A Chat With Plant-Based Chef Bettina’s Kitchen

If you want to see some truly insta-worthy food, then look no further than the fabulous plant-based chef @Bettinas_Kitchen. It’s full of incredibly tasty, super healthy and colourful goodness, oh and some crazy socks! This beautiful plant-based foodie is passionate about a healthy lifestyle, but her skills aren’t only in the kitchen, her photography is out of this world too! We met up with her to find out what we should and shouldn’t be doing with our diets, why it’s so important to listen to your body and what her favourite emoji is!

 So Bettina, what is your ideal breakfast?

In summer I love having chia puddings, lots of fruit and avocado on toast. In winter or when it’s a little colder I really enjoy having porridge. My porridges are pretty over the top, as you’ll probably see from my Instagram! I use everything from peanut butters, berries, to nuts and seeds to top them off.

What are the five foods you think are vital to include in our diet?

Water, I don’t think we hydrate enough and people generally forget to drink Water is vital for healthy living. Greens in all shapes and forms, they naturally make you feel great! Good carbs, I’m not talking about white refined rice or bleached flour. I am talking good quality carbohydrates that modern diets have completely banned. The truth is we need carbs for brain function and they make us happy. Nuts and seeds also get a bad wrap for being too high in calories, but to me they’re vital for all the good fats we need. Last but not least, fruits and vegetables. I don’t think we eat enough of them. If you can get hold of local organic produce, that’s great and if you eat them in season well then, that’s even better!

What sort of exercise do you do and how often?

I am on an exercise mission at the moment. I exercise three times a week doing a mix between weights and cardio. It makes me feel great and is a really good way to start the day. It’s time consuming so I have had to juggle a bit but totally worth it!

What’s your favourite dish to make?

I am obsessed with “feel good bowls” at the moment. I choose my grain on the bottom of a soup bowl and top it off with a mix between raw veggies or woked and top it off with a tahini, houmous, or one of my home made dressings! It takes very little effort, tastes great and has high nutritional value.

How many meals a day should the average person have?

This is so personal and based on each individual. I don’t think that there is a one size fits all mould. Everyone’s body constitution and metabolism is completely different. I think everyone needs to start feeling and regaining a connection with their body again and question how they actually feel. If you’re tired all the time, have bad sleep, are grumpy, bloated then your body is telling you that it’s not balanced. So, back to the question 🙂 I don’t have an answer that will fit everyone – so my best advice is eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full.

 Can you give us a brief idea of what you eat in a day?

Depends if I am having a “hungry” day or “normal” but on an average day I have a big breakfast (porridge, avocado etc) Lunch is always big and will consist of a grain bowl, or big hearty salad, curry, (anything substantial that will keep me full and satisfied) dinner is usually very early doors. I start thinking about dinner already at 17:00 and will have maybe something that I’m recipe testing – it’ll generally be the lightest meal of the day. I don’t really snack in-between. I like being full and satisfied during my meals.

 What’s your favourite emoji?

I overuse the hearts all the time. When I post I’m usually feeling inspired or in a very good mood which makes me use the hearts pretty much everywhere!

 Who is your idol?

I get inspired by lots of people all the time, I love reading autobiographies, articles and documentaries so I don’t have one specific person but rather many that inspire me all the time. I think we can learn from so many people famous and non famous.

Check out all Bettina’s fabulous plant-based, vegan, sugar free and gluten free recipes on www.bettinaskitchen.com