time is around 25 minutes.

You will need:

– A couple of big sweet potatoes, or three smaller ones

– Spraying oil (I prefer sunflower for this purpose)

– 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

– 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika

– Salt

– Baking tray

– Greaseproof paper

What you do:

– Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees.

– Chop and slice the sweet potatoes into skinny, fry size lengths. If you have one of those fancy gadgets that does this, good for you. If not, get slicing! Don’t worry in the least if your fries are all different sizes, they are kind of meant to look a bit rough and ready. Just try to keep them skinny, around .5 of a centimetre thick.

– Line your baking tray with greaseproof paper, and lay out your fries as best you can.

– Spray your fries liberally. I find it’s better spraying oil than drizzling it from a bottle. It’s quite hard to gauge how much drizzles out and you can end up with your fries swimming in oil when you come to turn them.

– Mix the garlic powder and paprika in a small bowl.

– Sprinkle this mixture evenly all over your fries.

– Salt your fries thoroughly. Don’t be shy.

– They should now look something like this.

– Place in oven and bake for approx 20 minutes, turning them after 10. Take them out when they start to brown.

– This is how I accompanied this batch:

Sweet potato fries are a great side to, oooooooooh, ANYTHING, and amazing just as a snack on their own. You don’t even need to dip them in ketchup they are so delicious naked (of course you can if you need to). Need a crowd pleaser? Got kids/in-laws/friends coming over? They’ll love you forever for making these. Show me someone who doesn’t adore them and I’ll show you a big fat liar!

Tahini Sauce – A Quick And Easy Recipe

I’ve been making this tahini sauce for years. It’s probably most well-known as an accompaniment to falafel, but it’s also yummy as a salad dressing, great on baked potatoes, you can mix it up with falafel and/or salad and stick it in a pita pocket, or you can just plain ol’ dip into it with a pita soldier or a rice cracker.

Tahini is basically ground sesame seeds. Sesame seeds are a fabulous source of calcium. You don’t need the milk from the cow when the seed of the sesame is around. They are also an excellent way to get your copper, manganese, magnesium, iron, zinc, selenium, phosphorus, and vitamin B1 needs met!

Try and get the paler tahini. Some might say the darker one is better as the seeds are unhulled; but the paler one made with hulled seeds is just easier to work with for this sauce. The dark one can taste a bit bitter.

You can find tahini pretty much anywhere these days, even supermarkets. If you can, I’d try and get it from a local Asian/Middle Eastern grocers. Some of the tahini I’ve bought in health stores is a bit heavy. The real thing made in the countries that use it the most, seems to be best. It’s not expensive at around £2.50 for 454g (1lb). This is really economical as you only use a small bit for each batch, so it lasts a good while.

My favourite tahini is the Al-Nakhil brand. It’s Lebanese and has a gorgeous, creamy, smooth texture. I’m sure there are lots of other great Middle Eastern brands. Look around.

What you’ll need:

– 3 tblspns Tahini

– water

– juice of 1/2 a lemon

– soy sauce (just use salt if you don’t tolerate soy)

– the tiniest drop of olive oil EVER

– 1/2 tspn garlic powder

– 3/4 tspn of cumin

– 3/4 tspn of paprika

What you do:

I’ve given specific amounts of each ingredient above, but tahini is really made to taste, so do feel free to add more or less of each ingredient to suit you. The only important thing is getting the right salt taste to lemon ratio, but you will identify this when you taste it.

If you’re making it for the first time, and just for a couple of people, I’d start with three tablespoons of tahini, and put them in a cereal bowl (one that has quite high sides if possible).

Then fill a jug with water (filtered, preferably) to put next to you.

Pour a little of the water into the bowl, so it comes approximately 1cm over the top of your tahini. Then grab a teaspoon and stir rapidly. If it is too thick, pour in some more water, and stir again. Continue to do this, until it is almost the consistency of milkshake.

PRETTY IMPORTANT NOTE: At the beginning of the stirring process, the mixture WILL curdle and look disgusting, but don’t worry, it all comes back together again and looks creamy and dreamy after just a little more stirring.

Got the creamy milky texture back?

Good.

– Add a tiny touch (really tiny) of olive oil, and stir it in. This just helps keep the texture smooth.

Now to flavour your tahini sauce.

Firstly, add a drop (maybe 1/2 tspn) of soy sauce to salt your tahini. Just keep adding half teaspoons and tasting it until you are happy.

Then add lemon juice. I’d start with the juice of half a lemon, and increase it if you need more. You want it pretty zingy, to complement the salt taste.

When you are happy with the lemon/salt taste ratio (your tahini should already be tasting pretty darn good btw), add a 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, or more if you love garlic, and stir it in.

Check your consistency is good. At this stage you want it to be the consistency of milk. Don’t worry if it is a little bit thicker. You just don’t want it too thick, as it will thicken as it stands. If it is too thick, just keep adding a little water, making sure not to dilute your flavours by adding a little more of each, if needed, until you get a thinner liquid.

Sprinkle 3/4 of a teaspoon of ground cumin, and 3/4 teaspoon of paprika over the top, and leave to stand for around 15 minutes for the flavours to mingle.

It will last in the fridge a couple of days, and you will need to give it a quick stir each time you use it again.

Killer Snacks, Part 3: Fried Plantain

Once you discover fried plantain, you won’t understand how it hasn’t always been a part of your life. You may even wonder why you ever bothered with chips or fries.

Not seen plantain before? They are those things that look exactly like bananas, but a bit bigger, and the skin is more angular.

It’s very easy to mistake them for bananas.

I did this once, years ago while living in Paris. For breakfast, I used to grab two bananas every day from a grocer, on my way to work. This particular day I accidentally grabbed two plantain – I was probably thinking ‘ Yay, bigger bananas.’

If you bite into a raw plantain however, you very quickly realise it’s not a banana – they suck all the moisture out of your mouth, it’s VERY uncomfortable, trust me!

I learned what plantain was that day, but it was still a while before I tried them properly.

These days, living in south London, there are plenty of places for me to buy plantain. Even my local big name supermarket sells it. Look in your nearest Asian or Caribbean grocers.

At my local Sri Lankan grocers, I can buy 3 plantain for £1.20. This is, in truth, more than we need for two portions, but what can I say? My partner and I are plantain-a-philes. That is officially a thing now. Didn’t you know?

You can buy your plantain green (unripe), yellow, or black (over ripe). My preference is middle-of-the-road yellow; the green ones are a bit too dry for my taste, and the black ones a bit too sweet. Experiment though! I had fried black plantain with hot creole sauce in New Orleans, and I loved it, but if I’m making it at home, I just find the yellow ones easier to work with. If you’re making it for the first time, definitely start with the yellow ones, then branch out!

You will need:

– 2 or 3 yellow plantain (1 per person generally speaking, and don’t worry if they have bits of black on them, that’s fine, you just don’t want them completely black, at least this time).

– Oil (I use sunflower, groundnut or coconut, as these are best for frying)

– Cajun seasoning (I use Slap Ya Mama , which can be ordered from here in the UK). Otherwise you can just use salt and garlic granules, it will still be delicious.

-1 frying pan

What you do:

Slice your plantain(s) diagonally, with pieces around 1.5cm thick, like so:

Heat your oil till it starts bubbling gently.

Place your plantain in the pan (gently, to avoid painful splashbacks!). You can cover the bottom of the pan with the plantain, but don’t let pieces overlap.

Sprinkle your seasoning fairly liberally all over.

Fry for 8 mins, or until golden brown, then turn plantain with a spatula, season the other side, and do the same.

Lay a piece of kitchen roll on a plate, and transfer plantain pieces onto it. The kitchen roll will soak up any excess oil.

Use the same oil to repeat the process if you have any plantain left over, but reduce the seasoning because there will be some left in the oil from last time.

Enjoy your fried plantain! They are delicious on their own or dipped in ketchup (go easy though, ketchup is full of sugar – I’m on the lookout for a sugar-free ketchup right now, I’ll report back when I find one).

Killer Snacks, Part 2: Cinnamon Grapefruit

This recipe is so easy, I feel slightly ridiculous posting it. The only reason I am is because up until a couple of years ago, I didn’t know you could put cinnamon on grapefruit, and that it was delicious. I can’t remember how I found out about it, but I’m pretty sure it was from a blog. So, I’m hoping this reaches anyone who has still yet to discover this tantalising snack. Of course, it could always be a dessert, or part of a breakfast too.

You will need:

-1 fresh pink grapefruit (don’t worry if you only have white, that works too), cut in half horizontally

-ground cinnamon

What you do:

Use small serrated knife to separate sections, and cut them away from their skins. Then cut round between the segments and the outer peel of the grapefruit.

Sprinkle cinnamon all over to taste.

Grab teaspoon and dig in!

Note: You can also make baked cinnamon grapefruit. Simply preheat oven to 350 degrees, and once you’ve ‘cinnamoned’ your grapefruit half, place it cut side up on a baking sheet, and bake for 10-15 minutes. I have tried this once, and it was delicious, but it’s so yummy as it is, I can never be bothered turning the oven on.

If you need a bit more sweetness, or just fancy a more decadent treat, pour on a touch of agave nectar or brown rice syrup before sprinkling on the cinnamon.

Vegan and Still Want a Tra-dish Festive Meal? Here’s How (With Some Modern Ideas Thrown In!)

I guess a vegan Christmas never fazed me because I NEVER liked ‘Christmas food.’ Even in my pre- plant-based days; mince pies, Christmas cake, Christmas pudding, turkey, pigs in blankets etc, left me cold. They were way too rich for my taste. I would have happily celebrated with a curry or a chilli!

Thankfully, we are all different, and I realise some of you might be wondering how to have a healthful, plant-based Christmas, while keeping all the traditional flavours and textures associated with the season.

My partner, too, loves the stodge and richness of Christmas nosh, so over the years we have reached a compromise.

I thought I’d share some of our Christmas meal plan – in case anyone else is in the same position.

I will normally volunteer to make a light starter (see what I did there? Picked the easiest thing – hee). We’ll both take care of the ‘Christmassy’ main dish, and he will make a seasonal (but not necessarily ‘Christmassy’) dessert.

I haven’t decided what to make for this years starter, but last years was so delicious I may just repeat that – Artichoke with lemon dipping sauce. Easy – boil the artichokes; throw all the sauce ingredients together, done!

For the last few years we have had Tofurkey as a main course. Tofurkey has been available in the US for years, and I know there are mixed opinions about it there. It hasn’t been available in the UK all that long. I think this is our 4th year of buying it (from Whole Foods) and we are still quite chuffed that this option even exists!

I never liked turkey, but I quite like this. It is obviously meant to replicate a stuffed turkey, but I think it tastes better. It is moist, and has a pleasant, chewy texture. The stuffing is delightfully herby and is made with wild rice and whole wheat breadcrumbs. The gravy that comes with it is hands-down delicious, and really makes the whole thing taste rich and decadent. The ingredients are as healthy as they could be, with wholegrains used wherever possible and absolutely minimal crap. Pretty impressive.

We roast lots of parsnips, sweet potatoes and white potatoes in with it, just as you would a turkey, and steam some greens.

Tofurkey is also available in Canada, Australia, Germany, Belgium and Singapore, see their website for details.

There are alternatives in the US, Field Roasts Celebration Roast for one, but I can’t speak for this as I’ve never tried it. Perhaps someone who has could review it in the comments?

My partner will make a pecan pie for dessert. There are lots of vegan recipes for pecan pie, but some are waaay complicated, with a billion ingredients, and others are too spartan, aimed at the ‘raw’ crowd. The one I’ve linked to is a good balance between the two.

We will no doubt be snarfing chocolate over the holidays – these chocolate buttons are from Montezuma, and are incredible. They are dark chocolate but not at all bitter – I’ve given them to kids and they love them too.

Something lovely to sip when you return from your brisk Christmas day walk? Try vanilla maple chai. You will need:

-1 cup Yogi Chai (or any brand available, except Oregon Chai – this is too sweet already)

-1 cup vanilla soy milk

-Maple syrup to taste.

Heat everything up in a saucepan, pour into mugs, sprinkle cinnamon on top! Lean back in a chair, sip chai and say aaaaah!

You will not want for taste, luxury and decadence having a plant-based Christmas!

Wishing you a joyous, restful and delicious Christmas!

Super Simple Kimchi Recipe – It Practically Makes Itself!

Following on from last weeks tips for great gut health, I’m going to show you how I make my own simple and tasty kimchi.

Fermented foods like kimchi and sauerkraut are fantastic for the gut because of the rich source of probiotics and digestive enzymes they contain. Ideally, a little would be eaten every day, but a few times a week is good.

My kimchi is riDICulously easy, and though I’m sure kimchi purists would have something to say about it, it is yummy, healthy, vegan, and doesn’t take too much time or effort out of your busy day.

You will need:

-1 mason jar, here’s a pic of mine:-

-1 napa cabbage (Chinese leaf)

-salt

-1 long pointed red pepper

-3 big cloves or 6 small cloves garlic

-1/4 onion

-1 knob of ginger, around 3 cm (1 in) thick

-4/6 spring onions, sliced width-wise

-1 small mild to medium red chilli (optional)

The amounts of garlic, onion, ginger; and spring onions can all be adapted to taste. Try it this way first, then you can always make it to suit your own taste next time if desired.

What you do:

Wash the outer leaves of the cabbage (if not organic), and pat dry. Put the cabbage horizontally in front of you and chop the root end off (you can compost this or feed it to the rabbit!)

Then slice it, with each slice around 4-5 cm (2 in) thick.

Then take a handful of the chopped cabbage, and lay it over the bottom of a cake mixing bowl or pyrex dish and sprinkle 3/4 teaspoon of salt all over it.

Then take another handful of the chopped cabbage, layer it on top of the first, and sprinkle 3/4 teaspoon of salt over that layer. Repeat until there is no more cabbage left.

Put the lid on (or cover with a plate) and stick it somewhere darkish, and room temperature or cool, for eight hours.

Wait eight hours….tum ti tum….la la la….

…go get your salty cabbage! You will see that during this time, the cabbage has absorbed the salt, shrunk down into the bowl, and there will be lots of salty liquid at the bottom of the bowl. This is good.

Blitz the red pepper, ginger, garlic, onion, and chilli (if you’re using it) in a blender until it looks like a smoothie.

Pour this over the cabbage. Put the sliced spring onions on top.

Mix it all together – salad tongs are really helpful for this, but you can use a fork or spoon.

When all the cabbage is nicely coated in the red mixture, and the spring onions are spread throughout, it’s time to put it in the jar (again, salad tongs make this easy, but use whatever).

You can keep pushing the cabbage down in the jar, to make room for it all. Get as much in as you can, and make sure there is enough liquid in there. When you’ve filled the jar to the top, push the cabbage down once more, and the liquid should just come over the top of the veg.

Seal the jar. It’s advisable, while the kimchi is fermenting and doing its thang, that you keep it in a bowl like this…

….Because it can get a bit frisky and leak out the top.

Store it in the same place you stored the salted cabbage.

Wait 48 hours….la di da di dum….

Done that? Yay! Now you can open your kimchi and sample it.

Please note: At first it may taste quite mild, and as the days/weeks go by it will get stronger. I prefer it strong, but you may be different! It lasts in the fridge for weeks, but at some point it will get too strong to eat. 3-4 weeks is probably a good life for your jar of kimchi – if it lasts that long!

You can eat it solo as a quick snack, in a sandwich, or on toast. You can make a kimchi stew with it, but my FAVOURITE way to enjoy kimchi is this: Warm a wholewheat pitta pocket in a toaster, then cut it open one side and put a scraping of Pure, Earthbalance (or any vegan spread) inside it, along with some sliced, cold, leftover vegan sausages. I particularly favour Vbites sage and marjoram sausages. Cover the sausage with kimchi, close pocket and devour. This.Snack.Will.Change.Your.Life.

Killer Snacks, Part 1: Avocado Toast

Hungry? Need a killer snack? Something quick but classy? That’s nutritious, tasty and satisfying, despite it only taking five minutes (or less!) to throw together?

Well then, do this. You’ll not be sorry.

You will need:

– A slice (or two) of good quality whole wheat, spelt, or gluten-free bread

– One nice, ripe Hass avocado

– Soy sauce, or salt

And here are the (oh so complicated!) instructions:

– Toast bread

– De-stone avocado, scoop out inside of avocado and put it in a bowl

– Mush up the avocado in the bowl

– Plonk (yes, it is a technical term, shutup) avocado onto the toast.

– Add drops of soy sauce, or sprinkle salt all over for flavour.

You now have Avocado Toast. And you’re welcome.

If you want to get fancy, you can add chopped spring onions, ground black pepper, lemon juice, chilli sauce, sesame seeds. Anything really.

Here’s mine. And no. I don’t share.