Over the last few months I have been having a bit of a health overhaul and have started taking healthy eating really seriously. The main thing I noticed was how hard it was for someone vegetarian to try and jump on the health bus – because so many websites and blogs advocate things like lean turkey mince as healthy options. As someone who doesn’t even like meat substitute products I find it really hard to make balanced meals, so I thought I’d share with you how I have managed to lose half a stone.

Start the day right

I start my day with some hot water with honey, lemon, turmeric and cayenne pepper. If I don’t get a chance to have this at home I’ll grab a hot shot from Pret. Hot water with honey and lemon is a great kickstart to your digestive system and we all know cayenne pepper is. Turmeric however, has been proven to have loads of health benefits not only physically, but for your mood as well. Fair enough it does taste a bit spicy, but it will actually make you feel quite energised if you drink it first thing.

Breakfast

For breakfast I have poached egg and mashed avocado on brown toast. I know that is incredibly cliche, but it really does give you a balanced breakfast. If you are calorie counting be careful with your avocados though – sneaky little buggers have loads in. Obviously doing all of this before work can be quite the hassle, but if you have a microwave at work you can poach eggs in it and have breakfast when you get there. All you need to do is crack them into water in a cup with a splash of vinegar and put a plat on top and microwave them for about a minute. They are not perfect – but they do.

Lunch

Vegetable sushi. All day, every day. I love the stuff. For me, the best one is the M&S one. I’m not fussy though, I love it so much I will literally get it from anywhere. Obviously it would be amazing if I had time to pop off to Yo! Sushi every time I want lunch so somethings supermarkets have to do.

Dinner

I absolutely hate meat substitutes like Quorn, so as a veggie that leaves me with a seriously small amount of options. Usually I’ll make a vegetable curry. I love vegetable curry because you can put anything you want in. I often put potatoes in – they get a bad reputation thanks to unhelpful sayings like ‘no carbs before Marbs’ but they are actually really good for you. If you want to be super healthy you can use brown rice. One of my most amazing discoveries recently was Coyo Coconut Yoghurt. This is easier than putting in coconut milk and yoghurt separately and it is dairy free so you can use it if you are vegan.

Drinks

My one downfall is coffee which I know I drink too much of. Aside from this I am really good and manage to get through at least a couple of jugs of water a day. I only let myself have one Diet Coke a day unless I’m out and about of the evening, where I may go mad and treat myself to a fat Coke.

Alcohol

I gave up alcohol a couple of months ago. Obviously it’s a bit of a drastic weight loss action but it really has helped. I appreciate not everyone is going to ditch the wine just to lose a few pounds or be healthier – but at least cutting down will help a lot as there are just so many hidden calories in alcohol.

Snacks

Luckily for me, I don’t actually like chocolate. So the good thing is – I haven’t had to give it up. One thing I am a bit terrible for is crisps. I do eat healthy snacks like fruit and Edamame bean pots through the week but I do treat myself of a weekend. I am a firm believer that if you just diet and diet forever without any treats this is what makes you stick to it less, so if I do want something I know isn’t good for me I’ll just work harder at the gym that day.