I’ve always loved my food, not necessarily the best choices but I’ve always enjoyed cooking and baking. One of my earliest memories is baking a Victoria sponge cake with my Grandma when I was quite young.
As I’ve said before, when I started my journey I was eating just 3 meals a day-Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. Which also involved cutting out sugar, dairy, gluten, wheat, alcohol, processed foods with no snacking. For the first 3 weeks it was little or no carbs to cleanse the system and kick start the metabolism alongside the 10 min HIIT workouts and then after the 3 weeks you can incorporate good carbs in limited amounts with cheat days/meals, if you choose too. You can choose to follow along to pre planned menu for the week or can go through the recipe book and choose some recipes and choose your own meal plan for the week. I started out following pre written plans but as time went on and I became more confident I made my own recipes or followed other ones online and made my own meal plans, still following the principles of 3 meals a day. Which was fine but I was finding as I did more training I needed more carbs and snacks in between.
Every day is a learning curve with us, our bodies and life, but it’s all about making things simpler and easier. So if I can make anything in life easier I will always try to.
I was still working out every day at this point and had started a 30 day challenge, so was exercising for slightly longer and needed more fuel for my body. Since then, I’ve learnt a lot about nutrition and I have learnt so much and want to learn so much more. Part of the community I’m in, we are encouraged to take an ‘NSA’ (No Strings Attached) approach to meals. Not cheat or reward meal, that’s insinuating you are doing bad and that’s when the negative thinking happens. Positive thinking my friends!
Approach everything with balance. Everything is ok in moderation, just don’t go mad.
I lightly touched above about eating designed around my training, so I eat good/complex carbs, sprouted grains, whole foods. I don’t eat carbs in every meal but I have as part of my breakfast, normally one of my snacks, quite often lunch (on training days) and dinner (again, more so on training days) I have greens with every meal, and when I say greens I mean fruit/ veg, eat the rainbow. All the different coloured foods contain lots of nourishing vitamins, minerals and nutrients-micro and macro nutrients which are incredibly important for our bodies, to replenish and repair its self.
I always make sure a good quality protein source is included with every meal, whether it be meat, nuts, beans, protein powder, I always have protein in every meal. It’s essential for muscle growth and repair and also for getting the metabolism in fat burning mode, plus helps to fill you up. And also don’t be scared of good fats, like those you find in avocado, again everything in moderation.
I generally follow a balanced approach to eating, by eating nourishing, whole foods that I have prepared myself.
Here I will share a typical day of eating on a training day. I am currently doing an 8 week strengthening training programme at the moment, where I am on week 6 of the 8, I train for about 45 mins, 4 days a week. It involves a mixture of weight training, core workouts and HIIT workouts each week. More info when I talk about working out.
A typical day of eating:
💚Meal 1- (Breakfast)-Post workout or on rest days within an hour of waking-Green Smoothie (Protein, Carbs, Greens, Fats)
💚Meal 2- (Mid morning Snack)-Trail mix and banana (Protein, Carbs, Fats)
💚Meal 3- (Lunch)-Tuna and Avocado salad in a sprouted grain wrap (Protein, Carbs, Greens, Fats)
💚Meal 4- (Mid afternoon Snack)-Chocolate Protein Muffin (Protein, Fats)
💚Meal 5-(Dinner)- Beef Chilli in an oven baked Sweet Potato with a bit of grass fed organic mozzarella. (Protein, Carbs, Fats and Greens)
And of course I drink lots of water throughout the day.
I find this way of eating works for me, its tasty, quick and easy. Fills me up and burns body fat, what more could I ask for?
I would like to share with you all some of my own recipes I make all the time and love. Hope you enjoy as much as me…….
Jemp Mint Choc Chip Green Smoothie-makes 1 portion.
Ingredients:
1/2 blender cup of baby greens
Handful of Fresh Mint Leaves
½ Frozen Banana
Scoop of Good Hemp Chocolate Protein Powder
Teaspoon of Mint Matcha Tea (optional-I like for the energy boost it gives)
Couple of drops of organic Mint essence
Top up with Good Hemp Milk or liquid of choice, eg, Coconut water/almond milk, etc.
Table spoon of cacao nibs (only pulse these for few secs at end once everything else smooth.)
Method:
Chuck all in the blender, except cacao nibs and blend till smooth. Then add Cacao nibs and pulse for a few secs to mix in but not break up. Should look like a smooth mint choc chip ice cream. So yummy and nutritious. Enjoy 👌💚😋
Jemp Chilli Con Carne-makes 3-4 portions
Ingredients:
250grams of Lean Beef Mince
An onion (finely sliced and diced)
2-3 cloves of garlic-crushed
Black Pepper for seasoning
1-1 ½ teaspoons of Chilli Powder
1 carton of Passata (sieved tomatoes)
1 can of organic Kidney beans
Handful of fresh/frozen peas
Handful fresh/frozen sweetcorn
Tablespoon of Oil to cook with (personal preference, I like Good Hemp Oil)
Method:
First slice and dice onions and crush garlic cloves, whilst doing this heat the pan with a table spoon of cooking oil (if required), when oil/pan hot, add onions and garlic and brown for a few mins. When browned, add the beef mince and break up the mince until falls to browned pieces and juices evaporate (about 5 mins) add black pepper and chilli powder and mix until coated all the meat. Then add carton of passata and mix together well. Add beans, peas and sweetcorn. Mix together, leave to simmer for 15-20 mins, stiring occasionally. Serve with a baked Sweet Potato/basmatic rice/quinoa/gluten free pasta, sprouted grain pasta.
Trail mix
Chilli bagged up for freezer 
Kitchen towel in salad leaves to keep fresh
Some essential things I like to keep on hand in the cupboard
Which brings me onto Food Prep, where do I begin I bet you are thinking? Just remember it’s there to make life easier.
Well there’s lots of ways to approach food prep, I personally like to plan my meals for the week, by writing them down on a meal planner (currently working on a printable downloadable one to help you out) and then deciding what can be prepped in advance and what can be made on day and then dependant on time I have I will work those meals around my plan. For example on a non-working day or a food prep day I’ll make the meal fresh there and but if I know I’m working late I’ll have prepped meal that just needs heating up or putting together. Sometimes I’ll freeze, in portion sizes, if not having for a couple of days, otherwise will store in fridge. Sometimes, with work I don’t have time to prep too much in advance but what I’ll do then, is make something extra each time I cook, like when making dinner I’ll prep some muffins and then pop them in the oven while I eat my dinner. Hope all of that makes sense. Anyway to make life easier, I say!
Things I’ll prep in advance are:
💚Smoothie bags-pre chop fruit and veg, pre portion greens into portion sized ziplok bags and store in freezer. Take out as need.
💚Snacks-for example protein balls or muffins, trail mix, nuts, etc, store in air tight containers, in fridge or freezer.
💚Some main meals (lunches/dinners) eg chilli, bolognaise, turkey bites, chicken nuggets, etc. In portion sizes, stored in fridge or freezer.
💚Some sides to go with main meals- sprout quinoa, soak rice, sweet potato disk, fries, roasted/baked potatoes, etc. Stored in fridge.
💚I also buy pre prepared salad leaves and store with a piece of kitchen towel in to absorb moisture and keep leaves fresh.
Food I always have and buy pre prepared is:
💚Gluten free/sprouted whole grain pasta-as pic.
💚Some Organic, sugar free, whole grain cereals-as pic.
💚Super Greens Powder-a dried powder combining 22 dried fruits and veg, classed as superfoods. Great for adding to smoothies when on the go. See in pic above.
💚Good Hemp Food Hemp Protein Powder-an all natural, non sweetened, good quality, from a uk based company protein powder, that I add to my daily smoothies and to baking.
💚Good Hemp Milk-I always have this in my fridge, it’s so yummy and nutritious I like to add to my smoothies and some baking.
💚Matcha Tea-For an energy boost when I need it. I do have one most days and like to add to smoothies in the morning and into baking.
💚 Collagen Protein Powder-I add this to my smoothies, baking and also my water with fruit, as a great way to get into me everyday. It’s scientifically proven to help hair, skin and nails. I use to help with my excess skin and it definitely works as I’ve taken progress pics.
💚Good Hemp Oil-I use this for cooking and baking and also great for hair and skin.
💚Coconut Oil-I also use this for cooking and baking and again also great in skin and hair.
💚Cacao Powder-As a chocolate lover always have to add to smoothies and baking.
💚Cacao Nibs-I always have in the cupboard for adding to baking and smoothies, trail mix and snacking.
I find by having healthy, nutritious meals and food items on hand, I can stay on track with my eating. I’m not saying I’m perfect all the time because I’m not and I do mindfully plan ‘NSA’ meals into every week. So yes! I will have takeaways and cakes, etc. But I eat them mindfully and enjoy. Put behind me and move on, 1 meal isn’t going to undo all my good work but eating it all the time will. So a little when I fancy……..but don’t go overboard!!
My biggest tip is:
Do what works for you, don’t put too much pressure on yourself to do it all. You don’t have to.
#youareflawsome 💚
On that note I’m off
olate Protein Muffins so I’ve got some snacks prepped for the rest of the week and weekend.
Remember, Stay Flawsome,
Lots of love
Jemma 💚💪🏽 xx
P.S. Don’t forget for more regular updates on my journey you can follow me on Instagram @flawsomejem 💚💚💚
Finding the Way (includes green smoothie and beef chilli recipe)